A Novel PHM and CBM System for Wind Turbine Drivetrains Based on Magnetoelastic Torque and Rate-of-Change-of-Torque Sensing

Gearbox failure on a wind turbine is a major event that can have drastic costs associated with it, both through lost power production during down-time and through repair and labor costs, in particular when the wind turbine is located in a remote or offshore location. As the sizes of wind-turbines continue to increase and their locations become ever more difficult to access (e.g. trend toward 4-5MW offshore wind turbines), the ability to accurately monitor their condition and performance is becoming increasingly important. Such Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) systems have the added benefit of enabling Condition Based Maintenance (CBM). With the ability to monitor very small changes in the condition of a gearbox, the new and novel technology of the combined torque and rate-of-change-of-torque (TRQ & amp;ROC) sensor has already proven itself to be of great interest across many industries including automotive racing and helicopter gearboxes. Located in a minimally invasive package within the gearbox, the TRQ & amp;ROC sensor can measure both the torque for load based condition monitoring systems and the ROC of torque to provide a very fine granular description of exactly how and when torque is being transferred through such rotating components as shafts, bearings, or gears. Additionally, the sensor is capable of handling extremely harsh environments, being used with a wide range of common industrial materials, and operating as a completely wireless system. These highly attractive packaging and physical features result in the prospect of a uniquely robust, low-cost, condition monitoring system based on TRQ & amp;ROC measurement embedded in a wind turbine gearbox.Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: The project proposed herein consists of the development of a TRQ & amp;ROC based condition monitoring system for wind turbine applications. Phase I deliverables will be the development of wind turbine-specific subsystems including shaft material characterization and sense element development, and laboratory testing of the actual hardware, such that the hardware can be used for testing on a wind turbine during Phase II. The objective of Phase II will be field testing and qualification of the TRQ & amp;ROC for use in a dedicated wind turbine condition monitoring system. More generally, the TRQ and ROC technology has applicability to the monitoring and control of a very wide variety of rotating machines (motors, engines, transmissions, turbines, generators, etc.) across various other industries such as automotive, aerospace, and energy that would all indirectly benefit from the knowledge and experience gained through this project.