An exemplary system for determining an operating condition for a wind turbine having a rotor, generator, and gearbox, includes a plurality of sensors mounted within the nacelle of the wind turbine. The system also includes a pair proximity sensors are mounted adjacent to the rotor for measuring rotor displacement. A first processor is connected to receive sensor data from the pair of proximity sensors and is configured to partition the received sensor data into predefined datasets, and a second processor configured to format the predefined datasets for transmission over a network to a processing computer.

A wind power generation device includes a blade, a main shaft of which one end is connected to the blade, a speed increaser connected to the other end of the main shaft, an output shaft of which one end is connected to the speed increaser, a power generation unit connected to the other end of the output shaft, a vibration sensor, and an abnormality diagnosis unit. The power generation unit is configured to rotate the output shaft and the main shaft by performing powering operation. The abnormality diagnosis unit diagnoses the presence or absence of an abnormality based on data acquired by the vibration sensor during a period in which the power generation unit performs powering operation.

A method for tracking a gear tooth meshing angle of a gearbox of a wind turbine is disclosed. An initial reference virtual gear tooth meshing angle of the gearbox is selected, and an angular position of a high speed shaft and/or a low speed shaft of the gearbox is monitored. A virtual gear tooth meshing angle relative to the reference virtual gear tooth meshing angle is estimated, based on the monitored angular position of the high speed shaft and/or the low speed shaft and on information regarding topology of the gearbox. A number of full rotations of the high speed shaft and/or the low speed shaft which corresponds to an integer number of full periods of gear meshing of the gearbox is calculated, and the reference virtual gear tooth meshing angle is reset each time the high speed shaft and/or the low speed shaft has performed the calculated number of full rotations. The estimated virtual gear tooth meshing angle is applied to a periodic noise signal of the wind turbine.

A method for detecting and responding to a failure in a drivetrain of a wind turbine includes estimating a first rotational speed signal at a first location along the drivetrain via one or more rate gyroscopes mounted in a hub, the first rotational speed signal being a proxy for rotor speed of a rotor. The method also includes processing the first rotational speed signal to account for a bias in the first rotational speed signal due to use of the rate gyroscope(s). Further, the method includes receiving a second rotational speed signal at a second location along the drivetrain, the second location being downwind from the first location, the first and second locations being on opposing sides of a potential slip location of the drivetrain. Moreover, the method includes determining a speed error based on a comparison of the first and second rotational speed signals. In addition, the method includes comparing the speed error to a threshold and implementing a control action when the speed error exceeds the threshold.

A method for controlling operation of a generator for a wind turbine is disclosed. At least one amplitude of a harmonic in the gearbox vibrations is determined. A torque modulating signal for the generator is generated. A phase angle and the amplitude are adjusted during operation of the generator, until a minimum in amplitude of a resultant vibration is reached, thereby obtaining an adjusted torque modulating signal. The adjusted torque modulating signal is injected into the generator, resulting in the resultant vibration of vibrations of the gearbox and vibrations of the generator, corresponding to the harmonic in the gearbox vibrations, being reduced.

A method for reducing gear induced noise from a wind turbine is disclosed. A first vibration map and a second vibration map are generated, specifying, for each of a plurality of operating points of the generator, a virtual phase of vibrations originating from gear tooth meshing of the gearbox, relative to a first and second reference phase, at the respective operating points. An overlap between operating points of the first vibration map and operating points of the second vibration map is identified and virtual phases within the overlap are compared, thus deriving a phase offset between the first vibration map and the second vibration map. The virtual phase of vibrations of each of the operating points of the second vibration map are adjusted according to the phase offset, so as to align the first vibration map and the second vibration map, and the first vibration map and the second vibration map are combined into a resultant vibration map.

A method for reducing gear induced noise from a wind turbine is disclosed. A first vibration map and a second vibration map are generated, specifying, for each of a plurality of operating points of the generator, a virtual phase of vibrations originating from gear tooth meshing of the gearbox, relative to a first and second reference phase, at the respective operating points. An overlap between operating points of the first vibration map and operating points of the second vibration map is identified and virtual phases within the overlap are compared, thus deriving a phase offset between the first vibration map and the second vibration map. The virtual phase of vibrations of each of the operating points of the second vibration map are adjusted according to the phase offset, so as to align the first vibration map and the second vibration map, and the first vibration map and the second vibration map are combined into a resultant vibration map.

A method for controlling operation of a generator for a wind turbine is disclosed. At least one amplitude of a harmonic in the gearbox vibrations is determined. A torque modulating signal for the generator is generated. A phase angle and the amplitude are adjusted during operation of the generator, until a minimum in amplitude of a resultant vibration is reached, thereby obtaining an adjusted torque modulating signal. The adjusted torque modulating signal is injected into the generator, resulting in the resultant vibration of vibrations of the gearbox and vibrations of the generator, corresponding to the harmonic in the gearbox vibrations, being reduced.