System and method for detecting pitch bearing damage in a wind turbine

Pan, Di; Hao, Liwei; He, Lijun; Grubic, Stefan

Title: System and method for detecting pitch bearing damage in a wind turbine

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for detecting damage of a pitch bearing of a wind turbine. The pitch bearing is part of a pitch drive system having a plurality of pitch drive motors. The method includes measuring at least one electrical signal of the pitch drive system. The method also includes processing the electrical signal(s) of the pitch drive system and comparing the electrical signals of the pitch drive system with a baseline threshold. Thus, the method also includes determining whether damage is present in the pitch bearing based, at least in part, on the comparison, wherein the electrical signal(s) exceeding the baseline threshold is indicative of damage in the pitch bearing.

Inventors:: Pan, Di; Hao, Liwei; He, Lijun; Grubic, Stefan

Issue Date:: 2019-04-30

Research Org.:: General Electric Co., Schenectady, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1568267

Patent Number(s):: 10273940

Application Number:: 15/152,664

Assignee:: General Electric Company (Schenectady, NY)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F03 - MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS F03D - WIND MOTORS

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F05 - INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04 F05B - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO MACHINES OR ENGINES OTHER THAN NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, TO WIND MOTORS, TO NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS, AND TO GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY

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F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F03 - MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS F03D - WIND MOTORS
F03D17/00 - Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics
F03D7/0224 - {Adjusting blade pitch}
F03D80/70 - Bearing or lubricating arrangements

F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F05 - INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04 F05B - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO MACHINES OR ENGINES OTHER THAN NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, TO WIND MOTORS, TO NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS, AND TO GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY
F05B2260/80 - Diagnostics

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E10/72 - Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

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DOE Contract Number:: EE0006802

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 05/12/2016

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Formats


                    Pan, Di, Hao, Liwei, He, Lijun, and Grubic, Stefan. System and method for detecting pitch bearing damage in a wind turbine.  United States: N. p., 2019. 
        Web.

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                    Pan, Di, Hao, Liwei, He, Lijun, & Grubic, Stefan. System and method for detecting pitch bearing damage in a wind turbine.  United States.

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                    Pan, Di, Hao, Liwei, He, Lijun, and Grubic, Stefan. Tue .  
        "System and method for detecting pitch bearing damage in a wind turbine".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1568267.

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@article{osti_1568267,

  title        = {System and method for detecting pitch bearing damage in a wind turbine},

  author       = {Pan, Di and Hao, Liwei and He, Lijun and Grubic, Stefan},

  abstractNote = {The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for detecting damage of a pitch bearing of a wind turbine. The pitch bearing is part of a pitch drive system having a plurality of pitch drive motors. The method includes measuring at least one electrical signal of the pitch drive system. The method also includes processing the electrical signal(s) of the pitch drive system and comparing the electrical signals of the pitch drive system with a baseline threshold. Thus, the method also includes determining whether damage is present in the pitch bearing based, at least in part, on the comparison, wherein the electrical signal(s) exceeding the baseline threshold is indicative of damage in the pitch bearing.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2019},

  month        = {4}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

System for monitoring bearings and other rotating equipment
patent, December 1980

Meyer, Leslie
US Patent Document 4,237,454
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/4237454

Systems and methods for monitoring a structural health of a wind turbine
patent, October 2011

Daniels, Jeffrey Michael; Annadurai, Dinesh Kumar; Vemuri, Satish Kumar
US Patent Document 8,043,048
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/8043048

Fault detection based on current signature analysis for a generator
patent, March 2015

Neti, Prabhakar; Shah, Manoj Ramprasad; Younsi, Karim
US Patent Document 8,994,359
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/8994359

Pitch Control System
patent-application, June 2011

Miranda, Erik Carl Lehnskov; Jeppesen, Ole Mogaard; Lauritsen, Steen Morten
US Patent Application 13/060983; 20110158805
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20110158805

Bearing Device Vibration Analysis Method, Bearing Device Vibration Analyzer, and Rolling Bearing Condition Monitoring System
patent-application, December 2015

Sakaguchi, Tomoya; Tsutsui, Hideyuki
US Patent Application 14/655304; 20150369698
URL: https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20150369698

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Title: System and method for detecting pitch bearing damage in a wind turbine

Abstract

Citation Formats

System for monitoring bearings and other rotating equipment patent, December 1980

Systems and methods for monitoring a structural health of a wind turbine patent, October 2011

Fault detection based on current signature analysis for a generator patent, March 2015

Pitch Control System patent-application, June 2011

Bearing Device Vibration Analysis Method, Bearing Device Vibration Analyzer, and Rolling Bearing Condition Monitoring System patent-application, December 2015

System for monitoring bearings and other rotating equipment
patent, December 1980

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patent, October 2011

Fault detection based on current signature analysis for a generator
patent, March 2015

Pitch Control System
patent-application, June 2011

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patent-application, December 2015