Prevent Wind Turbine Gearbox Failures with Advanced Torque Monitoring
Continuous health monitoring of turbine components can drastically reduce downtime and improve turbine efficiency. A network of embedded temperature sensors and strain sensors throughout the wind turbine engine provides the data you need to reduce unexpected outages and plan maintenance downtimes.
This data is also useful in predicting remaining component life. Hot spots on rotor disks or in the gearbox and torsional twist in the shafts are some of the common sources of stress that will gradually degrade a wind turbine and require maintenance or component replacement. A rotating wireless monitoring system — such as TurboTrackTM from Sensatek — makes it possible to detect subtle changes, in real-time, in the field, throughout the operational life of the wind turbine.
Top 3 Benefits of Monitoring Torque in Wind Turbine Gearboxes
- Predicting the Life of the Rotor Bearings
Rotor bearings will naturally degrade under ongoing wear and tear during the life of the wind turbine. It is possible to more accurately predict the remaining useful life in components such as rotor bearings, brakes, disks, and the wind turbine shaft (particularly near the break) with a network of advanced wind turbine sensors. Monitor wind turbine torque to calculate the impact on rotor bearings and develop a complete picture of heat and performance changes over months and years of use as loads and torque stress the bearings and other components.
Torque monitoring provides the necessary data to predict impacts on the life of rotor bearings. These insights empower owners to make data-driven decisions on replacing strained parts or removing equipment from operation before it causes a larger problem.
- Knowing the Likely Wear and Impact on Gearbox Life
A gearbox-connected shaft will experience wear and tear from torsional twist throughout its operational life. The rate at which the wind turbine’s load changes (and the severity of those changes) can have enormous long-term impact.
Measuring torque on a rotating shaft can help you assess the likely wear and impact on the lifetime of the gearbox. This is of great value in minimizing gearbox failures and the cost of repairs and maintenance. Wireless strain sensors and rotary torque sensors should be deployed to directly track wear on the gearbox and the connected rotating shaft. Insights into the thermal activity of these parts is a strong indicator of torsion and risks to system health and longevity. Use turbine sensor data to build a continuous life model of gearbox torque and predict maintenance or replacement needs.
- Capturing the Impact of Large Transients in Torque
High wind spikes or the sudden de-loading of a generator can create large and sudden transients in wind turbine torque. Deploy sensors to gather data that will help you estimate the material impact of these and other unpredictable transients in torque on rotor bearings and gearboxes. By capturing and characterizing these transient torque events, you can keep a complete view of the aggregate impact on wind turbine parts. In addition, you’ll be able to fine-tune your understanding of the individual impact of each event.
TurboTrackTM wind turbine sensors and rotary torque sensors are currently in use for industrial-grade wind turbines. These sensors from Sensatek offer the industry a wireless rotating health monitoring system that realizes the full potential of IoT, continuously measuring torque on a rotating shaft in your turbine and maintaining a detailed real-time model of the forces impacting each component. Contact Sensatek for more information on our sensor system’s capabilities and how to participate in our exciting pilot program.