Wind Turbine Planetary Gear Defect Detection with Mathematical Modelling through Transmission Error

Abstract

Analysis and prediction of planetary gear set defects has been a requirement in the wind power sector since years. Though a wind turbine gearbox is operating with many different gear types, planetary gear stage finds use in the modern era due to its high torque-to-weight ratio. This paper aims to build and validate the mathematical model of planetary gear set and understand the change in dynamic response by changing the error function during gear meshing. A single stage planetary gear has been implemented for the purpose of verification of the mathematical model. MW sized gearbox parameters have been fed to the model and real gear defect amplitude has been taken as error in the model. This helps understanding the dynamic behaviour of planetary gear set during operation under defective gear condition.