Feasibility study of thermal

condition monitoring and

condition based maintenance
in wind turbines
Elforsk rapport 11:19

Bodil Anjar, Mats Dalberg, Magnus Uppsll

May 2011

Feasibility study of thermal

condition monitoring and
condition based maintenance
in wind turbines
Elforsk rapport 11:19

Bodil Anjar, Mats Dalberg, Magnus Uppsll

May 2011

ELFORSK

Preface

Condition monitoring and predictive maintenance are means to reduce failures

and thus reduce production losses and repair costs. Condition monitoring
systems already exist. However, the need to further improve such systems
and find new ways of better and more efficiently monitoring the operation is
interesting. One such possibility is to use thermal imaging cameras.
This feasibility study has been carried out to find out benefits of using thermal
imaging cameras (IR-cameras) performing thermography in the monitoring
and control of wind power plants. Specifically the study aims at answering
which systems and components in a wind turbine that are most suitable for
continuous monitoring by a permanently mounted IR-camera.
The project was carried out by Industriellt Utvecklingscenter i Kalmar ln
(IUC) as a project within the Swedish wind energy research programme
Vindforsk III The report is the final report for project V-345 Frstudie fr
Termisk tillstndsvervakning och tillstndsstyrt underhll. The project group
had the following members:
Mats Dalberg
Bodil Anjar
Magnus Uppsll

Industriellt Utvecklingscenter i Kalmar ln (IUC)

Gila Control Systems AB
Termisk Systemteknik

Vindforsk III is funded by ABB, Arise windpower, AQ System, E.ON Elnt,

E.ON Vind Sverige, EnergiNorge, Falkenberg Energi, Fortum, Fred. Olsen
Renewables, Gothia Vind, Gteborg Energi, HS Kraft, Jmtkraft, Karlstads
Energi, Lule Energi, Mlarenergi, o2 Vindkompaniet, Rabbalshede Kraft,
Skellefte Kraft, Statkraft, Stena Renewable, Svenska Kraftnt, Tekniska
Verken i Linkping, Triventus, Wallenstam, Varberg Energi, Vattenfall
Vindkraft, Vestas Northern Europ, resundskraft and the Swedish Energy
Agency.
Mjlby Svartdalens Energi (Ted Rydh, Lennart Andersson) and Vestas (Pr
Larsson) has contributed with support during tests at the wind turbine in
Gislorp-Klockrike. Also Torbjrn Tengstrand at Bixia is acknowledged for
contribution to the project.
Comments on the work and the report have been given by a reference group
with the following members:
Tomas Stalin
Gunnar Olsson Srell
sa Westrin
Anders Bjrck

Vattenfall Vindkraft AB
Fortum
Regionfrbundet Kalmar
Elforsk

Stockholm may 2011

Anders Bjrck
Elforsk, Electricity and Power Production
Vindforsk-III Programme manager

ELFORSK

ELFORSK

Sammanfattning

Vi har underskt termografins mjligheter att anvndas fr vervakning av

komponenter i vindkraftverk. I projektet har vi genom intervjuer, enklare
fltfrsk och litteraturstudier underskt mjligheterna ur teknisk och
ekonomisk
synvinkel
samt
branschens
behov
av
kompletterande
vervakningssystem.
Vi har funnit att termografi i frsta hand r lmpligt fr vervakning av
elsystem och transformatorer samt fr tidig brandindikering och styrning av
slckningsinsatser
Nr utrustningen r p plats kan ven andra komponenter och system, t ex
elmotorer, vxellda, mekaniska bromsar ocks vervakas.
Termografin kan anvndas svl fr kontinuerlig vervakning som vid service
och underhll. Vid kontinuerlig vervakning kan IR-kameran monteras p ett
vridbord som mjliggr 360 grader synflt ver anlggningen och dr man
med hjlp av speglar och gallerdrrar ven ser dolda utrymmen. En annan
viktig applikation r vid uppstarter av nya verk / komponenter eller efter
reparation.
Redan idag genomfrs termografi manuellt vid kontroll av elektriska system,
men vrt system mjliggr kontinuerlig vervakning och avancerad
bildbehandling som std fr korrekta beslut kring service och underhll.
Ekonomiskt ligger termografilsningen p samma prisniv som
vervakningssystem.

existerande

I takt med att vindkraftverken blir allt strre effektmssigt blir ocks
stillestndskostnaderna och reparationskostnaderna strre. Detta kan
motivera strre satsningar p vervakningssystem och termografi kan bli ett
kostnadseffektivt och vrdefullt komplement.
Inom off-shore r kostnaderna fr drift och underhll hgre n fr
landbaserade vindkraftverk vilket kan motivera fler och mer avancerade
vervakningssystem.

ELFORSK

Summary

In this feasibility study we have investigated the possibilities of using thermal

condition monitoring of the systems and components in wind turbines. The
methodologies used are desk studies, interviews, site visits, expert meetings
and practical field tests from technical and economical aspects. We have also
taken into consideration the wind power industries need of additional
monitoring systems.
The conclusions we have made are that thermography is primarily suitable for
monitoring the electrical systems, transformers and also for early fire
detection and fire extinguishing.
When the monitoring system is in place several other systems and
components can be monitored as well, e.g. electrical motors, the gearbox and
mechanical brakes.
The technology can be used both for continuous monitoring and for short time
at service and maintenance occations. In case of continuous monitoring, the
IR-camera can be mounted on a Pan-Tilt unit, which enables 360 degrees
view. Mirrors and net doors on the electrical cabinets will allow the system to
monitor hidden spots. Other important applications are to monitor the startup phase of a new wind power plant, of newly installed systems or after reinstallation of repaired parts.
Manual thermography is already in use for scheduled checking of the electrical
systems, but our system allows continuous monitoring and advanced image
processing. The results gained will be a base for decision making regarding
service and maintenance.
Financially, this system is on the same price level as existing monitoring
systems.
As wind power plants grow in size and capacity the cost for downtime and
repair increases.
This motivates increased investments in monitoring systems. IRthermography has the potential of becoming a cost-effective and precious
addition to existing solutions.
Within offshore the maintenance costs are higher than for land-based wind
power plants. That motivates additional and more advanced monitoring
systems.

