X-raying turbine blades with a drone
Looking inside a wind turbine blade without opening it. SpectX flew an X-ray source on a drone along a blade on the KAAP grounds to do just that.
Read more at SpectX
Location
Buitenterrein KAAP, Kenniswerf Vlissingen
Period
November 2025
Lead
SpectX
How it works
The drone carries the X-ray source, a 9 kilo payload, and flies to the point of interest on the blade. A static detector on the other side of the blade captures the X-ray images. Computer vision software then searches those images for structural anomalies: delaminations, cracks, debonding and other defects.
Why it matters
Damage in a turbine blade often sits below the surface, out of reach of a camera or the naked eye. Today an inspection often means downtime, people working at height or taking the blade down. A drone that looks through the blade while the turbine stays up makes offshore maintenance safer and cheaper.
Who was involved
SpectX ran the test together with World Class Maintenance, Eindhoven University of Technology and drone builder Avular. The Delft-based company develops autonomous inspection systems for the energy sector and was a finalist of the Offshore Wind Innovators Award.
What is tested at KAAP
De veldtest gebeurde op het buitenterrein van KAAP, met een echt turbineblad van Fieldlab Zephyros en World Class Maintenance als testobject. Hier is de ruimte om een drone met een röntgenbron veilig te laten vliegen en aan de andere kant van het blad een detector op te stellen, met de kennis van offshore-onderhoud om de hoek.
See it in action
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Elma
Coordinator KAAP
Join in
Working on something similar?
Then there is probably a spot for it here. Tell me what you want to test and we will look at what you need.