Investigation of the Design and Fault Prediction Method for an Abrasive Particle Sensor Used in Wind Turbine Gearbox

Abstract

The gearbox is a key sub-component of a wind power generation system with high failure rate leading to shutdowns. By monitoring the abrasive particles in the lubricating oil when the gearbox is running, any abnormal condition of the gearbox can be found in advance. This information may be used to improve the operational safety of the wind turbine and reduce losses because of shutdowns and maintenance. In this paper, a three-coil induction abrasive particle sensor is designed based on the application of high-power wind turbine gearbox. The performance of the sensor and the design method of the detection circuit are described in detail, and the sensor operation performance used in the 2 MW wind turbine is verified. The results show that the sensor has superior performance in identifying ferromagnetic abrasive particles above 200 μm and plays a good role in status monitoring and fault prediction for the gearbox.