风力发电机组传动链动力学建模与仿真分析

依据德国劳氏船级社2010年发布的"风力发电机组传动系统动力学认证分析标准"(即GL 2010标准),以多体动力学仿真软件SIMPACK为仿真平台建立某型风力发电机组传动链多柔体动力学仿真模型,通过频域分析得到传动链的固有频率及能量分布图,并绘制二维坎贝尔图确定潜在共振点,通过时域仿真分析对潜在共振点进行验证,最终确定危险共振点,该文为风力发电机组传动链动力学建模与仿真提供了一种新方法,为传动链的稳定性和可靠性设计及动力学优化设计提供了理论参考。     

齿轮箱弹性支撑对风电机组性能的影响

齿轮箱弹性支撑是风力发电机组的一个很重要的部件,对风力发电机组的动态特性有重要影响。文章通过在Simpack软件中建立风力发电机组传动链的模型,研究弹性支撑对传动链频率的影响。获得弹性支撑对传动链频率的影响关系曲线图。根据风力发电机组坎贝尔图和弹性支撑的强度要求可以得出弹性支撑最低要求刚度,用于弹性支撑的选型．     

双馈式风力发电机组传动链优化设计

为智能优化双馈式风力发电机组传动链系统,基于最优拉丁超立方理论,采用Isight软件的simcode组件方法,将轴承、齿轮箱、主轴等各部件评估优化,搭建一套风力发电机组传动链优化设计平台,分析各参数对传动链目标值的影响敏感性。以1.5 MW双馈式风力发电机组为例,筛选出满足载荷要求的部件,并得出最优传动链设计。从设计参数对结果影响分析看,轮毂至浮动轴承之间的跨距参数对传动链成本影响较大,其余参数影响不明显。     

风力发电机组振动故障分析技术

振动故障分析技术是风力发电机组预测性维护和降低维护成本至关重要的手段之一．文章介绍了当前应用于风力发电机组传动链的部分振动分析技术,以及这些振动分析技术的基本原理和优缺点。以期帮助振动分析者能够更好地利用振动状态监测系统分析和了解风力发电机组传动链的运行和振动状态．     

基于变桨距控制策略的异步风电机组暂态稳定性研究

为了提高和改善在电网故障下并网风电机组的暂态稳定性,该文以并网笼型异步风力发电机组为例,考虑风力机传动链柔性带给机组振荡的影响,在典型变桨控制策略的基础上提出了一种增加以风力机转速为控制量的分阶段控制策略.通过建立并网异步风力发电机组的电磁暂态模型,基于Matlab/Simulink仿真平台,应用改进的变桨距控制策略,对电网三相对称短路故障下并网异步风力发电机组的暂态运行特性进行了仿真,并将其结果和多种不同变桨控制策略以及无功补偿策略的结果进行了比较.仿真结果验证了该文提出的变桨距控制策略能有效改善风力发电机组的暂态稳定性.     

基于LQR方法的大型风力机转矩控制建模与仿真

当风速高于额定风速、小于切出风速时,恒电机转矩控制易导致传动链扭矩大幅波动,降低风力发电机组关键零部件的疲劳寿命。针对该问题建立基于状态空间的传动链线性化模型,采用线性二次型调节器(LQR)方法设计风力发电机的转矩控制器,将传动链一阶扭转模态对应的闭环极点向复平面的左侧移动,实现对传动链的动态加阻。通过Matlab7.1/Simulink中的控制器与FAST风力机模型的联合仿真表明该控制方法的有效性,即可提高传动链的阻尼,降低风力发电机组关键零部件的载荷。     

风力发电机组的自适应转矩控制及载荷优化

针对变速变桨风力发电机组(variable speed variable pitch,VSVP)如何在低风速时最大限度捕获风能以及在额定风速以上降低传动链载荷进行研究。低风速时在研究了传统风能追踪控制策略的基础上,文中提出通过改变最优增益系数来追踪最佳风能利用系数的自适应转矩控制策略。同时针对风力发电机组传动链的扭转振动,提出了基于发电机转速反馈滤波的转矩纹波控制方式。以2MW变速变桨风力发电机组为验证对象,基于Blade软件平台对所采用的控制策略进行仿真研究。结果表明：所提出的自适应转矩控制策略能够更好的追踪最大功率点,同时采用转矩纹波能够降低传动链载荷     

