Gearbox Efficient Monitoring Program
(Room Windsor Complex)
27 Feb 18
4:30 PM
-
5:00 PM
Gearboxes are a major damage and cost factor for wind turbines and their OPEX. To monitor gearbox damage condition effectively is a key for successful, and cost-effective, long-term operation and maintenance for wind turbines. Currently many companies offer CMS (Condition Monitoring System), often consisting of real time vibration sensors, metal debris sensors, and so on connected to real-time and trending software packages. The cost of sensors and monitoring fees are gradually decreasing, but it is still expensive for owners and typically still requires specialized services and analyses to be effective. Eurus has had some sites transition from warranty period to post warranty period in the past few years and undertook a review of options to proactively monitor gearbox damage so as to prevent catastrophic gearbox damage and allow for more reasonable gearbox refurbishment efforts. According to historical operation data from other sites (Eurus as well as in the industry), we have a good understanding of the main gearbox failure points. This presentation will describe our review of options, how we planned our monitoring program and worked with the service provider prior to expiration of the warranty, and the implementation and results of our gearbox monitoring program.