Gear and Bearing Diagnostics Using Torque Oscillation Data

In the wind energy industry, gearbox failures are among the most costly and the most frequent, adding significantly to the operation and maintenance costs over the life cycle of the turbine. Despite significant improvements in the understanding of gear loads and dynamics, even to the point of establishing international standards for design and specifications of wind turbine gearboxes, these components generally fall short of reaching their 20-year design life. In a significant number of gearbox failures, the primary bearing on the low speed shaft experiences faults in its operation such as misalignment and movement on the mounts.

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a technique that allows for detection of gear and bearing faults using a torque transducer. Current technology uses accelerometers to measure translational vibrations in a system, a technique that is vulnerable to error from exterior vibrations. This technology uses a torque transducer to measure torsional vibrations, which are more directly related to the health of a system than translational vibrations that are more commonly used. This technology could be applied to any rotary mechanical system involving gears and/or bearings to detect and diagnose faults and more precisely perform preventative maintenance.

Advantages:

-More accurate measure of system health

Potential Applications:

-Detect and diagnosis faults in rotary mechanical systems

-Preventative maintenance for rotary mechanical systems

TRL: 5

Intellectual Property:

Keywords: Gear fault detection, bearing fault detection, torque transducer technology, torsional vibration measurement, rotary mechanical system fault diagnosis, preventative maintenance systems, wind turbine gearbox monitoring, system health assessment, condition monitoring, accelerometer alternative, Clean Energy, Gearbox, Mechanical Engineering