How rising to the challenge of pitch bearing failure can drive the industry towards full PdM

This upward trend is welcome news for a sector which is establishing its viability against traditional fossil fuel energies. But with promising projections outlined, the industry is now tasked with meeting these expectations, making it vital for wind operators to take a pragmatic approach to the management of their assets to ensure long-term success. With larger turbine structures, the growth in offshore wind farms, and handling ageing assets, full-turbine predictive maintenance (PdM) allows owners to tackle the common pitfalls which are hampering the profitability of their fleets. Pitch bearing failure is a case in point.

Effective pitch bearing reliability

Pitch bearing reliability is an issue which has plagued the industry for years, but what truly exacerbates the problem is that until recently, there has been no recognised solution available for monitoring them. A fundamental part of the turbine, pitch bearings connect the rotor hub to the blade and carry out an essential role in allowing the blade to pitch. Pitching of the blade ensures maximal power generation is achieved with the available wind speed, in addition blades can be dynamically pitched to reduce loads on the system. But faults, unnoticed and unaccounted for, can lead to lost revenue from reduced energy generation, costly downtime, and in some cases, high costs associated with component replacement.

Traditionally, pitch bearing faults have been identified by internal inspection, but even when a fault has been detected early, the process often leaves operators with little time to cost-effectively organise a bearing replacement. This is often due to the challenging supply chain and long lead times for replacements. Meanwhile, inspections are generally conducted periodically due to the high costs of deploying specialist engineers and associated equipment. These challenges will be further compounded as farms increase in size and as offshore wind becomes more and more prevalent.

ONYX Insight is rising to the challenge of pitch bearing failures with a product called ecoPITCH – an advanced sensor system specifically designed for the online monitoring of the bearing. Using multiple sensor types and advanced signal processing techniques, the hardware enables operators to understand when faults are going to occur with a significant lead time.

Data driven PdM

The technology utilises a revolutionary new sensor system to include vibration, displacement and pitch speed to gather data which is then streamed using 4G or ethernet connectivity. Operators can configure this to their requirements, with most opting for daily monitoring. With information gathered transmitted back to ONYX’s fleetMONITOR software, ONYX’s advanced analytics team are able to identify multiple failure modes ranging from spalling or macropitting, rolling element damage and cage failures. As a result, potential faults are identified with significant warning which can lead to improved O&M strategies.

ecoPITCH opens the door for asset managers to instil full-turbine PdM across into their operations. This effectively enables key issues to be tackled before it is too late, assuring asset productivity for years to come.

Futureproofing the wind sector

By employing advanced sensing, engineering techniques, and state-of-the-art monitoring systems, operators can now prevent unexpected failures and extend the operational lifespan of turbines. This enhanced reliability will attract more investment, reduce insurance costs, and ultimately lower the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), making wind energy even more competitive compared to conventional energy sources.

Addressing pitch bearing failure through predictive monitoring is a vital step in delivering a proactive, full-turbine PdM approach across wind operations, which ultimately minimizes unplanned downtime and production losses, optimizes energy output and operational efficiency, and crucially, reduces costly and disruptive manual inspections. If the wind industry is to reach its projection of 2 TW in seven years’ time, assuring long-term component reliability should be at the forefront of operators’ priorities. For those looking to hardwire full PdM across their fleets, ONYX provides a unique combination of engineering with proven innovative technologies to solve the wind industries challenges to keep your turbines turning as efficiency as possible for as long as possible, safely.

onyxinsight.com

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/special-reports/02102023/how-rising-to-the-challenge-of-pitch-bearing-failure-can-drive-the-industry-towards-full-pdm/