ELFORSK

Innehll
1

Purpose and Methodology

Background

Literature

Temperature monitoring

Identification of interesting areas

Practical tests

18

Commercial aspects

21

Conclusions

23

References

24

4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4

5.1
5.2

7.1
7.2

9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4

Introduction ................................................................................... 7
IR sensors ...................................................................................... 7
Contact temperature sensors ............................................................ 8
General System Layout .................................................................... 8

12

Overview ..................................................................................... 12
Interesting Areas........................................................................... 12
5.2.1 Electrical systems ............................................................... 14
5.2.2 System Transformer ........................................................... 14
5.2.3 Fire Detection and Fire Extinguishing of Nacelle and Turbine ..... 15
5.2.4 Mechanical brake ............................................................... 15
5.2.5 Gear box ........................................................................... 15
5.2.5.1 Gear box research .............................................................. 16
5.2.6 Yaw System ...................................................................... 16
5.2.7 Hydraulic system................................................................ 17
5.2.8 Sensors ............................................................................ 17

Introduction ................................................................................. 21
SWOT Analysis .............................................................................. 21

Literature ..................................................................................... 24
Interviews .................................................................................... 25
Site Visits ..................................................................................... 25
Attended Conferences and Exhibitions .............................................. 25

ELFORSK

ELFORSK

Purpose and Methodology

The purpose of this pre-study project is to investigate to what extent

Thermography could be beneficiary to the control and monitoring functions for
wind power plants.
IUC has set up a project group consisting of representatives from the two
companies Gila Control System AB (Gila) and Termisk Systemteknik (TS). The
project group has been managed and facilitated by IUC.
The methodologies that have been used are desk studies, interviews, site
visits, expert meetings and practical field tests.
Desk studies were used in order to get an overview of the current situation;
existing methods for control and monitoring and relevant application of IRtechnology.
A number of representatives from the wind power industry, public and private
organisations and Universities have been interviewed within the project
execution.
Two wind power plants have been visited and studied. The study visits gave
the project group a clearer picture of problem areas, possibilities for installing
IR-cameras and the first indications of the benefits the cameras can gain.
The field tests gave important indications of the possibilities and limitations of
the method and valuable practical experience of the work conditions.
A complete reference list is presented in References.

ELFORSK

Background

Wind power industry is a relative new industry sector [1] and the commercial
and technical development on all levels is impressing. However, comparing
with more established industrial applications there are still gaps. For instance
there are a number of different databases with fault data and statistics, but it
is difficult to get an overall picture [2]. Maintenance is also an area where it
seems to be room for improvement.
In recent years it has been a development of Condition Monitoring Systems
(CMS) for wind turbines. However, there are still gaps in the control and
monitoring philosophies between the renewable energy sector and other more
established processing industry.
There are many aspects that suggest the usefulness and the need for
sophisticated control and monitoring systems in the wind power industry. The
power plants are unmanned and there are often difficulties to access them
due to the geographical locations and their placement 100 meters up in the
air on a tower. The fact that most operators do not allow personnel to stay in
the machine room when the plant is running is also an argument for some
kind of control and monitoring system. The strongest argument is of course
that it saves money. Early detection of faults and problems gives planned
repairs and reduced downtime. It can also save repair costs in the case of
avoiding total breakdowns.
The existing CMS use different kinds of techniques to measure the condition
of the turbine. The present methods are mainly focused on the main shaft,
gearbox and generator. The techniques include vibration analysis through
accelerometers and Shock Pulse Monitoring (SPM). There are also installations
for continuous oil analysis through a particle counter in the lubrication
system. In the High Voltage equipment there are detectors for arc light.
Today it is a complex business model between the system and the component
suppliers, project developers and the plant owners. This business model does
not fully support the different stakeholders need of control data and
statistics. For instance, some of the plant owners have addressed frustration
of being so dependent on the suppliers control system and the difficulties of
getting access to data.
Insurance companies are a group that has raised interest in this question
while they want to know the condition of a plant in conjunction with the
signing of insurance. Among other, Lnsfrskringar has prepared meticulous
inspection protocols.
Countervailing factors is that the owners of wind turbines often rely on the
warranty periods and service contracts. The complex picture of responsibility
between manufacturers, owners and designers have probably also contributed
to inhibit the use control and monitoring systems as well as effective
maintenance.

ELFORSK

The trend towards larger plants which in turn would bring greater economic
investments should make the issue of effective CMS in connection with
effective maintenance even more important in the future.
We are convinced that Thermography through the use of an IR-camera can
add valuable information if it is connected to a control and monitoring system.
Elforsk Report 10:68 [1] together with our interviews have been to
considerable help to identify the most interesting areas for us to study.

