Analysis of Wind Turbine Equipment Failure and Intelligent Operation and Maintenance Research

Abstract

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.

Review of Wind Power Bearing Wear Analysis and Intelligent Lubrication Method Research

“…According to the statistics, the bearing failure rate due to lubrication failure is up to 70%, and the causes can include unqualified lubricant quality, premature lubricant failure, lack of lubricant, over-lubrication, and incorrect lubricant selection [35,89,90]. At the same time, bearing failures in wind turbines, which require downtime for repairs and may require replacement parts, increase overall maintenance costs and cause significant losses in power production [91,92]. Therefore, proper lubrication and regular maintenance are essential to minimize bearing failures and increase the overall efficiency of wind turbines [93].…”

“…Bearing material is regarded as the "foundation" of the wind turbine, which can reflect the operating condition and lifespan of the wind turbine [176]. The lifespan of the wind turbines is strongly relevant to the performance of the bearing materials, and bearing materials with excellent performance can not only reduce the coefficient of mechanical friction and minimize bearing failures but also have a significant impact on improving the power generation efficiency of wind turbines [91,177].…”

Data-Driven Models Applied to Predictive and Prescriptive Maintenance of Wind Turbine: A Systematic Review of Approaches Based on Failure Detection, Diagnosis, and Prognosis

“…In general, existing maintenance strategies for wind turbines may include corrective maintenance (MC), preventive maintenance (PM), and condition-based maintenance (CBM), which can be identified by the operating condition of the equipment [7]. Corrective maintenance is used after the failure or breakdown of a wind turbine component or system.…”

Purpose-Driven Evaluation of Operation and Maintenance Efficiency and Safety Based on DIKWP

“…In O&M, there are a large number of research approaches to implement O&M for device systems and scenarios, such as using BIM to achieve underground comprehensive pipe gallery O&M [2] or green building management and maintenance [3]. There is also monitoring and maintenance of equipment failures [4][5][6]. Alternatively, predictive maintenance can be carried out on equipment, such as predicting the lifespan of key components through deep neural networks [7] or monitoring and predicting faults in hydropower plants [8], all of which reflect the importance of O&M work in real life.…”