A review of diagnostics and prognostics of low-speed machinery towards wind turbine farm-level health management

Large wind farms are gaining prominence due to increasing dependence on renewable energy. In order to operate these wind farms reliably and efficiently, advanced maintenance strategies such as condition based maintenance are necessary. However, wind turbines pose unique challenges in terms of irregular load patterns, intermittent operation and harsh weather conditions, which have deterring effects on life of rotating machinery. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art in the area of diagnostics and prognostics pertaining to two critical failure prone components of wind turbines, namely, low-speed bearings and planetary gearboxes. The survey evaluates those methods that are applicable to wind turbine farm-level health management and compares these methods on criteria such as reliability, accuracy and implementation aspects. It concludes with a brief discussion of the challenges and future trends in health assessment for wind farms.