e-POSTER: Wind Turbine Fire Investigations, a Guide for Management
21 May 19
3:30 PM
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3:55 PM
Tracks:
Operations and Maintenance, Poster Presentations
Using Mr. Tekorius’ experience in over 43 WTG fires this will guide O&M and Asset and Risk managers through the complex problem of investigating a WTG fire. A fire loss is like an archeological dig, with the “dig” high off the ground and requiring cranes. Thus WTG fire investigations require cooperation between all interested parties. The process is broken down into three phases: Phase 1- Initial data collection and preservation. The following is a partial list of topics covered and is in the handouts: collection of cell and weather records, eyewitness accounts, security camera footage and SCADA. Drone photographs are used to assess damage to the nacelle and hazards allowing the fire investigator to conduct a safe ground search. Ground debris holds critical information and must be collected prior to their loss. Phase 2 - Protection. Coordination with the deconstruction crews must emphasize minimizing disruption of the nacelle. Once the nacelle is down, it must be protected until all the parties are present. Phase 3 - Support. Processing the nacelle with site technicians and their tools, yields physical evidence that the site may have to package and ship. Reports: A fire investigation follows the scientific method, working on a process of elimination, ruling out areas of the nacelle for an area of origin and then potential causes and is prepared for potential litigation. This is different than a root cause analysis.