Asset Protection - Wind Turbines

The new WearSens^® system effectively controls the proper operating conditions for turbines, especially those in remote or difficult to access locations such as wind turbines or marine turbines. Asset protection of these expensive units enables theoretical lifetimes to be achieved, maintenance schedules optimised for prevention and considerable cost savings.

WearSens® works and it works,

•          Before damage has been caused

•         Before there are detectable vibrations

•         Before particles have formed

•         Before laboratory analysis detection limits

Academic trials and presented papers confirm this. Many oils have additives that will bind to the broken oil molecules that are the precursors to damage so that the problems are not identifiable until the additives have been consumed. However WearSens® is not only highly sensitive but also fast. Faster than the rate at which the additives work.

WearSens® is a sensor system that measures oil aging via elements of the complex impedance of oils, in particular conductivity and permittivity, together with temperature. Oil aging results from degradation of the oil and products of contamination in the oil. These change the conductivity of lubricating oils.

The electrical conductivity of almost all impurities is high compared to the extremely low conductivity of the original pure oil. Sensitive conductivity measurements are made in the picosiemens range. Additionally, permittivity has been found to correlate with moisture in the oil.

These values are temperature dependent but due to the unknown composition of the degraded oil, a standard temperature compensation cannot be applied with any accuracy. Instead, a patented, self-learning, adaptive temperature compensation algorithm is used.

Applications for this new technology include all large oil lubricated and oil insulated systems. For instance, turbines including offshore wind turbines, compressor systems, cogen electricity plants as well as high voltage transformers.

WearSens®is easy to install and inexpensive to retro-fit. The decentralised, web based monitoring system makes results available anywhere in the world. It can be employed as a stand-alone unit or as part of a more comprehensive condition monitoring system.

cmc Instruments GmbH developed this product in conjunction with local academia and manufacture in Germany.