ELFORSK

Literature

An extensive review of information regarding reliability and failure of wind

power plants and different components are given in [1]. Different data bases
are investigated. One remark is that failures in electrical and electronic
systems are common. These faults normally do not take long time to repair,
but a high number of faults will lead to a high cost and need for service
personnel to have quick access to the wind turbine, which might be a problem
specially for off shore turbines. A conclusion is also that faults in electrical
systems are more common for larger turbines compared to smaller turbines.
The impression remains that Electrical System, Electrical Control Systems and
Sensors have high failure rates with short down time per failure and the
opposite is the case for the Gear Box, Generator, Structural Parts and the
Drive Train.
In [2] a survey of failures in Swedish wind power systems during 1997 - 2005
are given. One observation is that total down time caused by failure in Control
system and Electric system is longer (51015 hours) compared to the total
down time caused by failure in Gears and Generator 44192 hours), but the
average downtime per failure is highest for Gear followed by the Generator.
Fires in wind turbines are often caused by failures in the power electronics
and short-circuit in the electrical system [3].
Condition Monitoring is often based on vibration sensors. In [4], a system is
proposed based on wireless accelerometers in order to monitor the
mechanical status of different structures, including the rotating blades. The
data is proposed to be correlated with additional data e.g. wind speed,
temperature and humidity. The proposed system could also be integrated with
electrical monitoring sensors and actuators for remote Conditiopn Monitoring
When new design is introduced using less construction material in order to
reduce weight, it is important to take into account the higher stress on the
material and reduced lifetime and MTBF (mean time between failures). In [5]
a system utilizing fiber optic sensors for rotor blade condition monitoring is
presented.
Using thermography for Condition Monitoring/Predictive Maintenance of
different plants has been used for a long time. In fact inspecting electrical
facilities was one of the first non-military application for IR-thermograhy [6].
Hand held equipment is the dominant equipment today used for periodical
manual inspection. The requirements regarding method, personal skill and
equipment is formalized in Sweden [7]. An electrical company describes how
they have integrated into their preventative maintenance programs, an
annual thermographic inspection of the entire overhead distribution system,
transformers, and switches [8]. In [9] examples of the use of thermography
in a nuclear power plant are given. There are lots of mechanical and electrical
problems addressed that are also relevant for wind power plants, e.g. fuse
banks, loose electrical connections, rectifier switch and motor breaker.

ELFORSK

E.ON Bayern use IR-thermography as a vital non-contact inspection method

for maintenance priorities of low and middle voltage installations [10]. Three
levels of urgency are used: L1 stipulates a repair at the next inspection, L2
requires a reparation within 6 months, while the L3 level urges repair within
one working week. There are inspection cycles every 5, 9, and 12 years.
Installations near busy traffic intersections or dusty industrial environments,
which can be affected by pollution such as salt, dust, smoke or soot, are
inspected at least once a year, generally in spring.
In general, an offshore installation requires more new electrical infrastructure
per MW than a land-based wind park [11]. In addition, the electrical system
design and installations are much more challenging because of the harsh
environment and high availability requirements, as repair and replacement
are generally quite expensive and weather dependent.
In [12], a comprehensive overview of advanced thermal imaging for a number
of applications is presented. Condition monitoring, power distribution
inspection and electrical/mechanical inspections are among the topics. For an
electrical motor, it is stated that the life time is halved for each 10 oC
temperature increase. Moisture, bearing lubrication and chemicals react with
the insulation and short out the windings. It is further stated that the
condition of a motor bearing is determined by comparing duplicate motors
running under the same load and by comparing the bearing temperature with
its own housing. A bearing should not be warmer than its own housing.

ELFORSK

Temperature monitoring

4.1

Introduction

The main method of data collecting to the control and monitoring system is by
temperature and vibration sensors. IR-thermography monitoring is often used
as a base for maintenance planning in power plants [9]. It is normally
performed manually on a regular basis. One difficulty with this approach for
wind turbines is that the monitoring should be performed with the wind
turbine in operation at high load and manual IR-thermography monitoring is
not possible for security reasons. With a stationary system it is possible to
follow the temperature development continuously. In such way it will be
possible to get an early warning of arising faults. The output from the system
can also be designed to take into account information from other information
sources, e.g. vibration levels, load and air temperature. This will give a
powerful tool in order to optimize the maintenance and to save money.

4.2

IR sensors

The advantage with the IR-sensors are that they dont need to be in contact
with the object. For temperature measurement, there are two different kind of
IR sensors using uncooled bolometer techniques available: Infrared
temperature transmitters (one pixel) and high resolution IR-cameras (many
pixels), see Figure 1. The infrared temperature transmitter has a rather wide
field of view, typically 6:1 (distance/spot size). This means that the sensor
has a field of view about 10 degrees. A disadvantage is that the sensor
normally has to be mounted rather close to the object in order to get reliable
readings. The diameter of the transmitter in figure 1 is 69 mm and the length
is 203 mm. This kind of sensor mounted on a Pan/Tilt unit is not a good way
of monitoring many different objects because of the close distance
requirement. The solution would be to install lots of one pixel cameras. We
think it will be a too unpractical solution if many objects are going to be
temperature monitored because of the extensive installation with lots of
cablings for power and signals in addition to the mechanical installations.
Service including calibration of many sensors will also be unpractical and
costly. The price is the advantage, it is in the order of a couple of hundred
dollar. The type of IR-camera to the right has a field of view of 24x18 degrees
as standard (other optics are available). The camera has 320x240 pixels. With
standard optics, each pixel has a field of view (instantaneous field of view) of
1,35 milliradians. This means that one pixel covers an object of 1,35 mm x
1,35 mm at one meter distance. For a similar camera with 640x480 pixels and
15x 11 degrees field of view, each pixel covers 0,41 mm x 0,41 mm at one
meter distance. The size of the camera shown to the right in figure 1 is (L x W
x H): 170x70x70 mm. The selection of field of view and number of pixels is a
trade off between overview, pixel resolution and price. For the imaging type of
cameras, the pricing is at the moment from about 5 k and upwards. The cost
can be motivated if the better performance is taken into account, one IR
camera says more than a 1000 thermometers is a statement to consider.

