System and Method for Determining Water Contamination in Oil of a Wind Turbine Gearbox

Abstract

A method for determining an amount of water contamination in oil of a gearbox of a wind turbine includes receiving, via a controller, one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine. The method also includes receiving, via the controller, one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine. Further, the method includes calculating, via the controller, the amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox as a function of the one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine and the one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine. In addition, the method includes implementing, via the controller, a corrective action based on the calculated amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox.

Claims

1. A method for determining an amount of water contamination in oil of a gearbox of a wind turbine, the method comprising: receiving, via a controller, one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine; receiving, via the controller, one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine; calculating, via the controller, the amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox as a function of the one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine and the one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine; and, implementing, via the controller, a corrective action based on the calculated amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox as a function of the one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine and the one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine further comprises inputting the one or more operational parameters and the one or more weather conditions into at least one physics-based model.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one physics-based model comprises at least one of an adsorption isotherm model for desiccant, an evaporation model for water from oil, a water vapor pressure model, a water solubility model in oil, a relative humidity to water vapor fraction model, a water mass balance model for air and oil, a leakage flow model for one or more labyrinth seals, or an air flow model for air breather.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more operational parameters comprise at least one of generator speed, a temperature within a nacelle of the wind turbine, a temperature of the oil, differential pressure across the gearbox, oil type, gearbox volume, desiccant specifications, labyrinth leakage flow, water balance in the oil and/or an atmosphere surrounding the wind turbine, an evaporation rate from the water in the oil, absorption, adsorption in desiccant, condensation of the water, and/or water dissolution.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine comprise at least one of air pressure, air temperature, humidity, dew point, wind speed, wind direction, or wind turbulence.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing the corrective action based on the calculated amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox further comprises scheduling a maintenance procedure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein scheduling the maintenance procedure further comprises at least one of notifying a user, triggering an automated notification or alarm, scheduling an oil sampling procedure, scheduling an oil filtration procedure, replacing a desiccant of the gearbox, replacing the oil in the gearbox, or replacing the gearbox.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating, via the controller, at least one of a remaining desiccant life, a remaining oil life, or a remaining bearing life based on the amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wind turbine comprises an off-shore wind turbine.

10. A system for determining an amount of water contamination in oil of a gearbox of a wind turbine, the system comprising: at least one sensor for monitoring one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine and one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine; and, at least one controller communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the at least one controller comprising one or more processors and one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices configured to store computer-readable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform one or more operations, the one or more operations comprising: receiving the one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine; receiving the one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine; calculating an amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox as a function of the one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine and the one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine; and, implementing a corrective action based on the calculated amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein calculating the amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox as a function of the one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine and the one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine further comprises inputting the one or more operational parameters and the one or more weather conditions into at least one physics-based model.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one physics-based model comprises at least one of an adsorption isotherm model for desiccant, an evaporation model for water from oil, a water vapor pressure model, a water solubility model in oil, a relative humidity to water vapor fraction model, a water mass balance model for air and oil, a leakage flow model for one or more labyrinth seals, or an air flow model for air breather.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more operational parameters comprise at least one of generator speed, a temperature within a nacelle of the wind turbine, a temperature of the oil, differential pressure across the gearbox, oil type, gearbox volume, desiccant specifications, labyrinth leakage flow, water balance in the oil and/or an atmosphere surrounding the wind turbine, an evaporation rate from the water in the oil, absorption, adsorption in desiccant, condensation of the water, and/or water dissolution.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine comprise at least one of air pressure, air temperature, humidity, dew point, wind speed, wind direction, wind turbulence.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein implementing the corrective action based on the calculated amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox further comprises scheduling a maintenance procedure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the maintenance procedure comprises at least one of notifying a user, triggering an automated notification or alarm, scheduling an oil sampling procedure, scheduling an oil filtration procedure, replacing a desiccant of the gearbox, replacing the oil in the gearbox, or replacing the gearbox.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more operations further comprise calculating, via the controller, at least one of a remaining desiccant life, a remaining oil life, or a remaining bearing life based on the amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the wind turbine comprises an off-shore wind turbine.

