Development of Wind Turbine Condition Monitoring System

As the demand for wind energy continues to grow at exponential rates, the size of wind power industry also increases, so there is an increasing need to monitor the health of these structures. Wind turbine can be damaged by fatigue, moisture absorption, wind gusts or lightening strikes. Vibration analysis for condition assessment has a long history of application to power and mechanical equipment. In this present work, vibration signals of a wind turbine bearing are acquired and analyzed with the help of vibration analysis techniques. The apparatus design is based on the original wind turbine. The method used for extracting and identifying the type of faults is described in this book. This experimental setup provides a good illustration of the practical applications of basic theory included in a vibration analysis and condition monitoring. This thesis report describes the use of Condition Monitoring Systems and its application in maintenance optimization for wind turbines. The focus is on the main bearing, one of the most critical components in terms of high failure rates and cause of the whole system to fail. Bearings are in many cases responsible for gearbox failures.