MP: Doctors kit: Retrofit structural monitoring solutions for offshore wind structures

'Doctor's Kit' is a concept for monitoring and assessing fatigue in the load-bearing structures (foundations) of offshore wind installations. The concept is based on combining NGI instrumentation technology with physics-based digital twin concepts to deliver an ongoing assessment of accumulated fatigue in critical structural elements. The innovation includes the development of modular instrumentation systems suitable for retrofitting to existing offshore wind structures, in combination with methods for optimizing sensor position and advanced analysis tools for calculating fatigue in critical parts of the structure. The doctor's kit will be a collaboration between NGI instrumentation and leading academic environments within fatigue of structures.

The project has focused on three activities: Identification of market needs, a gap analysis on technology available. and the development of the initial business model for a possible spin-off venture. During the course of the market analysis the project developed a close cooperation with a research project at Tufts University (USA) working with probabilistic analysis of structural health fatigue consumption using advanced physics-based numerical models. Through this interaction we have developed a joint business idea, turning the initial hardware-based business concept for Doctors Kit to an integrated product consisting of high quality instrumentation services coupled with an advanced analysis platform, to provide a running structural health evaluation. The working value proposition is the 'Structural Health Odometer'