Condition monitoring can be an excellent way to reduce the high costs of wind turbine maintenance. In this article, we explore four simple techniques to keep budgets lean, while producing industry-leading outcomes. This comes at a time when there is urgent international discussion regarding the quality of wind turbine maintenance.
Keeping a wind turbine running smoothly is no easy task. Typical maintenance includes cleaning, lubricating, and repairing critical parts. Tube inspection is one of the biggest drains on time and resources, requiring equipment such as LIDAR to examine the blades, nacelle, generator, gearboxes, bearings, and tower structure. As such, maintenance is difficult. However, the implications of failing to do it are even more catastrophic. Pressingly, poor maintenance in the wind turbine industry has recently become headline news.
Condition monitoring uses strategically positioned sensors to observe critical parameters such as vibrations, position, shaft speed, and strain. Sensors can also perform oil checks, conduct temperature checks, keep an eye on electrical signals, and carry out other tasks traditionally managed by engineers. Importantly, with condition monitoring these tasks are completed in real-time, offering both immediacy and accuracy. This approach enables continual proactive maintenance, significantly reducing the risk of unplanned downtime while enabling engineers to optimise systems for maximum efficiency.
Condition monitoring for wind turbines uses a continual data gathering approach to offer unparalleled insight into the health of machinery. AI systems analyse data to determine patterns and anomalies, often identifying tiny variations long before they evolve into serious problems. For instance, condition monitoring can identify balancing issues within turbines well in advance of the sudden, critical phase. As such, savings can be felt both in the immediate avoidance of catastrophic breakdowns and, by alerting engineers to opportunities to optimise system efficiency, in the extended durability of core parts.
Condition monitoring is highly focused on predictive maintenance, which has the overall goal of optimising systems for maximum efficiency. Condition monitoring for wind turbines uses known ‘red flag’ comparative algorithms to predict when and where a problem is likely to occur, giving engineers ample time to make adjustments before an issue arises. This highly cost-effective approach has a range of additional efficiency and productivity benefits, as well as enabling systems to be operated with minimal stress. As such, it can potentially increase the lifespan of critical parts.
Arguably one of the biggest cost-saving features of condition monitoring for wind turbines is that it can be carried out remotely. Without condition monitoring, each wind turbine typically requires an increased amount of basic maintenance per year. This maintenance is made even more difficult by the remote and harsh environments of wind farms, which increase certification costs and access costs. Remote monitoring provides a constant stream of real-time data without the need for human inspectors. As such, engineer schedules can be optimised and work at height hours can be reduced, unlocking time to focus on improving efficiency and ensuring productivity.
Condition monitoring for wind turbines can be an excellent way to reduce maintenance costs while improving the efficiency and productivity of turbines. To learn more, please contact our specialists today.