Ⅱ型传动链模型MW级风力发电机组主轴轴承寿命分析

以未失效率作为评价指标,运用Romax软件对风力发电机组基本型传动链的5种结构形式的主轴轴承进行了寿命分析,定量分析了主轴轴承的可靠性。分析结果表明,Ⅳ型传动链结构形式的载荷分配特性较好、主轴轴承可靠性最高。说明了传动链的结构形式对主轴轴承的可靠性影响较大。     

基于SCADA数据的风力发电机组振动的多元线性回归分析与研究

文章应用多元线性回归函数分析各参量对机组振动影响的大小,找出影响风力发电机组振动的主要因素和次要因素。通过分析发现,不论是机组的轴向振动还是侧向振动,风轮转速所带动的传动链的振动对机组的振动影响最大,桨距角的变化导致的机组载荷的变化对机组振动的影响次之,风速变化所产生的载荷的影响最小。     

风力发电机组传动链调谐惯量阻尼器研究

借鉴调谐质量阻尼器的力学原理,提出风力发电机组传动链调谐惯量阻尼器(tuned inertia damper,TID)。通过结构、气动、控制多学科联合仿真,研究TID对传动链扭转方向的减振、降载效果。结果表明,TID可有效降低传动链扭转方向的疲劳载荷和极限载荷,且传动链低速轴侧比高速轴侧的降载幅度更大;同时有效抑制传动链扭转方向振动,改善发电机超速状况。TID在修复因疲劳、振动导致的传动链故障和老旧机组的寿命延长方面有一定的应用价值。     

计及齿轮全柔性的风电机组传动链有限元建模及扭振特性分析

大功率风电机组传动链关键部件柔性直接影响机组扭振特性及疲劳寿命,提出考虑齿轮柔性与啮合柔性的传动链有限元建模及扭振特性分析。首先,基于实际双馈风电机组传动链结构、材料属性与几何参数,考虑齿轮箱内齿轮柔性与齿轮啮合柔性,结合叶片、轮毂、主轴和发电机转子,建立风电机组传动链多柔体有限元模型。其次,基于有限元模态分析理论,提出一种基于矢量位移云图筛选扭振频率的分析方法,获取计及齿轮全柔性影响的风电机组中、低频范围的扭振模态,并与不同传动链模型结果进行比较,验证该文所建模型的有效性。最后,分别分析不同齿轮柔性和齿轮啮合柔性对传动链扭振频率和模态的影响。结果表明,该文所建模型不仅能反映传动链扭振固有的低频频率,而且能反映弯扭耦合产生的中频扭振频率,且相比齿轮啮合柔性,齿轮柔性系数影响传动链高频扭振特性明显。     

Open‐loop frequency response analysis of a wind turbine using a high‐order linear aeroelastic model

Wind turbine controllers are commonly designed on the basis of low‐order linear models to capture the aeroelastic wind turbine response due to control actions and disturbances. This paper characterizes the aeroelastic wind turbine dynamics that influence the open‐loop frequency response from generator torque and collective pitch control actions of a modern non‐floating wind turbine based on a high‐order linear model. The model is a linearization of a geometrically non‐linear finite beam element model coupled with an unsteady blade element momentum model of aerodynamic forces including effects of shed vorticity and dynamic stall. The main findings are that the lowest collective flap modes have limited influence on the response from generator torque to generator speed, due to large aerodynamic damping. The transfer function from collective pitch to generator speed is affected by two non‐minimum phase zeros below the frequency of the first drivetrain mode. To correctly predict the non‐minimum phase zeros, it is essential to include lateral tower and blade flap degrees of freedom. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wind turbine main‐bearing loading and wind field characteristics

This paper investigates the relationship between wind turbine main‐bearing loads and the characteristics of the incident wind field in which the wind turbine is operating. For a 2‐MW wind turbine model, fully aeroelastic multibody simulations are performed in 3D turbulent wind fields across the wind turbine's operational envelope. Hub loads are extracted and then injected into simplified drivetrain models of three types of main‐bearing configuration. The main‐bearing reaction loads and load ratios from the simplified model are presented and analysed. Results indicate that there is a strong link between wind field characteristics and the loading experienced by the main bearing(s), with the different bearing configurations displaying very different loading behaviours. Main‐bearing failure rates determined from operational data for two drivetrain configurations are also presented.     

