From Strain to Loads: Development of a Measurement Solution for Wind Turbine Transmission Input Loads during...

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Renewable Energy Systems
• Structural Health Monitoring

Background:

• Increasing wind turbine (WT) rated power reduces wind energy costs but elevates drivetrain loads.
• Accurate testing of critical components like the main gearbox (GB) is essential.
• Existing test benches apply emulated loads, but direct measurement of gearbox input loads in six degrees of freedom (6-DOF) is not feasible.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel methodology for computing WT gearbox 6-DOF input loads during drivetrain testing.
• To integrate sensor data with turbine-specific design parameters for accurate load calculation.
• To address the limitation of current load measurement solutions in sensing 6-DOF GB input loads.

Main Methods:

• Installation of strain gauges (SG) and accelerometers on the low-speed shaft (LSS) of a WT drivetrain.
• Utilizing data from these sensors at a 4MW WT system test bench.
• Developing a computational methodology to derive 6-DOF GB input loads from sensor signals and design parameters.

Main Results:

• A validated methodology for computing gearbox 6-DOF input loads was successfully developed.
• The method demonstrated high promise in estimating these critical loads during WT drivetrain testing.
• Validation against applied loads data from the test bench confirmed the method's accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers a viable solution for measuring 6-DOF gearbox input loads in WT drivetrain testing.
• This advancement supports the development of more robust and cost-effective wind turbine components.
• Accurate load estimation is vital for the ongoing energy transition towards renewable sources.