Blade cleaning made simple

This spectacular shot shows a Sky Man International suspended access system being used to inspect and clean the blades of a wind turbine at the Hansted II windfarm in Uelzen, Germany.

The Blade Access System comprises an electric pullback hoist mounted on 2.7 t trailer on the ground and a 4.87 m long, 240 kg capacity platform with stability counterweights.

Bjorn van Niert, Sky Man's area sales manager, said the system “Provides more efficient access to the blades, which should be regularly inspected and cleaned. Blades can lose up to 30% of their effect when dirty.”

Sky Man, which will have details of the product at the APEX exhibition, revised the system in early 2004 to eliminate the need to re-rig for each blade, which saves about two hours per turbine.