Kleenoil Trial - Wind Turbine Gearbox

Wind turbine gearboxes convert low-speed, high-torque rotation of the blades into high-speed, low-torque rotation required to drive the electrical generator. The primary wear mechanisms within these gearboxes occur at the contact surfaces of planetary gear teeth and at bearing components.

One client operates a continuous monitoring system on their wind turbines that reports the concentration of ferrous mass (i.e. iron particulate matter) within the main gearbox. To evaluate the effectiveness of the Kleenoil Bypass Filter System, KU 50 units were installed on five gearboxes across their wind farm.

The graph below clearly demonstrates the bypass filter’s ability to reduce and stabilize ferrous contamination in gearbox oil. Filter units were installed between May 15 and 24, after which the upward trend in metal particle concentration was noticeably reduced in four of the five monitored gearboxes.

Site managers raised a concern that if the KU 50 is highly effective at reducing ferrous metal concentrations, it may obscure the early detection of abnormal abrasive wear that could indicate a developing gearbox issue. This concern is addressed by the behaviour observed in gearbox G07. The graph above shows that ferrous mass is still increasing. A closer look at the 24hr debris concentration (see graph below) reveals excessive and continuous metal shedding that is being captured and removed as the gearbox oil circulates through the Kleenoil system.

The client also tested the cleanliness of the oil before and one month after the system was installed and found that four of the five gearboxes saw a reduction in the ISO cleanliness code, and the fifth maintained its cleanliness. This provides a second validation of the effectiveness of the Kleenoil Bypass Filter System.

If you’re interested in learning more about Kleenoil, please visit the link below or Contact Us.