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Improving Wind Turbine Gearbox Reliability

Improving Wind Turbine Gearbox Reliability. Walt Musial National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, Colorado USA walter_musial@nrel.gov Coauthors: Sandy Butterfield and Brian McNiff. Observations on the basic problems. Actual life is below expected design life.

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Improving Wind Turbine Gearbox Reliability

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  1. Improving Wind Turbine Gearbox Reliability Walt Musial National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, Colorado USA walter_musial@nrel.gov Coauthors: Sandy Butterfield and Brian McNiff European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  2. Observations on the basic problems • Actual life is below expected design life. • Problems are generic in nature. • Poor quality is not the primary cause. • Most failures initiate in the bearings. • Problems are more dependent on bearing configuration than size. European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  3. Bearing Failure Observations • General adherence to design standards • ISO 281:2007 • Proprietary codes prevent design transparency. • Bearing manufacturers are not equipped to solve the problem on their own. • No single, simple solution is expected. • Collaborative approach is needed. • Weaknesses in the design process are suspected. European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  4. Possible Design Process Weaknesses • Missing Load Cases • Irregular or unanticipated bearing responses • Excessive flexibility of gearbox mount. • Non-uniform safety applied to gearbox subcomponents. European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  5. Typical Wind Turbine Architecture European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  6. Typical Gearbox Mounting Hub Main Low Speed Shaft Bearing Gearbox Trunnion Mounts Mainshaft Bedplate European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  7. Trouble Spots • Planet bearings • Intermediate shaft-locating bearings • High-speed locating bearings 3 2 1 European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  8. Test Articles (phase I) • Test platform between 600-kW and 900-kW. • 2 gearboxes with identical instrumentation. • Upgrade both units to state-of-the art. • Cooling, filtration, gear finish, lubrication, and bearing types. • Measure External and internal loads and displacements. • Thermal measurements • Condition monitoring • Expert failure analysis and forensics European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  9. Three Point Approach European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  10. NREL Dynamometer Specifications • 2.5 MW power delivery • Full power regeneration at 480/575/690 or 4160 volts • Torque input range 0 - 1.62 million N-m. • Speed range from 0 - 2250 RPM • ~500 kN non-torque shaft loads capacity. • SCADA and automated torque/speed controls European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  11. Dynamometer Testing • Measure bearing responses to controlled load cases. • Increase load complexity and build confidence. • Develop non-torque load capability and simulate actual operating conditions. • Establish transfer functions between shaft loading and bearing responses. European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  12. Field Testing • Ponnequin Windfarm in Northern Colorado USA • Extensive measurements on a single turbine. • Characterize load events • Correlate loads with component internal gearbox responses. • Site-wide failures and statistics. European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  13. Drivetrain Analysis • Multi-body dynamic analysis of test article. • Codes: FAST, Simpack, LVR • Model bearing response under various load conditions measured in Dyno and Field. • Model drivetrain solutions with tuned model. European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  14. Summary • Bearing failures are contributing to fleet-wide reductions in wind turbine gearbox life. • A comprehensive three-part program to identify and fix weaknesses in the design process was initiated at NREL. • A collaborative long-term approach is required involving all stakeholders. European Wind Energy Conference Milan, Italy May 7-11, 2007

  15. Panel Questions

  16. Panel Questions 1 • What is different with the Wind Turbine application compared to other industries • What efforts (technical) are happening with your part of the industry to improve reliability (changes, research, design tools etc) • Is there something in the design process that is lacking or needs more emphasis (loads description, rating methods, design tools

  17. Panel Questions 2 • Where do uncertainties exist in the loads, design, rating and system integration? • For prototype validation what should be tested/ validated/ verified to improve confidence in designs • What future research needs to be done to improve reliability

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