19. A method for determining an amount of water contamination in oil of a gearbox of a wind turbine, the method comprising: receiving, via a controller, one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine, the one or more weather conditions comprising at least one of air pressure, air temperature, humidity, dew point, wind speed, wind direction, wind turbulence; calculating, via the controller, the amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox as a function of the one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine; and, implementing, via the controller, a corrective action based on the calculated amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine and calculating the amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox as a function of the one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine and the one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine, the one or more operational parameters comprising at least one of generator speed, a temperature within a nacelle of the wind turbine, a temperature of the oil, differential pressure across the gearbox, oil type, gearbox volume, desiccant specifications, labyrinth leakage flow, water balance in the oil and/or an atmosphere surrounding the wind turbine, an evaporation rate from the water in the oil, absorption, adsorption in desiccant, condensation of the water, and/or water dissolution.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a wind turbine according to the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed, internal view of one embodiment of a nacelle of a wind turbine according to the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of one embodiment of a controller of a wind turbine according to the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a gearbox assembly of a wind turbine according to the present disclosure; and

[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method for determining water contamination in oil of a gearbox of a wind turbine according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0023] Generally, the present disclosure is directed to a system and method for predicting water in oil contamination for onshore and/or off-shore wind turbines alike. In one embodiment, the system uses a combination of sensor data from the wind turbine, including but not limited to air pressure, air temperature, wind speed, generator speed, nacelle temperature, gearbox oil temperature, desiccant specifications, and/or local weather information as inputs to one or more physics-based models for predicting the rate of contamination of water in the gearbox oil. In addition, additional parameters, such as labyrinth leakage flow, water balance in the oil and/or the atmosphere, evaporation of water from the water in the oil emulsion, absorption, adsorption in desiccant, condensation of the water, and/or water dissolution, may also be included in the physics-based model(s). Thus, the system and method of the present disclosure uses local weather data (e.g. primarily relative humidity) to predict the water contamination in the gearbox oil. Further, the system and method of the present disclosure can eliminate and/or optimize the conventional oil sampling and also improves condition-based maintenance (i.e. replacing the oil only when needed).

[0024] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a wind turbine 10 according to the present disclosure. As shown, the wind turbine 10 includes a tower 12 extending from a support surface 14, a nacelle 16 mounted on the tower 12, and a rotor 18 coupled to the nacelle 16. It should be understood that the wind turbine 10 described herein may include both off-shore and on-shore wind turbines. The rotor 18 includes a rotatable hub 20 and at least one rotor blade 22 coupled to and extending outwardly from the hub 20. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the rotor 18 includes three rotor blades 22. However, in an alternative embodiment, the rotor 18 may include more or less than three rotor blades 22. Each rotor blade 22 may be spaced about the hub 20 to facilitate rotating the rotor 18 to enable kinetic energy to be transferred from the wind into usable mechanical energy, and subsequently, electrical energy. For instance, the hub 20 may be rotatably coupled to an electric generator 24 (FIG. 2) positioned within the nacelle 16 to permit electrical energy to be produced.

[0025] As shown, the wind turbine 10 may also include a turbine control system or a turbine controller 26 centralized within the nacelle 16. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the turbine controller 26 is disposed within a control cabinet mounted to a portion of the nacelle 16. However, it should be appreciated that the turbine controller 26 may be disposed at any location on or in the wind turbine 10, at any location on the support surface 14 or generally at any other location. In general, the turbine controller 26 may be configured to transmit and execute wind turbine control signals and/or commands in order to control the various operating modes (e.g., start-up or shut-down sequences) and/or components of the wind turbine 10.

[0026] Referring now to FIG. 2, a simplified, internal view of a nacelle 16 of the wind turbine 10 according to conventional construction is illustrated. As shown, the generator 24 may be disposed within the nacelle 16. In general, the generator 24 may be coupled to the rotor 18 of the wind turbine 10 for producing electrical power from the rotational energy generated by the rotor 18. For example, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, the rotor 18 may include a rotor shaft 32 coupled to the hub 20 for rotation therewith. The rotor shaft 32 may, in turn, be rotatably coupled to a generator shaft 34 of the generator 24 through a gearbox assembly 36. As is generally understood, the rotor shaft 32 may provide a low speed, high torque input to the gearbox assembly 36 in response to rotation of the rotor blades 22 and the hub 20. The gearbox assembly 36 may then be configured to convert the low speed, high torque input to a high speed, low torque output to drive the generator shaft 34 and, thus, the generator 24. In alternative embodiments, the rotor shaft 32 may be eliminated and the rotatable hub 20 may be configured to turn the gears of the gearbox assembly 36, rather than requiring a separate rotor shaft 32.

[0027] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, one or more sensors 74, 76 may be provided on the wind turbine 10. More specifically, as shown, a sensor 74 may be provided at any suitable location on or within the wind turbine 10 to measure various operational parameters thereof. For example, as shown, the sensor 74 is associated with the generator so as to measure generator speed. Still further sensors may be provided to monitor additional operational parameter(s) including but not limited to a temperature within the nacelle 16, a temperature of the oil, differential pressure across the gearbox, oil type, gearbox volume, desiccant specifications, labyrinth leakage flow, water balance in the oil and/or an atmosphere surrounding the wind turbine 10, an evaporation rate from the water in the oil, absorption, adsorption in desiccant, condensation of the water, and/or water dissolution, or similar or combinations thereof.

