Wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system and method

Abstract

Disclosed in the present invention is a wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system, comprising an oil pump. An outlet end of the oil pump is connected to a viscosity measurement module, a particle size measurement module, a quality measurement module, and a filter module that are arranged in parallel. Outlet ends of the viscosity measurement module, the particle size measurement module, the quality measurement module, and the filter module are connected to an oil return port. The viscosity measurement module comprises a thermostat device. The filter module comprises a filter tower. A magnetic rod, a mechanical filter member, and a fine filter member are sequentially arranged in the filter tower in the flow direction of gear oil. Also disclosed in the present invention is a wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment method. The present invention has the following beneficial effects: the integration of measurement and filtration allows timely measurement of the gear oil and immediate filtration after the measurement, the measurement and filtration period is short, and a timely response is achieved, thereby prolonging the service life of a wind turbine gear and ensuring healthy operation of a wind turbine gearbox.

Description

Wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system and method Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a wind turbine generator set, and more particularly to a wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system and method. Background Technology

[0002] As one of the core components of a wind turbine, the gearbox's operating condition directly determines the turbine's lifespan. Gearbox failures are frequent in domestic wind turbine units, and statistics show a close correlation between gearbox malfunctions and gearbox oil quality. Gear oil is the lifeblood of a wind turbine gearbox. Under prolonged and complex operating conditions, gearboxes experience pitting, fatigue spalling, and wear on tooth surfaces and bearings, producing metal microparticles that dissolve into the gearbox oil. Therefore, oil monitoring is an effective means of diagnosing gearbox wear and operating conditions, thereby improving the safety and reliability of offshore wind power operations.

[0003] Wind turbine generator sets place extremely high demands on equipment stability and safety, especially for offshore platforms, which are production facilities in a relatively isolated environment and are significantly affected by environmental factors during sea-going maintenance. Traditional offline testing methods for gearbox oil, involving sampling, laboratory testing, and data aggregation and analysis, are unsuitable for wind turbine gearbox oil testing due to inconvenient sampling, long testing cycles, and susceptibility to influences from sampling and testing personnel's operations. Online oil quality monitoring serves as an early warning system in equipment maintenance, effectively addressing the challenge of wind turbines being unsuitable for traditional sampling and testing. Research into an online monitoring system for wind turbine gearbox oil quality could enable online monitoring of key indicators and timely detection of abnormal conditions in the gear oil.

[0004] Wind turbine gear oil filtration is an effective means of improving gearbox oil, especially its wear condition. Research on online filtration technology for wind turbine gearbox oil is needed to address abnormal gearbox oil in a timely manner, preventing lubrication failure that could lead to wear on gear and bearing working surfaces, creating a vicious cycle between oil and components, and ultimately shortening gear lifespan.

[0005] Existing technologies include methods for refining gear oil, such as CN118775733A - Online purification and regeneration method for wind turbine gear oil. However, these methods do not involve online monitoring of the gear oil and require manual, timed purification, which cannot achieve timely purification. Since gear wear and gear oil changes are not linear, it is necessary to monitor the viscosity and particulate matter content of the gear oil in a timely manner before proceeding with purification.

[0006] Therefore, conducting research on online monitoring and filtration technology for wind turbine gearbox oil, developing online monitoring and filtration devices, timely detecting abnormal conditions of wind turbine gearbox oil, providing early warnings and taking reasonable measures to reduce unit wear and failures can not only improve equipment reliability and safety, but also save on the operating and maintenance costs throughout the equipment's life cycle, extend the service life of gear oil, and ensure a good lubrication environment for the gearbox. This is of great significance for the high-performance and healthy operation of wind turbine gearboxes throughout their entire life cycle.

[0007] The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the overall background of the invention and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is: how to solve the problem that the current method of sampling and testing wind turbine gear oil is inconvenient, has a long testing cycle, and does not handle gear oil in a timely manner, thereby shortening the service life of gears.

