A small vibration transducer attached to a wind turbine changes the way owners and manufacturers approach maintenance. These sensors, called accelerometers, output millivolt signals proportional to their acceleration vibration. They have a sensitivity range that matches the expected operating conditions in the turbine. Each component in a wind turbine vibrates at a different frequency, letting…
How to Get Turbine Gears and Bearings to (Almost) Talk
A gear manufacturer recently confided that a turbine OEM was asking for quotes to repair yaw gears that were failing after just five years in service. Although the mystery of the early failure has not yet been resolved, the tale says that despite centuries of experience with gear designs and materials, turbines have a lot…