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Reliability Analysis and Prediction of Wind Turbine Gearboxes

Reliability Analysis and Prediction of Wind Turbine Gearboxes K. Smolders, Hansen Transmissions International H. Long (speaker) , Durham University Y. Feng, Durham University P. Tavner, Durham University. Outline of the Presentation. Field reliability data from public sources;

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Reliability Analysis and Prediction of Wind Turbine Gearboxes

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  1. Reliability Analysis and Prediction of Wind Turbine Gearboxes K. Smolders, Hansen Transmissions International H. Long (speaker), Durham University Y. Feng, Durham University P. Tavner, Durham University

  2. Outline of the Presentation • Field reliability data from public sources; • Objectives of this study; • Generic WT gearbox configurations and modular structure; • Estimation of failure rates of critical components; • Reliability prediction of generic WT gearboxes.

  3. Field Reliability and Downtime Data

  4. Recent Reports on Gearbox Failures • E.ON UK report on the first year of operation of an offshore wind farm in the UK (2005, 30 turbines): • There were 43 incidences of major unplanned work; • 39 were caused by failures within in the gearbox; • All of these were failures of the bearings; • 27 were in the intermediate speed shaft; • The remaining 12 were in the high speed shaft. • Gear tooth failures were reported in 2.5 MW turbines: • 50 turbines were in need of repair and refit in August 2007. • Design for Reliability to eliminate design faults and to improve operational performance.

  5. Objectives of this Study • To develop generic WT gearbox configurations; • To develop generic and flexible gearbox modular structure; • To develop reliability block diagrams; • To estimate failure rates of the critical components; • To provide quantitative reliability prediction of WT gearboxes at modular level, for different designs; • To identify reliability critical components in a WT gearbox.

  6. Gearbox Generic Configurations • Two WT configurations are considered: R80 and R100 • Three gearbox designs: GB-R80, GB-R100-S, and GB-R100-A • GB-R80: 1 planetary stage + 2 parallel stages =Ratio 100 • GB-R100-S: 1 planetary (spur) + 1 planetary (helical)=Ratio 35 • GB-R100-A: 2 planetary stages + 1 parallel stage =Ratio 126

  7. Gearbox Planetary Stage Parallel Stage Housing Lubrication Accessories Gear (ring, planet, sun) Torque arm Oil Sensor Spline (sun) Joint (bolts, pins) Pump Breather Bearing (planet, planet carrier) Gear (wheel, pinion) Sealing Shaft (planet carrier, planet, sun) Bearing (left, right) Piping Shaft (parallel) Filter Cooler Keyway (wheel,generator) Sensor (oil, temp, particulate) Gearbox Modular Structure

  8. HSS HS-IS LSS PS LS-SUN LS-IS PS HSS LS-PS LSS IS-PS LS-SUN IS-SUN HS-IS IS-PS LS-PS Gearbox Configurations GB-R100-A GB-R80

  9. Reliability Block Diagrams GB-R80 HS parallel LS planetary LS-I parallel HS-I parallel Lubrication Housing Accessories LS planetary IS planetary HS-I parallel Housing GB-R100-S B Accessories Lubrication B A A LS planetary IS planetary HS-I parallel HS parallel GB-R100-A C Housing Lubrication Accessories C

  10. Estimation of Failure Rates • Require data of individual components of each module • Consider R80 LS Planetary Module: • “Handbook of Reliability Prediction Procedures for Mechanical Equipment”; • Published by the US Naval Surface Warfare Centre (NSWC07); • Provided prediction formulae and data sheets for gears, bearings, splines, shafts, ...

  11. Formulae for Gears and Bearings Gears: Considering the base failure rate and multiplication factors (operating speed,loading, misalignment, viscosity of lubricant, temperature, AGMA service factor). Bearings: Where λBE is the failure rate of the bearing under specific operation conditions, calculated by using the base failure rate of the bearing λBE,Band the multiplication factors by considering the applied load Cy, lubricant Cn, water contamination CCW, and the operating temperature Ct.

  12. Failure Rates of R80 LS Planetary Module • Assumptions: • Constant failure rates • Base failure rates • For shafts, keyways, structural components, joints, oils, pumps, sealings, piping, filters, coolers, heaters, sensors and breather:

  13. Prediction of Failure Rates

  14. Observations of the Predicted Results • The high speed parallel stage is found to be the most unreliable module; • A planetary intermediate speed stage is less reliable than a parallel intermediate speed stage; • The planetary intermediate speed stage seems less reliable than the planetary low speed stage; • The lubrication subsystem has an important effect on reliability; • The housing and the accessories are the least reliability critical components.

  15. Conclusions • A reliability prediction method has been developed, based on Reliability Block Diagram and Gearbox Modular Structure; • Predicted results show that the high speed stage and planetary intermediate speed stage are less reliable; • Estimation of failure rates at component level is in need of improvement; • Field failure data through Life Data analysis or Weibull analysis can improve reliability prediction; • This requires collaborations between end-users, WT manufacturers, gearbox and bearing manufacturers.

  16. Acknowledgement • Financial support of the EC through the EU FP7 Reliawind, Project No. 212966; • Reliawind project partners: • SKF; • Gamesa; • Alstom Ecotecnia; • Relex Italy; • Garrad Hassan; • ABB OY; • LM Glasfiber; • SZTAKI.

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