Impact of the Air Filtration in the Nacelle on the Wind Turbine Performance

Abstract

Wind turbine farms require efficient operation and maintenance strategies to ensure long-term profitability and cost-effectiveness. However, temperatures and dust accumulation can significantly affect turbine performance and increase maintenance costs. This study investigates the impact of air filter clogging on wind turbine nacelle temperature and performance by collecting data from the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system of wind farms in southern Jordan, including temperature, wind speed, and power generation. The findings demonstrate that uncleaned air filters can lead to inefficient heat dissipation, higher nacelle temperatures, and reduced power production. Turbines with uncleaned filters experienced an average nacelle temperature increase of 15.44 °C compared to 13.30 °C for turbines with clean filters, resulting in a difference in the power production of 66.54 kW.