A new seismic‐based monitoring approach for wind turbines

Abstract

Wind turbine performance and condition monitoring play vital roles in detecting and diagnosing suboptimal performance and guiding operations and maintenance. Here, a new seismic‐based approach to monitoring the health of individual wind turbine components is presented. Transfer functions are developed linking key condition monitoring properties (drivetrain and tower acceleration) to unique, robust, and repeatable seismic signatures. Predictive models for extreme (greater than 99th percentile) drivetrain and tower acceleration based on independent seismic data exhibit higher skill than reference models based on hub‐height wind speed. The seismic models detect extreme drivetrain and tower acceleration with proportions correct of 96% and 93%, hit rates of 91% and 82%, and low false alarm rates of 4% and 6%, respectively. Although new wind turbines incorporate many diagnostic sensors, seismic‐based condition/performance monitoring may be particularly useful in extending the productive lifetime of previous generation wind turbines.

Research on damage detection of wind turbine tower based on OFDR

“…Most wind turbine towers are distributed in harsh environments, and the tower part is inevitably subjected to large fatigue loads and damage [1] , resulting in huge economic losses and high maintenance costs. Therefore, timely damage detection of wind turbine towers can reduce maintenance costs and minimize the risk of collapse [2] .…”

Applications of robotics in floating offshore wind farm operations and maintenance: Literature review and trends

“…However, maintaining floating offshore wind farms (FOWFs) to allow them to perform at their optimal level for over 25 years of service can account for 29.5% of the total lifecycle cost 2 . It has been estimated that the operations and maintenance (O&M) of onshore wind turbines account for about 25–30% of the total lifecycle cost of wind turbines, and in the case of offshore turbines, the costs are even higher, in the range of 30–35% 2,3 …”

“…2 It has been estimated that the operations and maintenance (O&M) of onshore wind turbines account for about 25-30% of the total lifecycle cost of wind turbines, and in the case of offshore turbines, the costs are even higher, in the range of 30-35%. 2,3 The O&M activities for FOWFs involve inspecting and maintaining components of the wind turbines and their subsystems to prevent and address faults. O&M activities on the turbine blades are typically performed by rope-access technicians, often working in extreme conditions and during restricted weather windows.…”

Applicability Analysis of Inspection and Monitoring Technologies in Wind Turbine Towers

“…e wind tower plays a vital role in ensuring the normal operation of the wind turbine. However, the wind turbines are often exposed to the harsh environment and subjected to large fatigue loads [4]; therefore, the wind tower may suffer serious quality problems or even collapse, causing huge economic losses. Carrying out the structural health detection and monitoring of the tower can reduce the maintenance cost and downtime of wind turbines [5], making it an indispensable and important part in wind power engineering.…”