[0028] In addition, as shown, a wind sensor 76 may be provided on the wind turbine 10. The wind sensor 76, which may for example be a wind vane, and anemometer, and LIDAR sensor, or another suitable sensor, may measure various weather conditions including but not limited to air pressure, air temperature, humidity, dew point, wind speed, wind direction, wind turbulence, or any other weather parameter or combinations thereof.

[0029] The sensors 74, 76 described herein may further be in communication with the controller 26, and may provide related information to the controller 26. It should also be appreciated that, as used herein, the term monitor and variations thereof indicates that the various sensors of the wind turbine 10 may be configured to provide a direct measurement of the parameters being monitored or an indirect measurement of such parameters. Thus, the sensors described herein may, for example, be used to generate signals relating to the parameter being monitored, which can then be utilized by the controller 26 to determine the condition.

[0030] Referring now to FIG. 3, the turbine controller 26 may include one or more processor(s) 66 and associated memory device(s) 68 configured to perform a variety of computer-implemented functions (e.g., performing the methods, steps, calculations and the like and storing relevant data as disclosed herein) for controlling the wind turbine 10. Additionally, the controller 26 may also include a communications module 70 to facilitate communications between the module 70 and the various components of the wind turbine. Further, the communications module 70 may include a sensor interface 72 (e.g., one or more analog-to-digital converters) to permit signals transmitted from one or more sensors 74, 76 to be converted into signals that can be understood and processed by the processor(s) 66. It should be appreciated that the sensors 74, 76 may be communicatively coupled to the communications module 70 using any suitable means. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the sensors 74, 76 may be coupled to the sensor interface 72 via a wired connection. However, in other embodiments, the sensors 74, 76 may be coupled to the sensor interface 72 via a wireless connection, such as by using any suitable wireless communications protocol known in the art. As such, the processor 66 may be configured to receive one or more signals from the sensors 74, 76.

[0031] As used herein, the term processor refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being included in a computer, but also refers to a controller, a microcontroller, a microcomputer, a programmable logic controller (PLC), an application specific integrated circuit, and other programmable circuits. The processor 66 is also configured to compute advanced control algorithms and communicate to a variety of Ethernet or serial-based protocols (Modbus, OPC, CAN, etc.). Additionally, the memory device(s) 68 may generally comprise memory element(s) including, but not limited to, computer readable medium (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), computer readable non-volatile medium (e.g., a flash memory), a floppy disk, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM), a magneto-optical disk (MOD), a digital versatile disc (DVD) and/or other suitable memory elements. Such memory device(s) 68 may generally be configured to store suitable computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by the processor(s) 66, configure the controller 26 to perform the various functions as described herein.

[0032] Referring now to FIG. 4, a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the gearbox assembly 36 according to the present disclosure is illustrated. As shown, the gearbox assembly 36 includes a gear assembly 38, such as a gear assembly, housed within a gearbox housing 37. More specifically, the gear assembly 38 includes a plurality of gears (e.g., planetary, ring, sun, helical, and/or spur gears) and bearings 39 for converting the low speed, high torque input of the rotor shaft 32 to a high speed, low torque output for the generator 24. For example, as shown, the input shaft 32 may provide an input load to the gear assembly 38 and the system 38 may provide an output load to the generator 24 (FIG. 2) as is generally known in the art. Thus, during operation, input load at an input rotational speed is transmitted through the gear assembly 38 and provided as output load at output rotational speed to the generator 24.

[0033] Further, the gear assembly 38 includes a first planetary carrier 40 and a second planetary carrier 42 operatively coupling a plurality of gears. Further, as shown, the gear assembly 38 includes, at least, a ring gear 41, one or more planet gears 44, a sun gear 46, one or more first pin shafts 43, and one or more second pin shafts 45. For example, in several embodiments, the gear assembly 38 may include one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or more planet gears 44. Further, each of the gears 41, 44, 46 includes a plurality of teeth. The teeth are sized and shaped to mesh together such that the various gears 41, 44, 46 engage each other. For example, the ring gear 41 and the sun gear 46 may each engage the planet gears 44. In addition, it should be understood that the gears 41, 44, 46 described herein may include any suitable type of gears, including but not limited to spur gears, face gears, helical gears, double helical gears, or similar.

[0034] In some embodiments, one or both of the planetary carriers 40, 42 may be stationary. In these embodiments, the input shaft 32 may be coupled to the ring gear 41, and input loads on the input shaft 32 may be transmitted through the ring gear 41 to the planet gears 44. Thus, the ring gear 41 may drive the gear assembly 38. In other embodiments, the ring gear 41 may be stationary. In these embodiments, the input shaft 32 may be coupled to the planetary carriers 40, 42, and input loads on the input shaft 32 may be transmitted through the planetary carriers 40, 42 to the planet gears 44. Thus, the planetary carriers 40, 42 may drive the gear assembly 38. In still further embodiments, any other suitable component, such as the planet gear 44 or the sun gear 46, may drive the gear assembly 38.