Improving wind turbine drivetrain designs to minimize the impacts of non‐torque loads

Non‐torque loads induced by the wind turbine rotor overhang weight and aerodynamic forces can greatly affect drivetrain loads and responses. If not addressed properly, these loads can result in a decrease in gearbox component life. This work uses analytical modeling, computational modeling and experimental approaches to evaluate two distinct drivetrain designs that minimize the effects of non‐torque loads on gearbox reliability: a modified three‐point suspension drivetrain studied by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Gearbox Reliability Collaborative (GRC) and the Pure Torque® drivetrain developed by Alstom. In the original GRC drivetrain, the unequal planetary load distribution and sharing were present and they can lead to gear tooth pitting and reduce the lives of the planet bearings. The NREL GRC team modified the original design of its drivetrain by changing the rolling element bearings in the planetary gear stage. In this modified design, gearbox bearings in the planetary gear stage are anticipated to transmit non‐torque loads directly to the gearbox housing rather than the gears. Alstom's Pure Torque drivetrain has a hub support configuration that transmits non‐torque loads directly into the tower rather than through the gearbox as in other design approaches. An analytical model of Alstom's Pure Torque drivetrain provides insight into the relationships among turbine component weights, aerodynamic forces and the resulting drivetrain loads. In Alstom's Pure Torque drivetrain, main shaft bending loads are orders of magnitude lower than the rated torque and hardly affected by wind speed, gusts or turbine operations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Passive vibration control of an offshore floating hydrostatic wind turbine model

We propose to make use of the hydraulic reservoir of a floating barge hydrostatic wind turbine (HWT) to suppress the pitch and roll motions of the barge by making the reservoir into a shape of an annular rectangular to serve as a bidirectional tuned liquid column damper (BTLCD). This means that we have made a barge‐motion damper with negligible extra costs as an HWT needs a reservoir for fluid storage anyway. The barge HWT simulation model is transformed from the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) 5‐MW geared equipped ITI Energy barge wind turbine model within the FAST (fatigue, aerodynamics, structures, and turbulence) code by replacing its drivetrain with a hydrostatic transmission drivetrain and incorporating the coupled dynamics of the barge‐reservoir system. We use 2 simplified turbine‐reservoir models to optimize the parameters of the BTLCD reservoir, which describe the pitch and roll motions of the turbine‐reservoir system, respectively. Simulation results based on the transformed NREL 5‐MW barge HWT model show that the optimal BTLCD reservoir is very effective in mitigating pitch and roll motions of the barge under realistic wind and wave excitations, which reduces the tower load and improves the power quality.     

Vibration suppression of a floating hydrostatic wind turbine model using bidirectional tuned liquid column mass damper

We propose to mitigate the barge pitch and roll motions of floating hydrostatic wind turbine (HWT) by combining the advantages of the bidirectional tuned liquid column damper (BTLCD) and the tuned mass damper (TMD). This is achieved by enabling the container of the BTLCD to move freely, connecting it to the main structure through springs and dampers, creating what we call a bidirectional tuned liquid column mass damper (BTLCMD). The BTLCMD is made by the hydraulic reservoir of the HWT, saving costs by avoiding the addition of extra mass and fluids. The HWT simulation model is obtained by replacing the geared drivetrain of the NREL 5‐MW barge wind turbine model with a hydrostatic transmission drivetrain. The dynamics of the BTLCMD are then incorporated into the HWT. Two simplified mathematical models, describing the barge pitch and roll motions of the HWT‐BTLCMD coupled system, are used to obtain the optimal parameters of the BTLCMD. Simulation results demonstrate that the BTLCMD is very effective in mitigating the barge pitch motion, barge roll motion, and the tower base load. The BTLCMD also largely outperforms the BTLCD in suppressing barge motions.     

