Project work: Critical operating conditions of planetary plain bearings in wind turbines – Systematic Literature Review on definition, detection and evaluation using Condition Monitoring

The Chair for Wind Power Drives researches the behaviour of drive systems in modern multi-megawatt wind turbines. The research objectives are to increase the availability, robustness and energy efficiency of wind turbines and to reduce the levelised cost of energy.

In order to reduce the power generation costs of modern wind turbines, the aim is to increase the power density of planetary gearboxes in wind turbines. The use of plain bearings, which have already been used in the industry for several years, is a suitable solution. To date, however, there is no real-time capable condition monitoring system (CMS) to detect and avoid critical operating conditions at an early stage. The aim is to use the measurement data from the CMS to derive specific recommendations for the system operation depending on the criticality of the operating conditions. However, the term “criticality” has not yet been clearly defined in this context.

The idea of this student project is therefore to carry out a systematic literature review to compile the current state of research in this field. The questions to be answered include which operating conditions must be avoided, whether different wear mechanisms can be differentiated using CMS and how the damage events affect the service life of the plain bearing.

Yor tasks:

• Familiarization with the topic of plain bearings in planetary gearboxes of modern wind turbines
• Conducting a systematic literature review on the current state of research regarding damage events and their detection
• Compilation of existing definitions and approaches for assessing the criticality of damage events in plain bearings
• Research into the possibility of detecting various damage events such as abrasion and adhesion using condition monitoring systems
• Derivation of recommendations for the operation of the wind turbine
• Analysis and preparation of information

Requirements:

• Motivation to work independently, in a structured and autonomous manner
• Communication and teamwork skills as well as a good command of German or English
• Interest in wind energy, gearbox and plain bearing technology
• Willingness to familiarize yourself with scientific literature and complex technical contexts

What we offer:

• Scientific work in a highly motivated, interdisciplinary team
• Work on a topic with high industrial relevance
• Pleasant working atmosphere

We look forward to your application by email:

Tim Scholz, M. Sc. RWTH
Chair for Wind Power Drives

Campus-Boulevard 61, 52074 Aachen
tim.scholz@cwd.rwth-aachen.de