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Enhancing Offshore Wind Turbine Integrity Management: A Bibliometric Analysis of Structural Health Monitoring, Digital Twins, and Risk-Based Inspection

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The grand challenge of sustainable development, increased demands for resilient critical infrastructure systems, and cost efficiency calls for thinking and acting “out of the box”. We must strive to search for, identify, and utilize new and emerging technologies and new combinations of existing technologies that have the potential to improve present best practices. In integrity management of, e.g., bridge, offshore, and marine structures, relatively new technologies have shown substantial potentials for improvements that not least concern structural health monitoring (SHM), digital twin (DT)-based structural and mechanical modeling, and risk-based inspection (RBI) and maintenance planning (RBI). The motivation for the present paper is to investigate and document to what extent such technologies in isolation or jointly might have the potential to improve best practices for integrity management of offshore wind turbine structures. In this pursuit, the present paper conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to explore the current landscape of advanced technologies within the offshore wind turbine industry suitable for integrity management. It examines the integration of these technologies into future best practices, taking into account normative factors like risk, resilience, and sustainability. Through this analysis, the study sheds light on current research trends and the degree to which normative considerations influence the application of RBI, SHM, and DT, either individually or in combination. This paper outlines the methodology used in the bibliometric study, including database selection and search term criteria. The results are presented through graphical representations and summarized key findings, offering valuable insights to inform and enhance industry practices. These key findings are condensed into a road map for future research and development, aimed at improving current best practices by defining a series of projects to be undertaken.

Source: Energies

DOI: 10.3390/en18030681

Authors: Thomas Bull, Min Liu, Linda Nielsen, Michael Havbro Faber

Institutions: Aalborg University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Universidade Lusófona

Language: English

Topic: Structural Health Monitoring Techniques

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137