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Volume 24
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10.3390/s24051421
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Article

Phased Array Ultrasonic Method for Robotic Preload Measurement in Offshore Wind Turbine Bolted Connections

by
Yashar Javadi
1,2,*,
Brandon Mills
1,
Charles MacLeod
1,
David Lines
1,
Farhad Abad
3,
Saeid Lotfian
3,
Ali Mehmanparast
3,
Gareth Pierce
1,
Feargal Brennan
3,
Anthony Gachagan
1 and
Carmelo Mineo
4
1
Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering (CUE), Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering (EEE), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
2
Department of Design, Manufacturing & Engineering Management (DMEM), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
3
Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering (NAOME), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
4
Institute for High Performance Computing and Networking, National Research Council, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sensors 2024, 24(5), 1421; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24051421
Submission received: 21 December 2023 / Revised: 13 February 2024 / Accepted: 20 February 2024 / Published: 22 February 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Sensors Technologies Applied in Mobile Robotics: 2nd Edition)
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Abstract

This paper presents a novel approach for preload measurement of bolted connections, specifically tailored for offshore wind applications. The proposed method combines robotics, Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT), nonlinear acoustoelasticity, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Acceptable defects, below a pre-defined size, are shown to have an impact on preload measurement, and therefore conducting simultaneous defect detection and preload measurement is discussed in this paper. The study demonstrates that even slight changes in the orientation of the ultrasonic transducer, the non-automated approach, can introduce a significant error of up to 140 MPa in bolt stress measurement and therefore a robotic approach is employed to achieve consistent and accurate measurements. Additionally, the study emphasises the significance of considering average preload for comparison with ultrasonic data, which is achieved through FEA simulations. The advantages of the proposed robotic PAUT method over single-element approaches are discussed, including the incorporation of nonlinearity, simultaneous defect detection and stress measurement, hardware and software adaptability, and notably, a substantial improvement in measurement accuracy. Based on the findings, the paper strongly recommends the adoption of the robotic PAUT approach for preload measurement, whilst acknowledging the required investment in hardware, software, and skilled personnel.
Keywords: ultrasonic stress measurement; phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT); offshore wind turbines (OWT); total focusing method (TFM); robotics; non-destructive testing (NDT) ultrasonic stress measurement; phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT); offshore wind turbines (OWT); total focusing method (TFM); robotics; non-destructive testing (NDT)

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Javadi, Y.; Mills, B.; MacLeod, C.; Lines, D.; Abad, F.; Lotfian, S.; Mehmanparast, A.; Pierce, G.; Brennan, F.; Gachagan, A.; et al. Phased Array Ultrasonic Method for Robotic Preload Measurement in Offshore Wind Turbine Bolted Connections. Sensors 2024, 24, 1421. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24051421

AMA Style

Javadi Y, Mills B, MacLeod C, Lines D, Abad F, Lotfian S, Mehmanparast A, Pierce G, Brennan F, Gachagan A, et al. Phased Array Ultrasonic Method for Robotic Preload Measurement in Offshore Wind Turbine Bolted Connections. Sensors. 2024; 24(5):1421. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24051421

Chicago/Turabian Style

Javadi, Yashar, Brandon Mills, Charles MacLeod, David Lines, Farhad Abad, Saeid Lotfian, Ali Mehmanparast, Gareth Pierce, Feargal Brennan, Anthony Gachagan, and et al. 2024. "Phased Array Ultrasonic Method for Robotic Preload Measurement in Offshore Wind Turbine Bolted Connections" Sensors 24, no. 5: 1421. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24051421

APA Style

Javadi, Y., Mills, B., MacLeod, C., Lines, D., Abad, F., Lotfian, S., Mehmanparast, A., Pierce, G., Brennan, F., Gachagan, A., & Mineo, C. (2024). Phased Array Ultrasonic Method for Robotic Preload Measurement in Offshore Wind Turbine Bolted Connections. Sensors, 24(5), 1421. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24051421

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