Development of an Immersive VR-Based Training Platform Integrating FMECA for Wind Turbine Maintenance: FMECA-VR-0.1 Prototype

This paper presents FMECA-VR-0.1 Prototype, a Maintenance 4.0-oriented immersive Virtual Reality (VR)-based training platform that integrates tools in a digital and virtual environment with Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) and the Qualitative Risk Criticality Matrix (QRCM) to enhance reliability-oriented maintenance training in the wind energy sector. The methodological framework is aligned with the Maintenance Management Model (MMM) developed by INGEMAN. It is applied to a VESTAS V100–2.0 MW wind turbine operating at the Valle de los Vientos Wind Farm in northern Chile. The study includes the definition of the operational context, subsystem-level criticality assessment, and a detailed FMECA of the blade subsystem, which are integrated as analytical layers within the immersive VR environment. The proposed platform enables users to visualize critical components, analyze physical failure modes, understand associated consequences, and review preventive and corrective maintenance strategies in an interactive 3D scenario. Preliminary qualitative feedback suggests potential improvements in user engagement and conceptual understanding; however, no formal experimental validation has been conducted at this stage. The FMECA-VR-0.1 prototype demonstrates a feasible path for incorporating risk-based engineering logic into immersive training ecosystems. It establishes the foundation for future developments involving digital twins, real-time monitoring data, multi-subsystem modeling, and quantitative assessment of learning performance.