Optimal Dynamic Analysis of Electrical/Electronic Components in Wind Turbines

• Main Authors: Fausto Pedro García Márquez, Alberto Pliego Marugán, Jesús María Pinar Pérez, Stuart Hillmansen, Mayorkinos Papaelias
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-07-01
• Series: Energies
• Subjects: fault tree analysis; binary diagram decisions; wind turbines; converters; condition monitoring; maintenance management
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/8/1111
• ISSN: 1996-1073

Electrical and electronic components are very important subcomponents in modern industrial wind turbines. Complex multimegawatt wind turbines are continuously being installed both onshore and offshore, continuously increasing the demand for sophisticated electronic and electrical components. In this work, most critical electrical and electronic components in industrial wind turbines have been identified and the applicability of appropriate condition monitoring processes simulated. A fault tree dynamic analysis has been carried out by binary decision diagrams to obtain the system failure probability over time and using different time increments to evaluate the system. This analysis allows critical electrical and electronic components of the converters to be identified in different conditions. The results can be used to develop a scheduled maintenance that improves the decision making and reduces the maintenance costs.