System and Methods for Monitoring Oil Conditions of a Wind Turbine Gearbox

• US 20120025529A1
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Davis, John Paul, Mazzaro, Maria Cecilia, Oates, Jack Darrin
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 17/00 Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/4031 as in toothed gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/98 Lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 29/04 enabling a warning to be given; enabling moving parts to be stopped
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A method for monitoring the condition of oil contained within a gearbox of a wind turbine is disclosed. The method generally includes receiving a signal corresponding to a measurement of an oil parameter of the gearbox, comparing the measurement to a predetermined limit for the oil parameter, assigning a severity level based on the comparison of the measurement to the predetermined limit and determining a recommended course of action for the wind turbine based on the severity level.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the condition of oil contained within a gearbox of a wind turbine, the method comprising:

receiving a signal corresponding to a measurement of an oil parameter of the gearbox;

comparing the measurement to a predetermined limit for the oil parameter;

assigning a severity level based on the comparison of the measurement to the predetermined limit; and

,

determining a recommended course of action for the wind turbine based on the severity level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the oil parameter comprises at least one of oil temperature, oil viscosity, particle count of the oil, particle size of the oil and water content of the oil.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined limit comprises at least one of an operational limit for the oil parameter and a change rate limit for the oil parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the signal corresponding to the measurement of the oil parameter of the gearbox comprises electrically receiving a signal transmitted from a sensor corresponding to a measurement of an oil parameter of the gearbox.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the severity level based on the comparison of the measurement to the predetermined limit comprises assigning a severity level based on an extent to which the measurement exceeds the predetermined limit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended course of action for the wind turbine based on the severity level comprises:

receiving a signal corresponding to a second measurement of the oil parameter; and

,

comparing the second measurement to the predetermined limit.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising continuing operation of the wind turbine in the event that the second measurement does not exceed the predetermined limit.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

conducting a statistical analysis of at least the oil parameter in the event that the second measurement exceeds the predetermined limit; and

,

comparing results of the statistical analysis to an allowable trend limit.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising shutting down the wind turbine in the event that the results of the statistical analysis exceed the allowable trend limit or continuing operation of the wind turbine in the event that the results of the statistical analysis do not exceed the allowable trend limit.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recommended course of action for the wind turbine based on the severity level comprises:

conducting a statistical analysis in the event that the measurement exceeds the predetermined limit; and

,

comparing results of the statistical analysis to an allowable trend limit.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving signals corresponding to measurements of a plurality of oil parameters of the gearbox, wherein conducting the statistical analysis in the event that the measurement exceeds the predetermined limit comprises conducting a statistical analysis of at least two of the plurality of oil parameters in the event that the measurement exceeds the predetermined limit.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising shutting down the wind turbine in the event that the results of the statistical analysis exceed the allowable trend limit or continuing operation of the wind turbine in the event that the results of the statistical analysis do not exceed the allowable trend limit.

13. A method for monitoring the condition of oil contained within a gearbox of a wind turbine, the method comprising:

receiving signals corresponding to a plurality of measurements of an oil parameter of the gearbox;

determining a time measurement of a service interval of the gearbox;

comparing the time measurement to a predetermined time limit; and

,

in the event that the time measurement exceeds the predetermined time limit, determining a recommended course of action based on analysis of the plurality of measurements.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the recommended course of action based on analysis of the plurality of measurements comprises:

determining an amount of times that the plurality of measurements exceeded a predetermined parameter limit; and

,

comparing the amount of times to a recurrence limit.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising scheduling maintenance on the gearbox in the event that the amount of times exceeds the recurrence limit.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining if a one-time update has been made to the service interval in the event that the amount of times does not exceed the recurrence limit.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising updating the service interval in the event that the one-time update has not been made to the service interval.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising scheduling maintenance on the gearbox in the event that the one-time update has been made to the service interval.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the time measurement comprises at least one of an amount of operational hours within the service interval and an amount of elapsed time within the service interval.

20. A system for monitoring the condition of oil contained within a gearbox of a wind turbine, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to measure an oil parameter of the gearbox; and

,

a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor such that oil parameter measurements made by the sensor may be transmitted to the controller, the controller being configured to compare the oil parameter measurements to a predetermined limit for the oil parameter and assign a severity level to the oil parameter measurement.