[0009] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical means:

[0010] A wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system includes an oil pump; the outlet end of the oil pump is connected to a viscosity detection module, a particle size detection module, a quality detection module, and a filtration module arranged in parallel; the outlet ends of the viscosity detection module, particle size detection module, quality detection module, and filtration module are connected to an oil return port; the viscosity detection module includes a temperature control device; the filtration module includes a filtration tower, and a magnetic rod, a mechanical filter element, and a fine filter element are arranged sequentially along the gear oil flow direction inside the filtration tower.

[0011] This invention utilizes parallel viscosity, particle size, and quality detection modules to perform real-time monitoring of the viscosity, particle size, and quality of wind turbine gear oil. The tested gear oil is then returned to the wind turbine gear oil tank. If the indicators detected by one or more of these modules fail to meet usage requirements, the filtration module is activated to filter the gear oil, achieving the desired performance. In this invention, the viscosity detection module includes a temperature control device to improve the fluidity of the gear oil. The oil is filtered through a magnetic rod to remove most magnetic particles, a mechanical filter to remove minute mechanical particles, and a fine filter to remove deterioration products, thus improving filtration efficiency. This invention integrates detection and filtration, enabling timely gear oil testing and immediate filtration. The short testing and filtration cycle and prompt response extend the service life of the wind turbine gears and ensure the healthy operation of the wind turbine gearbox.

[0012] Preferably, it also includes a heating defoaming module, which is connected to the inlet of the viscosity detection module and the particle size detection module, and a first temperature sensor is connected inside the heating defoaming module.

[0013] The heating and defoaming module can heat and defoam gear oil. Since gear oil has a high viscosity, heating can improve its fluidity, and eliminating air bubbles in the gear oil can reduce the impact of air bubbles on detection accuracy.

[0014] Preferably, the viscosity detection module includes a viscosity detection pipe and a first control valve and a viscosity detection chamber connected to the viscosity detection pipe. A viscosity detection sensor is connected inside the viscosity detection chamber, and a second temperature sensor is connected to the viscosity detection chamber.

[0015] The viscosity testing chamber includes a temperature control device. The temperature inside the viscosity testing chamber is monitored by a second temperature sensor, and the constant temperature is set according to the detection requirements of gear oil viscosity and density. The viscosity sensor can be used to detect the viscosity and density parameters of gear oil.

[0016] Preferably, the particle size detection module includes a particle size detection pipeline and a second control valve and a particle size detection sensor connected to the particle size detection pipeline.

[0017] Particle size detection sensors can include abrasive monitoring sensors and image-based particle sensors. Abrasive monitoring sensors can detect ferromagnetic wear particles; image-based particle sensors can detect the number of particles of different sizes in gear oil and can identify the types and morphologies of particles larger than 20μm, providing data support for wear analysis of gear oil.

[0018] Preferably, the quality inspection module includes a quality inspection pipeline and a third control valve and a quality sensor connected to the leather inspection pipeline.

[0019] Quality sensors can detect moisture, pH levels, and other parameters.

[0020] Preferably, the filtration module further includes a filtration pipe and a fourth control valve and a filtration tower connected to the filtration pipe; the filtration module also includes a first pressure gauge, a third temperature sensor, a first sampling valve, a first pressure relief valve and a first oil discharge valve connected sequentially along the oil inlet end to the filtration pipe.

[0021] Preferably, the oil inlet of the parallel pipeline is also directly connected to the oil return port of the parallel pipeline through the oil outlet pipeline.

[0022] Preferably, the filter tower is provided with a magnetic rod, a first buffer zone, a mechanical filter element, a second buffer zone, a fine filter element, and a third buffer zone in sequence from the oil inlet end to the outlet end, and observation windows are provided in the first buffer zone, the second buffer zone, and the third buffer zone.

[0023] Magnetic rods are primarily used for filtering most magnetic particles. Mechanical filters can use 2μm magnetic mesh to filter tiny mechanical particles. Fine filters use resin filtration to filter components such as gear oil degradation products. The magnetic rods are detachable, allowing for timely replacement.

