Impact of Gearbox Oil Contamination on the Performance of the Wind Turbine Drivetrain

Abstract

Wind turbine gearbox is a key component in any wind energy conversion system and online monitoring of the gearbox is essential to maintain system reliability. This paper investigates the impact of gearbox lubrication oil contamination on the performance of wind turbine drivetrain. In this context, vibration signal of the gearbox is measured and analyzed under various contamination levels of the gearbox oil. A thermal camera is used to identify the hot spot location within the gearbox during the investigated case studies. Results show that quality of gearbox oil has a significant impact on the overall performance of the wind energy conversion system.