ELFORSK

Figure 1. Two types of IR sensors: infrared temperature transmitters to the

left and an imaging IR-camera to the right. Images are not in scale. The
length of a sensor to the left is 203 mm and the diameter is 69 mm. The
dimensions of the camera to the right is (L x W x H): 170 x 70 x 70 mm.

4.3

Contact temperature sensors

In a thermocouple, a voltage is generated that is related to a temperature

difference. They are inexpensive but have limited accuracy.
Resistance thermometers are temperature sensors that exploit the
predictable change in electrical resistance of some materials with changing
temperature. The most common resistance thermometer used industrially is
the Pt100-sensor. The sensor has a good stability, but vibrations should be
avoided.

4.4

General System Layout

The company Termisk Systemteknik has introduced a powerful complement to

existing sensor technology by using continuous monitoring systems based on
IR-thermography. The main advantage of the system under consideration is
the use of a calibrated IR-camera possibly mounted on a P/T (Pan/Tilt) unit
that can be controlled by a computer. This kind of arrangement admits
different line of sights for the camera, thus reducing the need of many
cameras. The temperature is foreseen to vary slowly enough for temperatures
to be sufficiently measured on a low rate, thus admitting one camera
mounted on a P/T unit to sufficiently cover all interested objects possible to
cover. In order to measure the temperature of objects obscured by other
objects, IR-reflective mirrors can be used, e.g. blank polished metal plates.
There are different alternatives to monitor the inside of electrical cabinets, see
section 5.2.1.
The system can be configured for remote operation once digital
communication has been established.
Figure 2 shows an example of
components that can be used. The proposed system can be installed
permanently or for shorter times at special occasions, e.g. when the turbine is
taken into use for the first time. Before a wind power plant is accepted for
delivery, it normally has to pass final inspection. This inspection is proceeded
by a test phase. During this phase, errors are normally more frequent
compared to normal conditions. In this case, it is an advantage that IRmonitoring equipment is easy to mount and dismount and that you do not
interfere mechanically with the machinery.

ELFORSK

Figure 2: Example of components that can be parts of a system.

A system consisting of an IR-camera in a protective housing mounted on a

Pan-Tilt unit has been developed by Termisk Systemteknik for early fire
detection in waste storage outdoors. The system is shown in Figure 3. The
camera unit is to the left and the user interface to the right. In the user
interface, different line of sights of the imaging system can be set as well as
alarm criteria. Although the application is different, a similar system can be
used for Condition Monitoring/Predicitive Maintenance of wind power turbines.
The system can be used both in automatic mode where different parts of the
scene is scanned automatically and in manual mode where an operator can
follow objects of special interest.

Figure 3: IR-camera in a protective housing mounted on a Pan-Tilt to the left.

To the right is the user interface for setting different line of sights and alarm
criteria.

ELFORSK

The alarm criteria have to be set according to predefined values. In [13],

examples of criteria for electrical faults are given. They are summarized in
Table 1.
Classification
Minor Problem

Temperature
Rise
1 to 10 oC

Intermediate
Problem

10 to 35 oC

Serious Problem

35 to 75 oC

Critical Problem

75 oC or higher

Comments
Repair as part of regular maintenance,
little probability of possible damage.
Repair in the near future (2 to 4 weeks).
Watch load and change accordingly.
There is probability of damage in the
component, but not in the surrounding
components.
Repair in the immediate future (1 to 2
days).
Inspect
the
surrounding
component for probable damage.
Repair immediately. Inspect surrounding
components. Repair while IR Camera is
still available to inspect after correction.

Table 1: Severity guidelines for direct IR readings. Temperature rise fault

classification criteria. Temperature rise is over similar component under
similar load and environmental conditions. From [12].

More elaborate alarms can be designed where the temperature alarm level is
combined with temperature trending. An alarm criterion has to be set
carefully in order to get a good balance between high detection probability
and low false alarm rate. Figure 4 shows an example of combined
temperature level and trend criteria.

Figure 4: Example of alarm criteria based on combination of temperature

level and trend.

10

ELFORSK

The advantage would be to get an early alarm if a suspicious temperature rise

occurs before the temperature level has reached the alarm level. For
applications where machines and people move into the scene, the trend alarm
can be limited to slowly rising temperatures. On the other hand very slowly
temperature rise can be an effect of day and night temperature variations so
the trend alarm has to be set with these restrictions in mind. This is only
examples of how to design alarm criteria, for the proposed system, there will
be a number of criteria, each designed for every monitored system
component.

11

ELFORSK

Identification of interesting areas

5.1

Overview

The wind power industry has for some years had a focus on development of
operation and maintenance strategies, organisations and systems. The driving
forces are to decrease failure frequencies and down time in order to run more
efficient wind farms from both technical and from commercial points of view.
Different technologies for monitoring the systems and components have been
introduced, e.g. temperature and pressure sensors, vibration analysis, shock
pulse monitoring, oil analysis and systematic visual inspection. The collected
data are transmitted to Control Systems managed by the manufacturer
or/and the farm owner.
From a pure technical point it is obvious that IR-technology and advanced
image analysis can add important prognostic information for a number of
system components. We have in this report investigated the technology from
the feasibility point by interviewing representatives from the industry. The
interview questionnaire has been based using a SWOT-analysis approach. The
results are summarized in Table 2, see next page. The rating in the right
column is from 3 to 1 where 3 is most interesting for IR monitoring.