A new seismic‐based monitoring approach for wind turbines

Wind turbine performance and condition monitoring play vital roles in detecting and diagnosing suboptimal performance and guiding operations and maintenance. Here, a new seismic‐based approach to monitoring the health of individual wind turbine components is presented. Transfer functions are developed linking key condition monitoring properties (drivetrain and tower acceleration) to unique, robust, and repeatable seismic signatures. Predictive models for extreme (greater than 99th percentile) drivetrain and tower acceleration based on independent seismic data exhibit higher skill than reference models based on hub‐height wind speed. The seismic models detect extreme drivetrain and tower acceleration with proportions correct of 96% and 93%, hit rates of 91% and 82%, and low false alarm rates of 4% and 6%, respectively. Although new wind turbines incorporate many diagnostic sensors, seismic‐based condition/performance monitoring may be particularly useful in extending the productive lifetime of previous generation wind turbines.     

On design,modelling, and analysis of a 10‐MW medium‐speed drivetrain for offshore wind turbines

The design of a medium‐speed drivetrain for the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) 10‐MW reference offshore wind turbine is presented. A four‐point support drivetrain layout that is equipped with a gearbox with two planetary stages and one parallel stage is proposed. Then, the drivetrain components are designed based on design loads and criteria that are recommended in relevant international standards. Finally, an optimized drivetrain model is obtained via an iterative design process that minimizes the weight and volume. A high‐fidelity numerical model is established via the multibody system approach. Then, the developed drivetrain model is compared with the simplified model that was proposed by DTU, and the two models agree well. In addition, a drivetrain resonance evaluation is conducted based on the Campbell diagrams and the modal energy distribution. Detailed parameters for the drivetrain design and dynamic modelling are provided to support the reproduction of the drivetrain model. A decoupled approach, which consists of global aero‐hydro‐servo‐elastic analysis and local drivetrain analysis, is used to determine the drivetrain dynamic response. The 20‐year fatigue damages of gears and bearings are calculated based on the stress or load duration distributions, the Palmgren‐Miner linear accumulative damage hypothesis, and long‐term environmental condition distributions. Then, an inspection priority map is established based on the failure ranking of the drivetrain components, which supports drivetrain inspection and maintenance assessment and further model optimization. The detailed modelling of the baseline drivetrain model provides a basis for benchmark studies and support for future research on multimegawatt offshore wind turbines.     

Bearing monitoring in the wind turbine drivetrain: A comparative study of the FFT and wavelet transforms

Wind turbines are often plagued by premature component failures, with drivetrain bearings being particularly subjected to these failures. To identify failing components, vibration condition monitoring has emerged and grown substantially. The fast Fourier transform (FFT) is the major signal processing method of vibrations. Recently, the wavelet transforms have been used more frequently in bearing vibration research, with one alternative being the discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Here, the low‐frequency component of the signal is repeatedly decomposed into approximative and detailed coefficients using a predefined mother wavelet. An extension to this is the wavelet packet transform (WPT), which decomposes the entire frequency domain and stores the wavelet coefficients in packets. How wavelet transforms and FFT compare regarding fault detection in wind turbine drivetrain bearings has been largely overlooked in literature when applied on field data, with non‐ideal placement of sensors and uncertain parameters influencing the measurements. This study consists of a comprehensive comparison of the FFT, a three‐level DWT, and the WPT when applied on enveloped vibration measurements from two 2.5‐MW wind turbine gearbox bearing failures. The frequency content is compared by calculating a robust condition indicator by summation of the harmonics and shaft speed sidebands of the bearing fault frequencies. Results show a higher performance of the WPT when used as a field vibration measurement analysis tool compared with the FFT as it detects one bearing failure earlier and more clearly, leading to a more stable alarm setting and avoidable, costly false alarms.