2015
Development of “Wireless Measuring Unit for Wind Doctor™”January 21, 2015
[World's first wireless communications developed for the condition monitoring system for wind turbine for even greater condition monitor functions]
NTN Corporation (hereafter, NTN) has developed the world's first “Wireless Measuring Unit for Wind Doctor™”*1 for wind turbines that connects wirelessly to the data collection device of the Condition Monitoring System (hereafter, CMS*2) “Wind Doctor™” to enable transfer of measurement data.
Wind turbines are increasing in size and shifting to offshore installations in order to increase power generation efficiency. Yet as larger sizes and offshore installations increase, defects that are discovered too late may cause problems to spread to other components and increase maintenance costs, and also result in long periods of time without power being generated. To address this, NTN develops and sells the CMS “Wind Doctor™” which can precisely detect changes in the condition of mechanical components such as bearings and gears from an early stage, and identifies sections that are operating abnormally or irregularly.
The CMS for wind turbines normally uses measuring sensors that are mounted on housings and other stationary sections close to the bearings that are being measured, and which are connected directly to the data collection device via a cable. Yet sensors cannot be mounted in sections suitable for measurements in the majority of synchronous wind turbines, where the main rotor (rotating section) is connected directly to the power generator, as the lightweight and compact design means the outer ring of the main shaft bearings rotates, making it difficult to accurately monitor the condition of main shaft bearings. Installing these devices to existing wind turbines where the inner ring of the main shaft bearing rotates can also be difficult as cabling becomes more complex.
The newly developed “Wireless Measuring Unit for Wind Doctor™” uses a wireless connection with the data collection device, which allows the CMS measuring sensor to be installed on the main rotor of outer ring rotating type wind turbines for the first time in the world. In addition to installation of sensors on the rotating body, the system allows the condition of areas with complex cable layouts to also be monitored. The unit features the same outstanding level of water and dust-proofing as “Wind Doctor™” that complies with JIS C 0929 IP65 protection class for electrical equipment, which means it can be used in offshore installations as well as under tough environments.
NTN will continue expanding its devices related to CMS into the future, including the data collection device, measurement sensors and software, to enhance the entire system and increase the level of technical service. This will allow various measurements like vibration and temperature to be taken in a range of areas that had been difficult in the past, and also contribute to greater utilization ratio of wind turbines by helping detect malfunctions earlier, identifying their cause and preventing further damage. The “Wireless Measuring Unit for Wind Doctor™” will not only be available for wind turbines, but will also be proposed for use with various machinery and equipment, testers and inspection devices that suffer from similar issues like installation of sensors on rotating bodies and wireless transmission of data.
| *1) | June 26, 2012 press release. |
| https://www.ntnglobal.com/en/news/new_products/news201200059.html | |
| “Wind Doctor™” is a system that features various measurement sensors, including those for vibration, displacement and temperature, installed on areas to be measured, with data collected remotely in continuous or intermittent intervals to detect component malfunctions based on the collected data. | |
| *2) | Abbreviation of Condition Monitoring System |
Features
| (1) | Compact and allows installation on rotating sections | |
| (2) | Wireless communication unit allows two signals to be measured simultaneously (2 ch input) | |
| (3) | Outstanding levels of water and dust-proofing that is JIS C 0929 IP65 compliant | |
Applications
Wind turbines, various machinery and equipment, testers and inspection devices
Inquiries about this release
Product photo
| Wireless Measuring Unit for Wind Doctor™ | |
| Product dimensions | 130(W) × 180(D) × 102(H) (dust-proof case design is optional) |
| Product weight | 550g (with above product dimensions) |
| *Power supplied via slip ring | |
| (a slip ring is a connector for rotating connections that is energized while sliding) | |
System structure
(synchronous wind turbine: example of bearing outer ring and rotor rotation)