5.2

Interesting Areas

By the interview answers we have rated the feasibility of IR-technology as a

monitoring alternative / supplement. The result is that IR-Technology can be
particularly useful for control and monitoring of:

Electrical systems (power electronics, control system)

High Voltage Transformer
Nacelle and Turbin - Fire detection

These systems are rated 3 in the table.

We have also found out that there are other systems that are possible and
feasible to monitor with IR-technology but where there also exists other
alternative methods. But if you have an IR-camera installed it is an
opportunity to also monitor these systems. They are rated 2 in the table.

Mechanical Brake
Gear Box
Yaw system
Hydraulic system
Sensors

We will now describe these systems and the IR application in more detail. The
systems are presented in the order of IR monitoring interest.

12

ELFORSK

Importance
[1]
Medium

IR possible

IR feasible

IR monitoring

Comments

Delaminating, cracking

Existing
monitoring
Ultrasound,
active
thermography

No (only active)

No

Active thermography=disassembly of blades

and controlled heating. Periodic inspection

Wearing

Vibration, SPM

Low

Yes

Yes

Continuous

Locking position
Wearing, fatigue, oil leakage,
insufficient lubrication

Temperature
Temperature,
vibration, SPM,
particles in oil
Generated effect,
temperature,
vibration, SPM

High
High

Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes

Continuous
Continuous

High

No

No

The slip rings might be monitored by a one

pixel camera.

Motor current

High

Yes

Yes

Continuous

Increased Temperature

High
High

Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes

Continuous
Continuous

Increased Temperature
Increased Temperature

1
2

Wrong indication

Medium

Yes

Yes

Continuous

Backup for sensor

Arc guard,
temperature
Current
consumption,
temperature
Current
consumption,
temperature

High

Yes

Yes

Medium

Yes

Yes

Continuous and at
Service
Continuous and at
Service

Medium

Yes

Yes

Continuous and at
Service

Smoke, heat,
flame detection

Medium

Yes

Yes

Continuous

High

Yes

Yes

Continuos and at
service

System Component

Problems

1. Rotor Blade
2. Drive train
2.1 Main shaft
bearing
2.2 Mechanical Brake
2.3 Gear Box
3. Generator
4. Auxiliary
systems
4.1 Yaw System
4.2 Pitch System
4.3 Hydrualic system
4.4 Sensors
5. Electrical system
5.1 HighVoltage

Wearing, electrical problems, slip

rings

Yaw motor problems, brake

locked, gear problem
Pitch motor problems
Pump motor problems, oil
leakage
Broken
Contamination, arcs

5.3 Power electronics

Short circuit, component fault,

bad connection

5.4 Control System

Short circuit, component fault,

bad connection

6. Tower
6.1. Nacelle and
turbine
7.System
Transformer

Fire
Problems with contamination,
Breakers, Disconnectors,
Isolators.

Table 2: Investigated technologies from a feasibility point of view.

13

IR Rating
3= highest
-

Bearing problems on outgoing shaft.

Temperature at cold startup.

2
2

More important in a near future.Greater

investments, increased risk of damage to
environment
Especially interesting for Off Shore

3
3

ELFORSK

5.2.1 Electrical systems

Under fault conditions electrical connections can become overheated and
cause sparks. The fault reasons could be undetected weaknesses from the
production or caused by vibrations during the operational phase. Cables and
contacts that come loose or contact points that get a raised resistance due to
vibration is a common problem according to wind power service personnel.
Thermographical measurement is a powerful method for early detection of
these problems.
It is possible to scan the cabinet and components and inspect lots of cables
and connections to get an immediate picture of potential problems
However, the IR-radiation cannot penetrate the enclosure material (steel,
stainless steel or polyester). One common solution is to do the scanning
through windows in the cabinet door made out of some material transmitting
IR-radiation, e.g. Germanium. Some disadvantages with IR windows are that
they are quite expensive and that there might be problem if viewing is
intended to be done from a slant position.
During our practical tests, see Chapter 7, we left the cabinet doors open in
order to measure the electrical equipment inside. It is possible to have open
cabinet doors during operation but there are some disadvantages and
problems that have to be addressed.

Some components have an inferior function at a low temperature.

Therefore some of the cabinets are equipped with heating and
ventilation elements. This heating and ventilation of the cabinets
requires the cabinet doors to be closed.
The cabinet doors are also a safety issue.
The doors protect the equipment from dirt and humidity.
The doors protect the environment from damage caused by light archs.

At this stage we do not regard any of these problems as serious obstacles for
thermographical scanning of the cabinets. There is a common interest in the
electrical industry for using IR-technology for testing purposes. Therefore
solutions can be developed in cooperation with cabinet- and component
manufacturers and electrical designers.
Transformers (see next paragraph), AC/DC converters and switches are other
candidates for continuous condition monitoring by means of a thermal
camera. This is especially motivated in off shore turbines, since the marine
environment results in greater risk of contamination and oxidation.
Fires in wind turbines are often caused by failures in the power electronics
and short-circuit in the electrical systems [3]. This makes it even more
important to monitor the electrical cabinets.

5.2.2 System Transformer

Special attention should be taken to the System Transformer for the electrical
distribution network. It is quite common that one system transformer serves
several windturbines or a whole windpower park. The transformers, breakers

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and disconnectors are critical and expensive components and faults can then
cause long downtimes for the whole windpower park e.g. offshore. As stated
in chapter 3, IR-technology can contribute to early fault detection and to a
more efficient maintenance [10].We see this as one of the most interesting
applications for continuous monitoring.

