A Study of Torsional Reversals Caused Through Wind Events and Operating Conditions
Although wind turbines have been around for decades, recent research has been focused on what occurs with a wind turbine under various wind conditions. It is understood anecdotally that high gusts and turbulent winds can add to the chance of breakdown of wind turbine equipment and lead to an increase in O&M and capital costs. Ridgeline and downwind turbines see higher O&M costs. Most of the earlier focus was on the effects on blades and tower structures. New data shows how the entire drive-train sees an impact from these transient events. Drive-train torque monitoring on various turbine models has shown that an asymmetrical torque control device reduces the damaging loads and helps extend turbine life.
By Doug Herr, General Manager, AeroTorque Corp., USA
Types of Transient Wind Conditions Faced by Wind Turbines
Wind turbines see a broader range of dynamic loads than other rotating equipment. They experience variation from the grid/generator (in the form of curtailments, grid loss, voltage changes etc) and also see very frequent wind changes. Storms, gusting conditions and even a sudden wind loss can cause significant variability in drive-train loads. These common events all contribute to the reduction in the expected life of drive-train components.
