Route Optimization of Vessel-UAV Tandem Systems for Offshore Wind Farm Inspections

Offshore wind turbine inspections using autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) allow for better data acquisition than those carried out by traditional methods. Besides, they are faster, safer and more economical by reducing the number of crew members exposed to dangerous environments. This article proposes a vessel-UAV tandem system in which the routes of both vehicles are optimized in three steps. First, the number of points where the vessel must be placed to cover all the turbines is minimized and the optimal positions where it must remain are sought. Second, the routes that the UAV must follow to reach all the wind turbines from each position of the vessel are calculated, including battery changes. Finally, the vessel route will be optimized based on the number of days needed to cover all the wind farm and the possibility, or not, to spend the nights at sea.