5.2.3 Fire Detection and Fire Extinguishing of Nacelle and Turbine

Smoke- and flame detection are available and used in wind turbines today.
However, due to the limited possibility to extinguish a fire in a wind power
plant (rural areas, long distances, placement on a 100 meter high tower)
there has not been so much focus on this issue. The economical values vs. the
probabilities have not forced the development in this sector.
In the future there are several reasons for an increased focus on fire detection
and fire extinguishing:

The insurance companies are showing an increased interest in this

matter-.
The turbine effects are increasing and in a near future we can
probably foresee 3 and 5MW turbines.
The investment value will then be higher than today and an LCCanalysis of fire protection will be positive.
The towers are getting higher and the risk of damage in the
environment in case of fire are increasing (wildfire, personal and
property damage from falling parts).

With IR-technology the detection can be made at an early stage and it will be
possible to position a sprinkler system to the fire area and limit the damage
both from fire and from the extinguisher products.

5.2.4 Mechanical brake

The mechanical brake is a component that sometimes causes problems [1].
Adjustments and replacements have then to be done. A mechanical brake that
gets locked in a more or less braking position will cause an increased
temperature in the brake disc and is therefore detectable with IR. Detecting a
failing brake at an early stage will save both the equipment and make it
possible to minimise the downtime.

5.2.5 Gear box

It is well known that the gearbox is a component that causes long downtimes.
The industry has focused the issue and lot of efforts have been done to solve
the gearbox weaknesses. From a monitoring and control point the gearbox is
quite well covered. Nevertheless it might also be meaningful to monitor the
temperature of the ingoing low-speed bearing and the outgoing high-speed
bearing and to guard indication of oil leakage. Thermography could also add
important information during the start-up of a new or renovated gearbox.
It is important that lubrication of the shaft in the start up from a cold state is
sufficient. In case the start up temperature of the bearing is too low, the

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lubrication will be insufficient and result in an increased risk of damages on

the bearing. This fatal temperature condition can probably be detected and
documented by an IR-camera provided sufficient line of sight between the
camera and a relevant part can be obtained. This is especially important for
the high speed outgoing axis of the gearbox. If this problem is detected, it
would be possible to make a soft start of the turbine until the desired
temperature is reached and hence also lubrication is achieved. In this way you
can save bearings and avoid excessive wear.
Small oil leakage from the gearbox and other mechanical components can be
early detected by the difference in temperature between the leaking oil and
the surrounding surface.

5.2.5.1 Gear box research

The IR-camera could probably add valuable information to the research about
gear boxes. It is possible that it can be of interest to get an overall image of
the temperature distribution of the gear box shell. It is also possible that
there can be certain points on the shell where the temperature is of special
interest. The gearbox is a very complicated mechanical system and if this is
going to be investigated further, there have to be practical tests in
collaboration with a gear box specialist. In this report we want to point out
that this may be a field of further interest.

5.2.6 Yaw System

Systems that includes electrical motors are often suitable for IR-monitoring.
There are several examples of this in the literature, e.g. [12]. The yaw system
consists of a number of four or more units. Each unit consists of an electrical
motor, gear and a brake. Sometimes there are failures in these units e.g. a
brake stays in locked position, a mechanical failure or an electrical failure.
Very often these failures cause the unit to be warm and the failure can then
be detected by an IR-camera.
A more direct way to monitor this kind of problem is to measure the power
consumption (current) of the yaw motors. If there is a failure in one of the
motors, the other has to take a heavier load and the power consumption is
raised. This will then give a higher temperature.
The yaw motors locations are spread around the tower and some of them are
quite difficult to monitor by a camera. For this reason, and for simplicity,
power consumption can be a better way to monitor this kind of problems.

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Figure 5. Yaw system

5.2.7 Hydraulic system

Problem with the hydraulic system is one of the most common reasons for
technical problems in a turbine [1]. A critical component in the hydraulic
system is the hydraulic pump which is driven by an electrical motor. As
already mentioned in paragraph 5.2.6, electrical motors are suitable for IRmonitoring. The hydraulic system is then a candidate for IR-monitoring.

5.2.8 Sensors
The sensors have a rather high failure rate [1] and this is further confirmed
by the interviews we've done with service personnel. Especially temperature
sensors (PT100) seem to have a high failure rate in the wind turbine
environment. In the case of temperature measurements on a surface that is
in sight for the IR-camera, thermography can be a great addition to, or even
completely replace, other temperature sensors. It should be kept in mind
though that an IR-camera also has to be served on a regular basis although a
camera normally can be expected to function without problem for several
years. It is recommended that the IR-camera is calibrated once a year.

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Practical tests

During a visit to the wind power turbine in Gislorp 2010-12-20 (VESTAS 92),
two series of IR-images were recorded for about one hour, whereof the
turbine was in action for about half an hour. The IR-images were captured
with two instruments: FLIR T425 and FLIR SC660. Both instruments are
equipped with cameras for visual wavelengths (visual cameras) in addition to
the IR-cameras. A separate handheld visual camera was also used. This
means that three visual cameras (whereof two in combination with the IR
cameras) were available. One IR camera (FLIR T425) recorded IR images of
the inside of an open electrical cabinet for power electronics with image
interval 10 seconds, Figure 6. The image in the right part in figure 6 is
photographed with the handheld visual camera. This image was taken from
another position and closer than the images from the IR camera were taken.
The area of the cabinet covered by the IR-camera was larger compared to the
image to the right in Figure 6.
The correspondence between an IR image and an image from the internal
visual camera in FLIR T425 is illustrated in figure 7. The IR image is to the left
and an image from the visual camera to the right. A part of an IR image in
the sequence is shown in the left part of Figure 8. Some areas were selected
for temporal analysis and they are marked AR01, AR02 and AR03 in the IRimage in the left part of of Figure 8. The right part of Figure 8 show
temperature trends of maximal temperatures inside the areas AR01, AR02
and AR03.

