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For further details of this upcoming Wind Turbine User Group and to register your place, please visit the event website
Could you briefly explain your role, involvement, and experience related to the focus of this event?
Francis Bench (FB): I am a senior data scientist at ELEVEN-I where I develop algorithms to monitor the condition of turbine blades; to detect, monitor, and understand the causes of damage; and to validate blade behaviour. I ahve experience working with a range of onshore turbines, from new prototype turbines and fleet-leader models to 15+ year-old turbines with serial defects.
What, in your experience, has been the biggest roadblock for the industry over the past 2-3 years?
FB: There have been a large number of in-service blade issues, including catastrophic failures, driving up costs associated with repairs and insurance and incurring reputational damage, while reducing energy production. Blade condition monitoring could be used to identify blade damage before it becomes catastrophic, allowing repairs to be carried out earlier and at less cost. While condition monitoring is used widely in other parts of wind turbines, such as the drive train, blades remain largely neglected in this area. A prerequisite for the widespread adoption of blade condition monitoring is to establish and quantify the business case for this yet unproven technology.
What key topics are you excited to discuss at this year's conference?
FB: It would be interesting to hear from operations and maintenance experts on the particular challenges they face and problems they would want monitoring.
What do you consider to be the key areas of innovation in this industry, both in the UK and internationally?
FB: Recently there has been a move away from considering turbine components in isolation, towards a more holistic view of turbine performance and health, such as data fusion, combining blade measurement data with SCADA, drive train, and inspection data.
Who else are you most interested in hearing from on the programme?
FB: The presentations on life extension by George Elderfield and Bruce Henry look interesting, particularly in how this could be used in conjunction with condition monitoring to assess which turbines may be suitable for life extension. In addition, the presentation by Robin Elliott on predictive maintenance looks to align well with my own work.
Why is it important for engineers to join this conference?
FB: It is valuable to gain a broader perspective on the issues facing the sector, to stay up to date with the latest developments, and to meet the people driving innovation.
The Wind Turbine User Group 2025 takes place on 14-15 May 2025 in London
Now in its third iteration, this specialised technical forum brings together representatives from across the UK wind energy community to share successes, demonstrate technical innovations, address common industry challenges and exchange ideas.
Featuring technical presentations and case studies, peer reviewed by a senior committee of engineers in the industry, the User Group agenda is specifically curated to meet the needs of all end users working with wind turbines and their related assets, both in onshore and offshore settings.
To view the full list of presentations and to book your place, visit the User Group website - book before 14 March 2025 to secure the Early Bird discount and save 10% off.