How Nordex is introducing an IIoT-based platform in wind farms
Is an Industrial IoT platform the solution? The energy industry is in a state of upheaval. Public demand for alternative energies has never been so high – and wind energy promises to play a central role in this. One key to success: the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). This is because a digital infrastructure and the use of SCADA systems can increase the company’s own added value. Customers can also benefit from added value such as new services and platforms.
Nordex is one of the largest manufacturers of wind turbines in the world. With Nordex OS, Nordex is introducing an Industrial IoT-based platform that is at the center of the digital transformation.
All wind farms at a glance
The Hamburg-based company uses a wide range of sensor data to ensure the optimal operation of wind farms. A new IIoT platform is to network and monitor almost 1000 existing wind farms with around 7000 turbines and associated components. It must be possible to exchange the daily data volumes between the turbines in the field and the platform in a powerful and consistent manner.
From proof of concept to successful model – logicline accompanied and supported Nordex in this project. The Industrial IoT platform, which was individually tailored to Nordex’s needs, was developed on the basis of an agile approach. This makes it possible to retrieve various available data from the turbines in the field. In addition, these can communicate with a central control platform using a precisely tailored microservice architecture. In addition, all turbines in the wind farm are linked to each other and are continuously monitored on the basis of current wind data and local grid conditions.
The collaboration was not just about the technical requirements: “It was important for us to find a reliable partner that we could work with in the long term,” says Volker Arlt, Senior Expert IoT & IT Security Global Engineering at Nordex.
"Real-time access to machines offers many advantages for Nordex, but also for the operators of Nordex wind farms - from the development of new services to extended predictive maintenance."
Competitive advantages through real-time access to machines
At the heart of the new Nordex OS SCADA EDGE platform is an Industrial IoT platform on Edge, which aggregates the data from the turbines and will replace the classic Scada platform in the future. Nordex OS SCADA Edge is based on the Cumulocity IoT platform. logicline has many years of in-depth expertise in Cumulocity IoT and uses it to implement a wide range of IIoT solutions in mechanical engineering.
In volatile and competitive business environments such as the energy market, speed proves to be a strong competitive advantage. Real-time access to machines offers many advantages for Nordex, but also for the operators of Nordex wind farms – from the development of new services to extended predictive maintenance.