Figure 6. Mounting of thermal IR camera T425 to the left and part of the
cabinet to the right.

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Figure 7. Images of the cabinet containing power electronics. Left: One of

the IR images. Right: image from the visual camera.

AR02
AR01
AR03

Figure 8. Left: One IR image from the sequence of IR images of the cabinet
with power electronics. Right: the trending of maximum temperature in the
areas AR01, AR02 and AR03. The time when the temperatures start to raise
indicates when the turbine was started.

It is notable that the maximum temperatures in AR01 and AR02 reach so high
temperatures, up to about 150 oC for AR01, while the temperature in AR03 is
almost stable. The reason for the temperature variation is unclear, but the
curves illustrate the type of information that can be retrieved with continuous
IR monitoring. IR thermography is a powerful tool for detecting electrical
faults, e.g. loose connections.
The other camera, FLIR SC660, recorded IR images of the outside of the
gearbox, where the outgoing high speed axis is located. The recording was
made with an image interval of 20 seconds. Figure 9 shows the mounting of
the camera to the left and a photograph of the gearbox to the right. Figure 10
shows one IR image from the sequence to the left. Some areas were also in
this case selected for temporal analysis: AR01, AR02 and AR03. The right part
of Figure 10 shows the corresponding temperature trends for the areas.

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Figure 9. Mounting of thermal IR camera FLIR SC 660 to the left and part of
the gear box to the right.

Figure 10. Left: one IR image from the sequence. Right: temperature trends
of maximal temperature inside the areas. The time when the turbine is turned
on is marked with an arrow in the time scale.

It is quite clear from the curves when the turbine is turned on and off. The
maximal temperature is in this case rather low compared to temperatures in
Figure 8.
One interesting approach would be to, in combination with more carefully
designed measurements, set up a heat equation with boundary conditions for
the structure in order to estimate temperatures of the objects generating heat
in the deeper structures that are not otherwise easily monitored.
The results in this chapter should rather be considered as examples of IR
monitoring and analysis of wind power turbines that can be done with a
proposed system. In the future additional trials and tests need to be
performed in close cooperation with experts on wind power turbine systems.

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Commercial aspects

7.1

Introduction

The purpose of installing a CMS is to minimize production losses and avoid

severe and costly damage in the turbine machinery. Production losses are
minimized through early warnings and planned repair/maintenance keeping
the downtime at a minimum. In a study presented by SPM Instruments the
annual savings at a small windpark at Gotland were estimated to 34,000 per
turbine. In discussions with other owners, they found that this calculation is
showing low figures [14]. Also in [1] the authors points out the benefits of
being able to predict failures and being able to replace the component before
failure and that this could save considerable time and money.
In the case of IR, the pricing is at the same level as the CMS on the market
today.
For the applications identified in the report it is probably difficult to justify the
investment individually. In some cases you may find it cheaper to install
ordinary temperature sensors in the desired positions. It is therefore
important to see the applications as a whole and consider that one camera
can be used to measure several different systems. One should also consider
the benefits of measuring over a wider area and not just in a single spot. The
current development toward larger and larger turbines also justifies higher
costs of investments in CMS. And insurance companies have already begun to
require more control of the status of the turbines. We would also like to point
out that there is continuous development in the IR equipment. Possibly, the
so-called "single-pixel cameras, see Chapter 3, can be an interesting solution
in some cases. In addition to fixed systems, a temporary installation can be
an interesting solution. As the system is easy to install and does not interfere
with the monitored machinery, you can use it to for a limited time to make
continuous measurements. This may be important in connection with the
startup or service.
Even if it is out of the scope for this report, we want to recommend the use of
hand held IR-thermography as a useful tool during service and inspection. We
have indicated this also in Table 2 (at service in IR monitoring column).

7.2

SWOT Analysis

We have made a SWOT analysis of IR-monitoring in order to get an overview

of the technical as well as commercial potential, see Table 3. The SWOT
analysis shows that infrared technology has certain advantages that make it
interesting to apply in the wind power industry.
It makes it possible to get a fast and sensible temperature monitoring in both
mechanical and electrical components. This will add new valuable information
to the present CMS. The relatively high price can be justified by the fact that
one camera can be used to measure at several points and surfaces. To be
sure of the capability and the limitations there must be more practical tests in

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order to get experience of the IR-technology in the real wind turbine

environment.

Strengths
Fast and sensible indication of
temperature changes indicating
arising faults.
Non-destructive installation
Missing link: can add new
valuable information to the
present systems.
Gives support for optimizing
maintenance => saving money.
Remote alarm and operation.
Continuous monitoring of
mechanical and electrical
components.
Early warning of arising faults.

Weaknesses
Not tested in wind turbines.
Alarm criteria needs to be worn
out.
Need to be completed by other
methods for full coverage
Business model unclear a main
stakeholder is missing.
Difficult to get direct or indirect
line of sight to all interesting
objects.
Need to be integrated in existing
service organisation.

Opportunities
Great potential to become
profitable for owners of wind
power turbines.
Camera capacities are increasing
Camera prices are decreasing
Increasing demands from
insurance companies and
investors for more reliable
systems.
Can be combined with fire
fighting equipment.
Increasing size of wind turbines
makes investment easier to
motivate.
Off shore location increases
value.
One CM system with combined
marginal value for many sub
systems.

