Condition monitoring system

• US 9,458,835 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Ikeda, Hiroshi, Haseba, Takashi, Takeuchi, Akitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Juan A
• Application Number:
  US14/383,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20150116131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.07
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: F05B 2260/83 Testing, e.g. methods, components or tools therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0235 based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A condition monitoring system that diagnoses an abnormality of an apparatus provided in a wind turbine includes a monitoring apparatus including a sensor provided for the apparatus, a monitoring-side control apparatus that sets a threshold value to be used by the monitoring apparatus for diagnosing the abnormality of the apparatus, and diagnoses the abnormality of the apparatus based on the threshold value, and a monitoring terminal that monitors a condition of the apparatus. The condition monitoring system can correctly diagnose an abnormality of the apparatus provided in the wind turbine.

Claims

1. A condition monitoring system that diagnoses an abnormality of an apparatus provided in a wind turbine, the condition monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring apparatus including a sensor provided for the apparatus;

a monitoring-side control apparatus that sets a threshold value to be used by the monitoring apparatus for diagnosing the abnormality of the apparatus during a diagnostic period, and diagnoses the abnormality of the apparatus based on the threshold value; and

a monitoring terminal apparatus that monitors a condition of the apparatus, wherein;

the monitoring-side control apparatus transmits a diagnostic operation condition with which the monitoring-side control apparatus diagnoses the abnormality of the apparatus,

the monitoring apparatus gathers learning data, in a leaning period preceding the diagnostic period, with respect to an operation of the apparatus under the diagnostic operation condition, and transmits the learning data to the monitoring-side control apparatus,

the monitoring-side control apparatus generates the threshold value based on the learning data gathered by the monitoring apparatus in the learning period,

the monitoring apparatus gathers operating data, in the diagnostic period, with respect to the operation of the apparatus,

the monitoring apparatus transmits the operating data, gathered in the diagnostic period, to the monitoring-side control apparatus if an operation condition of the apparatus meets the diagnostic operation condition, and does not transmit the operating data if an operation condition of the apparatus does not meet the diagnostic operation condition, and

the monitoring-side control apparatus diagnoses whether the apparatus has an abnormality or not based on the operating data and the threshold value corresponding to the operating data, and transmits a diagnostic result to the monitoring terminal apparatus.

2. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

plural diagnostic operation conditions are set,

the learning data is measured for each of the diagnostic operation conditions,

the threshold value is determined for each of the diagnostic operation conditions, and

each of the diagnostic operation conditions defines at least any one of physical quantities representing a wind velocity, a rotational speed of a main shaft, a rotational speed of a power generator shaft, an amount of power generated, and a torque of the power generator shaft.

3. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the learning data and the operating data respectively include data on any one of vibrations of the apparatus, an acoustic emission generated from the apparatus, a temperature of the apparatus, and an operating sound of the apparatus.

4. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the operating data gathered by the monitoring apparatus in the diagnostic period is converted into a diagnostic parameter representing the condition of the apparatus,

the diagnostic parameter includes any one of a root-mean-square value, a peak value, an average value, a crest factor, a root-mean-square value after envelope processing, and a peak value after envelope processing, and

the monitoring apparatus transmits the diagnostic parameter to the monitoring-side control apparatus if the operation condition of the apparatus meets the diagnostic operation condition.

5. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring apparatus is connectable to the Internet, and

the monitoring-side control apparatus generates the threshold value from the learning data by using a statistical method.

6. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a monitoring terminal that controls the monitoring apparatus, wherein

the threshold value to be used by the monitoring-side control apparatus for the diagnosis is modified via the monitoring terminal.

7. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the condition monitoring system monitors plural apparatuses provided in the wind turbine,

the condition monitoring system further includes a monitoring terminal that controls the monitoring apparatus,

the monitoring terminal includes a display that displays the diagnostic result, and

the display displays one of the apparatuses, which is diagnosed by the monitoring-side control apparatus as having an abnormality in the diagnostic period, as well as information on the abnormality of the one of the apparatuses.

8. The condition monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein

the display displays the operating data corresponding to the same diagnostic operation condition with passage of time.

9. The condition monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein:

plural diagnostic operation conditions are set,

the learning data is gathered for each of the diagnostic operation conditions,

the threshold value is determined for each of the diagnostic operation conditions, and

the display simultaneously displays a frequency spectrum of latest operating data out of the operating data, and a frequency spectrum of operating data stored in the monitoring-side control apparatus, corresponding to the same diagnostic operation condition as the diagnostic operation condition of the operating data, and determined until now as being normal using the threshold value.

10. The condition monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein:

plural diagnostic operation conditions are set,

the learning data is gathered for each of the diagnostic operation conditions,

the threshold value is determined for each of the diagnostic operation conditions, and

the display simultaneously displays a frequency spectrum after envelope processing of latest operating data out of the operating data, and a frequency spectrum after envelope processing of operating data stored in the monitoring-side control apparatus, corresponding to the same diagnostic operation condition as the diagnostic operation condition of the operating data, and determined until now as being normal using the threshold value.

11. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring apparatus gathers basic data, in a set-up period preceding the learning period, with respect to an operation of the apparatus, and transmit the basic data to the monitoring-side control apparatus, and

the diagnostic operation condition is determined based on the basic data.

12. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein

the diagnostic operation conditions defines a range of at least one of physical quantities representing a wind velocity, a rotational speed of a main shaft, a rotational speed of a power generator shaft, an amount of power generated, and a torque of the power generator shaft.

13. The condition monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein:

the threshold includes a first threshold and a second threshold, and

the monitoring terminal apparatus displays a first alert corresponding the first threshold and a second alert corresponding the second threshold indicating a higher abnormality than the first alert.