Condition monitoring arrangement
AssigneeSiemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
InventorsArturo Orozco Santillan, Jesper Hjortshøj Nielsen
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Abstract
A method of monitoring the condition of a fluid-film bearing arranged to support the generator of a direct-drive wind turbine is provided. The method allows providing a hydrophone configured to convert acoustic noise to an output signal; immersing the hydrophone in the lubricating fluid of the fluid-film bearing; providing access to the hydrophone output signal at the exterior of the fluid-film bearing; and evaluating the hydrophone output signal to determine the condition of the fluid-film bearing. Disclosed embodiments further include a condition monitoring arrangement of a fluid-film bearing; and a direct-drive wind turbine comprising a fluid-film bearing and the condition monitoring arrangement.
Claims16
A method of monitoring a condition of a fluid-film bearing arranged to support a generator of a direct-drive wind turbine, which method comprises:
- providing a hydrophone configured to convert acoustic noise to an output signal;
- immersing the hydrophone in a lubricating fluid of the fluid-film bearing;
- providing access to the hydrophone output signal at the exterior of the fluid-film bearing;
- evaluating the hydrophone output signal to determine the condition of the fluid-film bearing.
A condition monitoring arrangement of a fluid-film bearing arranged to support a generator of a direct-drive wind turbine, comprising:
- at least one hydrophone immersed in a lubricating fluid of the bearing and configured to convert acoustic noise to an output signal;
- and
- a data evaluation arrangement configured to receive the acoustic output signal during operation of the wind turbine and to determine the condition of the fluid-film bearing on the basis of the hydrophone output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.