Toby King, Insensys
Release Date: 2009-04-20
Could you please give us an insight in the history of Insensys and its core competences?Insensys was founded in 2002 to improve the measurement of loads in structures in a much more accurate way. Over the last 6 or 7 years, we have evolved into a wind energy business, as we recognised that the wind energy market is very large, developing very quickly and is suited to what we are doing. We deploy blade load monitoring technology to reduce the cost of energy generation, which happens in 3 main ways. The first is to improve the output from the turbine by optimising the rotor loads. The second is by reducing the occurrence of unplanned maintenance events. The third is by extending the life of the turbine, by avoiding some of the extreme imbalances and the adverse conditions that we often see. The fundamental technology is fibre optic measurement technology which has no interference with electrical signals and has ultra high reliability that can last the entire the turbine life.
What is the origin of the technology applied by Insensys?
Our technology originates from telecommunications. When we first identified the technology, it was used for the measurement of wavelengths in telecommunications. We identified that we could use the same basic technology in measuring loads within structures. The measurement of loads using fibre optics has existed for quite a long time, but we believe that we are the first company that has produced a specific embodiment of this technology designed for the wind industry. It is ultra robust with no moving parts, no wires and no metallic parts on the blades which makes it compact and cost-effective.
Like in any other industry, introducing a new technology must have been a challenge. What were the first reactions of the wind industry to your product?
Initially, there was an element of scepticism, as it is always difficult to bring a new technology which can last 20 years with no maintenance into an industry. On one hand, this type of technology has been used in telecommunications and sub-sea applications in oil and gas, where reliability is absolutely key and so we were able to leverage that expertise. On the other hand, we had to convince the industry that this technology can really reduce the loads on the blades, thereby reducing turbine maintenance, and this has taken us some time. It is only within the last 2 years that this has been designed into mainstream turbines and it is only during the last 6 months that we have been successful in selling this system for condition monitoring applications. It helps to monitor structural problems, long term maintenance and failure problems with the blades, environmental problems like ice build-ups, imbalances between the blades and not getting maximal energy out of the turbines.
Who were the people that were the most difficult to convince? Was it the blade manufacturers, the turbine manufacturers or the wind park developers?
The first large scale customers that we had were turbine manufacturers who used the system for independent pitch control. We understand that adjusting the pitch of the blade helps to reduce the fatigue load in it. The key to convincing the turbine manufacturers was proving that the system really provides significant load reduction such that they can put larger rotors on the same turbine structure or reduce the amount of materials put into the blades.
Roland Sunden of LM Glasfiber, has argued that there is a need for a supply chain revolution. Do you benefits in integrating your activities with companies such as pitch control system providers? What will the future would look like in your opinion?
This is a very interesting question and I just had a discussion with Roland so I am fairly familiar with his views. In some of the emerging markets, particularly in China and Korea, a number of small turbine manufacturers are springing up. It will be very helpful to become a ‘one-stop shop’ complete pitch system but I cannot talk too much about where we are at this moment. We have a number of ideas about how we can make it easier for turbine manufacturers, especially in the emerging markets, with a complete pitch algorithm sensing system operating from one location.
Which opportunities do you see in the Chinese market?
We see China as a big opportunity for us. We have been present in China since June 2008 and we already have very strong dialogues with the turbine and blade manufacturers. It is an attractive market for us because the Chinese companies are so committed to developing their programmes, and they want to market their turbines as reliable and cost-effective. This is an area where we can help with our fiber optic technology. We have some very good relationships and projects with turbine manufacturers to help them design an application for pitch control or condition monitoring for rotors. A lot of the blade manufacturers seem to want to differentiate their products and we can help them do that.
What role do you believe Insensys can play in enabling Chinese blade manufacturers to become accepted suppliers for European wind turbine manufacturers entering the Chinese market?
I think we can play a role to help them design their blades well by measuring the load during the R&D phase. We can also help to minimise fatigue loads on the blades during operation of the turbines. The blade companies that we have been talking to aspire to become partners of some European turbine manufacturers as they expand their presence in China.
Insensys has been in China for 6 months now. What are your ambitions in the longer term?
Already two Chinese companies are among the global top ten wind turbine manufacturers at the moment. I would expect in five years, perhaps there will be four or five Asian companies in the top 10 list, based in China, Korea or Japan. We would like to be partners with all of them to help them design their individual pitch control and supply the standard for monitoring the loads and imbalances on the rotors, so that the turbines can be operated as effectively as possible. Our ultimate goal is to generate energy from the wind as cost-effectively as possible. We see Asia as an enormous market for our instrument.
At the end of January, Insensys accepted an offer from Moog Inc., a USA precision and motion control company to take a majority stake in the company with an option to buy the rest. How will Insensys function within the larger Moog structure, and what has the takeover meant for your market opportunities?
Moog clearly likes our unique solution, the technology and the facts that we are growing rapidly and are healthily profitable. We are expecting to continue on this path. Our understanding with Moog is that we remain an autonomous part of the Moog Group, which consists of a network of companies in 27 countries, and continue to grow and add value to the group. Of course there are huge synergies in terms of using the Moog sales and marketing resource and we can leverage their wind department expertise, especially in China.
Insensys is a strong brand within the blade sensing market today. We have a good reputation because of our reliability and we are building a space in the condition monitoring field. It is a new area for us but I think people are now more aware of the opportunities provided by condition monitoring. With the economic slowdown and as some of the development projects move further into the future, it is important to get the maximum cost-effectiveness from their existing portfolio.
What is the final message that you would like to send to the Chinese wind industry?
We would like to cooperate through long term relationships and adding value to the turbines that they build, by first implementing pitch control and following that, condition monitoring, ice detection, lightning detection, imbalance and blade damage detection. The technology to perform all these functions is the same. The value added for the customer increases incrementally with each new feature added. The only way to achieve this is by building long term relationships, starting at the design stage where the technology is designed into the turbine.
| Company: | Insensys |
| Position: | CEO |
| Country: | United Kingdom |