wind-turbine-vibration-analysis

# Wind Turbine Drivetrain Vibration Analysis Evaluates drivetrain vibration health across three subsystems: main bearing, gearbox, and generator. ## When to Use Load this skill when the user wants to: - Assess drivetrain vibration health from CMS or SCADA data - Interpret RMS, peak-to-peak, or spectral findings for main bearing, gearbox, or generator - Correlate vibration alarms with operational events - Decide whether to continue operating, increase monitoring, or shut down ## Drivetrain Components | Component | Sensor Location | Key Frequencies | |-----------|----------------|-----------------| | Main Bearing | Non-drive end, drive end | BPFO, BPFI, BSF, FTF | | Gearbox LSS | Low speed shaft | Gear mesh (LSS x teeth), bearing defect freqs | | Gearbox IMS | Intermediate shaft | IMS gear mesh harmonics | | Gearbox HSS | High speed shaft | HSS gear mesh, bearing defect freqs | | Generator NDE | Non-drive end bearing | Electrical harmonics, bearing defect freqs | | Generator DE | Drive end bearing | Bearing defect freqs, rotor unbalance | ## Vibration Thresholds (ISO 10816 / CMS Reference) | Location | Normal | Warning | Critical | |----------|--------|---------|----------| | Main Bearing RMS (g) | < 0.3 | 0.3 - 0.8 | > 0.8 | | Gearbox HSS RMS (g) | < 0.5 | 0.5 - 1.5 | > 1.5 | | Gearbox LSS/IMS RMS (g) | < 0.3 | 0.3 - 1.0 | > 1.0 | | Generator RMS (g) | < 0.5 | 0.5 - 1.2 | > 1.2 | | Peak-to-peak step change | < 10% | 10-30% | > 30% | Note: Always evaluate against site-specific baseline. A 20% rise from stable baseline is more significant than an absolute value alone. ## Frequency Fault Signatures | Fault | Frequency Signature | |-------|-------------------| | Bearing outer race (BPFO) | (N/2) x (1 - d/D x cos a) x RPM | | Bearing inner race (BPFI) | (N/2) x (1 + d/D x cos a) x RPM | | Gear mesh | number of teeth x shaft RPM | | Gear mesh sidebands | GMF +/- shaft frequency | | Rotor unbalance | 1x RPM dominant | | Misalignment | 2x RPM dominant, axial component | | Looseness | Sub-harmonics (0.5x, 1.5x) or high harmonic content | ## Severity Scale | Severity | Label | Description | Action | |----------|-------|-------------|--------| | 1 | Healthy | All values normal, stable trend | Continue normal operation | | 2 | Early warning | 1-2 parameters in warning zone, stable | Increase CMS polling frequency | | 3 | Moderate | Multiple warning flags or single critical | Inspect within 2 weeks | | 4 | Significant | Critical zone or rapid trend growth | Plan shutdown within 48-72 hours | | 5 | Critical | Multiple critical flags, step-change | Immediate shutdown required | ## Procedure 1. Collect inputs: CMS trend (last 30-90 days), current RMS and peak-to-peak per component, frequency spectrum findings, SCADA alarms, operational context. 2. Evaluate RMS values against thresholds. Flag Warning or Critical zones. 3. Analyze trend: - Stable: value in warning zone but flat for >30 days = lower urgency - Gradual rise: value increasing steadily = schedule inspection - Step change: sudden jump >30% = treat as Critical regardless of absolute value 4. Interpret frequency spectrum if available: - Match dominant peaks to fault signatures table - Note sidebands around gear mesh frequencies - Note sub-harmonics or 1x/2x dominance 5. Correlate with SCADA alarms and operational events. 6. Assign severity per component, then determine drivetrain-level severity as highest. 7. Generate output report using the format below. ## Output Format === DRIVETRAIN VIBRATION REPORT === ASSET : [Turbine ID] SITE : [Site name] DATA PERIOD : [Date range of CMS/SCADA data] MISSING DATA : [List any unavailable inputs] MAIN BEARING: RMS : [value] g - [Normal / Warning / Critical] Trend : [Stable / Gradual rise / Step change] Spectrum : [Key findings or not available] SCADA Alarms : [Count and type] Severity : [1-5] - [Label] GEARBOX (LSS / IMS / HSS): RMS : LSS [value] g / IMS [value] g / HSS [value] g Trend : [per shaft] Spectrum : [Key findings] SCADA Alarms : [Count and type] Severity : [1-5] - [Label] GENERATOR (DE / NDE): RMS : DE [value] g / NDE [value] g Trend : [per bearing] Spectrum : [Key findings] SCADA Alarms : [Count and type] Severity : [1-5] - [Label] DRIVETRAIN SEVERITY : [1-5] - [Label] SHUTDOWN : [Yes / No / Conditional] FAULT HYPOTHESIS: - [e.g., HSS bearing outer race defect - BPFO peak confirmed at X Hz] - [e.g., Gear mesh sideband modulation - possible gear wear or load variation] RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: - [e.g., Increase CMS polling to daily for HSS channel] - [e.g., Oil sample with ferrography within 72 hours] - [e.g., Plan HSS bearing replacement at next scheduled outage] ESCALATION TRIGGERS: - [e.g., RMS exceeds 1.5 g on HSS - immediate shutdown] - [e.g., Step change >30% on any channel - treat as critical] - [e.g., New BPFO or BPFI peak confirmed in spectrum - escalate to Severity 4] ## Cross-Skill Correlation If gearbox visual data is available, load wind-turbine-gearbox skill and cross-correlate: - High Fe ppm + rising HSS vibration = active wear confirmation - Spalling in borescope + BPFO peak in spectrum = bearing failure progression - Normal oil + rising vibration = early fault not yet generating debris (higher urgency) If blade inspection data is available, check for rotor imbalance: - 1x RPM dominant in main bearing spectrum + blade damage = aerodynamic imbalance - Asymmetric blade damage across A/B/C = mass or aerodynamic imbalance source ## Pitfalls - Do not evaluate vibration in isolation. Cross-reference with oil analysis and visual inspection. - A single high RMS reading during a storm or grid fault is not a fault indicator. Check operational context. - Spectrum analysis requires RPM-normalized data. Raw frequency peaks are meaningless without shaft RPM. - Generator electrical faults can appear as vibration. Check electrical data before attributing to mechanical cause. - Stable high RMS is less urgent than rapidly rising moderate RMS. Trend rate matters more than absolute value. ## Verification After generating the report, confirm with the user: - Does the severity match CMS system alerts or OEM recommendations? - Is shaft RPM data available to normalize spectrum frequencies? - Are there recent maintenance events that could explain vibration changes? - Is SCADA power curve deviation consistent with vibration findings?