Threats
Well established system in
operation today.
Cost sensitive branch.
Conservative branch.
Object surface temperature not
enough to give warning for severe
faults.
Difficult to adapt criteria to
varying conditions e.g. load, type
of object, environment.
Unreliable function of the system
itself.

Table 3: SWOT analysis of proposed system.

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Conclusions

IR technology does not replace existing systems (vibration, SPM) and should
be regarded as complementary. The IR technology can also be used for
monitoring systems that are not monitored today. When you have an IR
monitoring system installed there are further systems that can be monitored
as an extra added value.
It will be easier to justify the costs for monitoring systems when the
investments and the maintenance/repair costs are high. This is true for large
turbines and for off shore turbines.
We also see that IR monitoring could be used in different ways:

As a part (complement) in a CMS .

In special situations, such as commissioning, service inspections and
testing. You can then use it to get a foot print of the machinery
status. This can then be used for comparison and troubleshooting later
on.
Check of installation of new or renovated components.
Monitoring and Control of a cold start-up sequence.
In further research on specific components.

Therefore we see it as interesting to proceed with more practical tests for a

longer period. Regarding monitoring we consider it as particularly interesting
to test the infrared technology on electrical cabinets and electrical equipment
as well as high voltage transformers with peripheral equipment.
Fire
detection is also an important area to be investigated further.
We also see the gearbox as an area where IR-studies can add interesting
information. Primarily for research purposes it could be interesting to see how
temperature is distributed under different operating conditions. In such a
study you could also probably find interesting temperature measurement
points on the gearbox.
In future studies it is important to have access to system expertise in the
various areas that are going to be examined.
This is what we have found out in this study. If IR monitoring is introduced in
wind turbines, we see it as very likely that additional applications will be
found.

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References

9.1

Literature

1. Carlsson, Fredrik, Eriksson, Emil and Dahlberg, Magnus. Damage

preventing measures for wind turbines. Phase 1 -Reliability data. Stockholm :
Elforsk report 10:68, 2010.
2. Ribrant, Johan and Bertling, Lina Margareta. Survey of Failures in
Wind power Systems With Focus on Swedish Wind Power Plants During 19972005. IEEE Transactions on energy conversion, Vol. 22, No. 1, March. 2007,
Vol. 22, 1.
3. Hlln, Jonas. Vindkraftverket brinner. u.o. : Ny Teknik, den 22 04 2010.
4. Integrated Monitoring of Wind Plant Systems. Whealan, Matthew J,
Janoyan, Kerop D och Qui, Tong. 2008, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 6933 69330F-1.
5. Bosselman, T. Market potential for optical fiber sensors in the energy
sector. Proc. of SPIE Vol. 6619. 2007.
6. Kaplan, Herbert. Practical Applications of Infrared Thermal Sensing and
Imaging Equipment. u.o. : SPIE Press, ISBN 978 0 8194 6723 2, 2007.
7. Norm Termografr
Brandskyddsfreningen.

Elanlggning.

SBF

1031:1.

u.o. :

Svenska

8. Allen, Gene. Electric Distribution System - Reliability Improvements

Program. u.o. : Inframation 2010, 2010.
9. Ralph, Michael J. The Continuing Story of Power Plant Thermography.
u.o. : Inframation, 2009.
10. The network is the asset. FLIR Application Story. Berchem, Belgium : FLIR
Systems AB.
11. Sannino, Ambra, o.a. Enabling the Power of wind. ABB Review 3/2008.
Vsters Sweden : ABB Corporate Reseach, 2008.
12. Holst, Gerald C. Common sense approach to thermal imaging.
Bellingham, WA : SPIE volume PM-86, 2000. ISBN: 0-8194-3722-0.
13. Shaikh, Iqbal Z A. IR Thermographic Inspection of Complex Emergency
Power Supply Equipment in Critical Mega-Facilities. u.o. : Inframation, 2010.
14. SPM Instrument Jan Hoflin. Stockholm : European Offshore Wind 2009
Conference &Exhibition, 14-16 Sept, 2009.

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9.2

Interviews

Peter Ackebjer, Marknadschef Holtab AB

Bertil Andersson, EnergoRetea
Lina Bertling, Professor Chalmers
ke Fors, Lnsfrskringar
Gunnar Fredriksson, Vice VD Svensk Vindenergi AB
Karl-Axel Henriks, Advise Risk&Frskring
Andreas Horste, AB Respond
Bengt Husberg, Preventus.
Anna Karlsson VD Kalmar Energi AB
Hans Kjellberg, SKF
Henrik Rosenstrm, Rittal Scandinavia AB
Fredrik Sahlberg Vattenfall Vindkraft AB:s servicestation i Bergkvara
Tim Sundstrm, SPM Instruments
Pr Svensson Produktionschef Vattenfall
Lars hlin VD Dynawind AB
Bjrn hnarp Siemens Sverige AB

9.3

Site Visits

Mjlby-Svartdalens Energi: Gislorp Klockrike (VESTAS 92)

Privatgt vindkraftverk p Kroka grd i Sderkra (VESTAS 850kW)

9.4

Attended Conferences and Exhibitions

Vindkraftsforskning i fokus 2010 24-25/11 2010, Gteborg (Magnus Uppsll)

Seminarium om teknik och affrsmjligheter 15/2, Mnsters (Bodil Anjar,
Mats Dalberg)
Vind 2010, Gteborg 15-17 september 2010

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