An IoT-Based Traceability Platform for Wind Turbines

Abstract

In recent years, the application of traceability systems in the food and drug industry has developed rapidly, but it is rarely used for wind turbines. From the aspects of low information transparency and information islands in the supply chain process for wind turbines, a reliable traceability system is essential. However, the existing traceability systems are not suitable to be directly applied to wind turbines. Consequently, according to the characteristics of the wind power industry, a semi-centralized traceability architecture based on Internet of Things technology was proposed. Furthermore, a traceability platform was constructed by analyzing the information collected in each stage related to various user needs of wind turbines, and various applications, including manufacturing management and spare parts management, were developed. Compared with the existing systems, the proposed platform was wind-turbine-oriented, effectively improved traceability efficiency and enterprises’ information security, and extended the length of the traceability chain by integrating the after-sales information. The traceability of key components of wind turbines during their life cycle provides a useful reference for further improving the parts quality management system of the wind power industry.