[0035] Still referring to FIG. 4, the sun gear 46 defines a central axis 49, and thus rotates about this central axis 49. The ring gear 41 may at least partially surround the sun gear 46, and be positioned along the central axis 49. Further, the ring gear 41 may (if rotatable) thus rotate about the central axis 49. Each of the planet gears 44 may be disposed between the sun gear 46 and the ring gear 41, and may engage both the sun gear 46 and the ring gear 41. For example, the teeth of the gears may mesh together, as discussed above. Further, each of the planet gears 44 may define a central planet axis 48, as shown. Thus, each planet gear 44 may rotate about its central planet axis 48. Additionally, the planet gears 44 and central planet axes 48 thereof may rotate about the central axis 49.

[0036] The gearbox assembly 36 may also include a lubrication system or other means for circulating oil throughout the gearbox components. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the gearbox assembly 36 may include a plurality of oil passages 47 that are configured to transfer oil therethrough. As is generally understood, the oil may be used to reduce friction between the moving components of the gearbox assembly 36 and may also be utilized to provide cooling for such components, thereby decreasing component wear and other losses within the gearbox assembly 36 and increasing the lifespan thereof. In addition, the oil may contain properties that prevent corrosion of the internal gearbox components.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 5, a flow diagram of a specific embodiment of a control algorithm 100 that may be executed for determining an amount of water contamination in oil of a gearbox of a wind turbine is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. In general, the control algorithm 100 will be described herein with reference to the gearbox assembly 36 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. However, in other embodiments, the algorithm 100 may be used in connection with any other suitable implement having any other suitable implement configuration and/or with any other suitable system having any other suitable system configuration.

[0038] It should be appreciated that, although FIG. 5 depicts control steps or functions performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion, the control algorithms discussed herein are not limited to any particular order or arrangement. One skilled in the art, using the disclosures provided herein, will appreciate that various steps or functions of the algorithms disclosed herein can be omitted, rearranged, combined, and/or adapted in various ways without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0039] As shown at 102, the method 100 includes receiving one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine 10, e.g. via the controller 26. For example, as mentioned, the operational parameter(s) may include generator speed, a temperature within the nacelle 16, a temperature of the oil, differential pressure across the gearbox, oil type, gearbox volume, desiccant specifications, labyrinth leakage flow, water balance in the oil and/or an atmosphere surrounding the wind turbine, an evaporation rate from the water in the oil, absorption, adsorption in desiccant, condensation of the water, and/or water dissolution, or similar or combinations thereof.

[0040] As shown at 104, the method 100 also includes receiving one or more weather conditions at the wind turbine 10, e.g. the controller 26. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the weather condition(s) at the wind turbine 10 may include air pressure, air temperature, humidity, dew point, wind speed, wind direction, wind turbulence, or any other weather parameter or combinations thereof.

[0041] Thus, as shown at 106, the controller 26 is configured to calculate the amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox 36 as a function of the operational parameter(s) of the wind turbine 10 and the weather condition(s) at the wind turbine 10. In such embodiments, the controller 26 may be configured to receive the operational parameter(s) and the weather condition(s) as inputs for at least one physics-based model. As used herein, a physics-based model broadly refers to any model used to generate and visualize constrained shapes, motions of rigid and/or non-rigid objects, and/or object interactions with an environment. As such, in particular embodiments, the physics-based model(s) of the present disclosure may include an adsorption isotherm model for a desiccant, an evaporation model for the water from the oil, a water vapor pressure model, a water solubility model in the oil, a relative humidity to water vapor fraction model, a water mass balance model for the air and the oil, a leakage flow model for one or more labyrinth seals of the gearbox 36, an air flow model for air breather, and/or any other suitable model that correlates weather data to the gearbox oil.

[0042] Accordingly, still referring to FIG. 5, as shown at 108, the controller 26 is configured to implement a corrective action based on the calculated amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox 36. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the controller 26 may be configured to schedule a maintenance procedure. For example, in such embodiments, the controller 26 may be configured to notify a user, trigger an automated notification or alarm, schedule an oil sampling procedure, schedule an oil filtration procedure, replace a desiccant of the gearbox, replace the oil in the gearbox, replace the gearbox, and/or schedule any other suitable maintenance procedures. In addition, the method 100 may also include calculating a remaining desiccant life, a remaining oil life, and/or a remaining bearing life based on the amount of water contamination in the oil of the gearbox 36.

[0043] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.