System and method for preventing pitch bearing failures in a wind turbine using pitch motor signals

A method for preventing a pitch bearing failure of a pitch system of a wind turbine, the method comprising:

• monitoring, via at least one sensor, one or more electrical signals of a pitch motor of a pitch drive mechanism of the pitch system that drives a pitch bearing of the pitch system;
• analyzing, via a controller, the one or more electrical signals of the pitch motor so as to remove noise and amplify outliers;
• wherein analyzing the one or more electrical signals of the pitch motor further comprises filtering the one or more electrical signals of the pitch motor over a predetermined time period, wherein filtering the one or more electrical signals of the pitch motor over the predetermined time period further comprises:
• determining a mean drift in the one or more electrical signals of the pitch motor over the predetermined time period;
• and
• removing the mean drift from the one or more electrical signals of the pitch motor for the predetermined time period to reduce noise of the one or more operational signals due to an aerodynamic torsional moment on the rotor blade;
• estimating bearing friction of the pitch bearing using the analyzed one or more electrical signals of the pitch motor;
• and
• implementing, via the controller, a control action when the estimated bearing friction of the pitch bearing indicates an anomaly in the pitch bearing.