[0024] Preferably, a second sampling valve and an exhaust valve are also connected at the third buffer zone.

[0025] The present invention also discloses a method for monitoring and treating wind turbine gear oil. Using the above-mentioned wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment device, the wind turbine gear oil enters the viscosity detection module, particle size detection module, and quality detection module through the oil inlet to detect the viscosity, particle size, and quality of the wind turbine gear oil. If any indicator does not meet the usage requirements, the filtration module is turned on to treat the wind turbine gear oil until all indicators return to normal.

[0026] The advantages of this invention are:

[0027] This invention utilizes parallel viscosity, particle size, and quality detection modules to perform real-time monitoring of the viscosity, particle size, and quality of wind turbine gear oil. The tested gear oil is then returned to the wind turbine gear oil tank. If the indicators detected by one or more of these modules fail to meet usage requirements, the filtration module is activated to filter the gear oil, achieving the desired performance. In this invention, the viscosity detection module includes a temperature control device to improve the fluidity of the gear oil. The oil is filtered through a magnetic rod to remove most magnetic particles, a mechanical filter to remove minute mechanical particles, and a fine filter to remove deterioration products, thus improving filtration efficiency. This invention integrates detection and filtration, enabling timely gear oil testing and immediate filtration. The short testing and filtration cycle and prompt response extend the service life of the wind turbine gears and ensure the healthy operation of the wind turbine gearbox.

[0028] The heating and defoaming module can heat and defoam gear oil. Since gear oil has a high viscosity, heating can improve its fluidity, and eliminating air bubbles in the gear oil can reduce the impact of air bubbles on detection accuracy.

[0029] The viscosity testing chamber includes a temperature control device. The temperature inside the viscosity testing chamber is monitored by a second temperature sensor, and the constant temperature is set according to the detection requirements of gear oil viscosity and density. The viscosity sensor can be used to detect the viscosity and density parameters of gear oil.

[0030] Particle size detection sensors can include abrasive monitoring sensors and image-based particle sensors. Abrasive monitoring sensors can detect ferromagnetic wear particles; image-based particle sensors can detect the number of particles of different sizes in gear oil and can identify the types and morphologies of particles larger than 20μm, providing data support for wear analysis of gear oil.

[0031] Quality sensors can detect moisture, pH levels, and other parameters.

[0032] Magnetic rods are primarily used for filtering most magnetic particles. Mechanical filters can use 2μm magnetic mesh to filter tiny mechanical particles. Fine filters use resin filtration to filter components such as gear oil degradation products. The magnetic rods are detachable, allowing for timely replacement. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the filtering module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Diagram labeling: 100, Oil pump; 200, Viscosity detection module; 201, First control valve; 202, Viscosity detection chamber; 203, Viscosity sensor; 204, Second temperature sensor; 300, Particle size detection module; 301, Second control valve; 302, Particle size sensor; 400, Quality detection module; 401, Third control valve; 402, Quality sensor; 500, Filtration module; 501, Filter tower; 502, Magnetic rod; 503, Mechanical filter element; 504, Fine filter element; 505. Fourth control valve; 506, First pressure gauge; 507, Third temperature sensor; 508, First sampling valve; 509, First pressure relief valve; 510, First drain valve; 511, First buffer zone; 512, Second buffer zone; 513, Third buffer zone; 514, Observation window; 515, Second sampling valve; 516, Exhaust valve; 517, Fifth control valve; 600, Heating and defoaming module; 700, First one-way drain valve. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] Example 1:

[0038] As shown in Figure 1, the wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system includes an oil pump 100; the inlet end of the oil pump 100 is an oil inlet A, and the outlet end of the oil pump 100 is connected to a viscosity detection module 200, a particle size detection module 300, a quality detection module 400, and a filter module 500 arranged in parallel; the outlet ends of the viscosity detection module 200, the particle size detection module 300, the quality detection module 400, and the filter module 500 are connected to an oil return port B; the viscosity detection module 200 includes a constant temperature device; the filter module 500 includes a filter tower 501, and a magnetic rod 502, a mechanical filter element 503, and a fine filter element 504 are arranged sequentially along the gear oil flow direction in the filter tower 501.

