Power generation from wind farms is growing rapidly around the world. In the past decade, wind energy has played an important role in contributing to sustainable development. However, wind turbines are extremely susceptible to component damage under complex environments and over long-term operational cycles, which directly affects their maintenance, reliability, and operating costs. It is crucial to realize efficient early warning of wind turbine failure to avoid equipment breakdown, to prolong the service life of wind turbines, and to maximize the revenue and efficiency of wind power projects. For this purpose, wind turbines are used as the research object. Firstly, this paper outlines the main components and failure mechanisms of wind turbines and analyzes the causes of equipment failure. Secondly, a brief analysis of the cost of wind power projects based on equipment failure is presented. Thirdly, the current key technologies for intelligent operation and maintenance (O&M) in the wind power industry are discussed, and the key research on decision support systems, fault diagnosis models, and life-cycle costs is presented. Finally, current challenges and future development directions are summarized.

Our research scrutinizes the impact of grease rheological properties on the lubrication performance of wind turbine spindle bearings. The rheological behavior of three distinct commercial wind turbine greases was examined with a rotational rheometer. Investigations into the viscoelastic, flow, and viscosity–temperature attributes of the grease under varying temperatures were conducted, and the rheological parameters were fitted utilizing the Herschel–Bulkley (H–B) model. Constitutive equations of the grease derived from fitting the H–B model can efficaciously predict its rheological properties and viscosity–temperature behavior for wind power spindle bearings at disparate temperatures.

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