Onyx InSight together with Castrol have embarked on a multi-phase study designed to uncover the potential of combining oil and vibration data on the accuracy of wind turbine health monitoring.
Onyx InSight and Castrol have completed laboratory testing to measure the effectiveness of sensors to the changing conditions of oil in a simulated wind turbine environment. The tests were carried out using a range of oil sensor technologies, with each sensor type tested in multiple oils from three separate vendors.
The second phase is now in progress and has seen a programme of oil sensor installations in a commercial wind farm. Data from the field shows excellent correlation between oil sensor and vibration condition monitoring system (CMS) outputs relating to a developing gearbox bearing failure. The trials are helping Onyx InSight and Castrol refine new approaches for an integrated CMS by combining data from oil condition, vibration sensors and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.
