Wind Turbine Inspection Mission Creator Instructions

Instructions

This application will convert views (defined by placemarks) from Google Earth Pro into a Litchi mission CSV file containing the instructions to generate a partial panorama centered on those Google Earth Pro views.

Create a single placemark or waypoint using either Google Earth Pro or Litchi
- Google Earth Pro Placemark on Turbine Base
  
  If using Google Earth Pro
  1. Add a single placemark at the base of the wind turbine.
  2. Select "OK" to save this placemark.
  3. Right-click on the Placemark and choose "Save Place As..." to save it as a KMZ or KML file.
  Google Earth Pro Placemark on Turbine Base
- If using Litchi's original Mission Hub
  1. Add a single waypoint at the base of the wind turbine.
  2. Export this waypoint/mission as a CSV file.
In page one of Wind Turbine Inspection Mission Creator:
1. Select the desired Litchi units.
2. Select the "Interval" checkbox if it is desired to have the legs of the mission that point at the turbine blades to include photo intervals.
3. Specify the turbine height, the blade length, and the distance from the blade for the drone. These steps will require some trial and error. If you know the wind turbine directions, this will help. Otherwise, loading the resulting mission into Google Earth Pro can help to tweak the dimensions. Attention must be given to the size of the wind turbine nacelle. The distance from the drone to the blades must be enough to clear the nacelle.
4. If the wind turbine is locked but without a blade in the 12 O'Clock position, an offset may be adjusted for the top-most blade position.
5. Select the KMZ/KML/CSV file containing the location of the wind turbine.
6. Select the "Generate Wind Turbine Inspection Mission for Litchi" button.
In page two of Wind Turbine Inspection Mission Creator:
1. Review the parameters and calculations.
2. Download the Litchi csv file.
Translate Mission to be Centered at the Base of the Turbine
In Litchi's Mission Hub:
1. Use the Missions menu to import the csv file created by Wind Turbine Inspection Mission Creator.
2. The imported mission when viewed from the top will look like a rectangle. This rectangle must be centered on the base and rotated to align with the direction the turbine is currently pointing.
3. If necessary, use Litchi's "Translate Tool" to center the mission at the base of the wind turbine.
  
  Initially Place the center of rotation in an open area
4. Use Litchi's "Rotate Tool" to align the mission to that of the actual turbine. This step would have to be done on-site.
  1. Select Litchi's "Rotate Tool" and then click in an empty space near, but not on, the mission.
  2. Click and drag the "Center of Rotation" icon to align with the base of the turbine.
  3. Click and drag any of the waypoints to rotate the entire mission to align with that of the actual wind turbine.
  Inspection Mission Rotated to Align with Actual Wind Turbine
5. IMPORTANT: The above steps will require some trial and error.
  - Wind turbines can be locked with a blade in the 12 o'clock position.
  - As far as I know, wind turbines cannot be locked to point in a specific direction.
  - Initially, use a rather large "Distance to Blade" setting to account for any errors in alignment.
6. Go inspect some wind turbines!

A Google Earth Pro screen capture showing a wind turbine waypoint mission overlayed on top of a wind turbine — Wind Turbine Inspection Mission

This application can be used to generate a wind turbine inspection mission at a specified latitude/longitude. The input is a single point plus the parameters shown below. The output will be a mission where the drone flies along both sides of the three blades of a wind turbine.

The single-point input may be provided using Litchi's original Mission Hub or by using Google Earth Pro.

For inspection purposes, wind turbines can be locked so that one blade is in the 12 o'clock position with the other two in the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. The mission will be created in the east-west plane and must be rotated using Litchi's Mission Hub while on site to match the orientation of the actual turbine assembly. Care must be taken when choosing the distance from the blade to the drone so that the drone will clear the wind turbine nacelle.

Because of typical wind turbine dimensions, this mission will likely locate the drone at a height that would otherwise be illegal in most countries. However, if using this utility, one would expect that the drone operator would have any necessary wavers or follow whatever rules are appropriate for inspections such as this.