[0039] In this embodiment, the fan gear oil monitoring and treatment system further includes a heating and defoaming module 600. This module is connected to the inlet of the viscosity detection module 200 and the particle size detection module 300. The heating and defoaming module 600 is used to eliminate air bubbles in the gear oil entering the viscosity detection module 200 and the particle size detection module 300, reducing the impact of air bubbles on detection accuracy. In addition to defoaming, the heating and defoaming module 600 in this embodiment also has a heating function. Heating can be achieved through heating wires, heating plates, etc. A first temperature sensor 601 is connected within the heating and defoaming module 600 to control the temperature. Heating the gear oil is beneficial because gear oil has a high viscosity; increasing the temperature increases its fluidity and also facilitates defoaming.

[0040] The viscosity detection module 200 includes a viscosity detection pipe (D), a first control valve 201 connected to the viscosity detection pipe, and a viscosity detection chamber 202. A viscosity detection sensor 203 is connected inside the viscosity detection chamber 202, and a second temperature sensor 204 is connected to the viscosity detection chamber 202. The first control valve 201 controls the opening and closing of the viscosity detection pipe. The viscosity detection chamber 202 is used to install the viscosity detection sensor 203 and includes a temperature control device; the temperature control device can be a heating wire or a heating plate, etc., used to heat the gear oil flowing through the viscosity detection pipe to improve the flow of the gear oil. The second temperature sensor 204 is used to detect the temperature. The viscosity detection sensor 203 can detect the viscosity and density parameters of the gear oil. The viscosity detection chamber 202 can be set to a constant temperature according to the detection requirements of the gear oil viscosity and density.

[0041] The particle size detection module 300 includes a particle size detection pipe (E) and a second control valve 301 and a particle size detection sensor 302 connected to the particle size detection pipe. The second control valve 301 is used to open or close the particle size detection pipe; the particle size detection sensor 302 can be an abrasive monitoring sensor, an image-based particle sensor, etc. The abrasive monitoring sensor can detect ferromagnetic wear particles; the image-based particle sensor can detect the number of particles of different sizes in gear oil, and can identify the type and morphology of particles larger than 20μm, providing data support for wear analysis of gear oil.

[0042] The quality inspection module 400 includes a quality inspection pipe (F) and a third control valve 401 and a quality sensor 402 connected to the leather inspection pipe. The third control valve 401 is used to start or close the quality inspection pipe. The quality sensor 402 can detect moisture, pH, etc.

[0043] The filtration module 500 includes a filter pipe (G) and a fourth control valve 505 and a filter tower 501 connected to the filter pipe. Referring to Figure 2, the filtration module 500 also includes a first pressure gauge 506, a third temperature sensor 507, a first sampling valve 508, a first pressure relief valve 509, and a first drain valve 510, sequentially connected along the oil inlet end to the filter pipe. The filter tower 501, from the oil inlet end to the outlet end, is sequentially equipped with a magnetic rod 502, a first buffer zone 511, a mechanical filter element 503, a second buffer zone 512, a fine filter element 504, and a third buffer zone 513. Observation windows 514 are provided in the first buffer zone 511, the second buffer zone 512, and the third buffer zone 513. A second sampling valve 515 and an exhaust valve 516 are also connected at the third buffer zone 513. A fifth control valve 517 is connected to the top of the filter tower 501.

[0044] A support base is provided at the bottom of the filter tower 501 for easy stability. The gear oil filtered by the magnetic rod 502, mechanical filter element 503, and fine filter element 504 has a certain degree of turbulence. The first buffer zone 511, the second buffer zone 512, and the third buffer zone 513 are respectively set to stabilize the gear oil.

[0045] In this embodiment, the magnetic rod 502 is located at the bottom, the mechanical filter element 503 is located in the middle, and the fine filter element 504 is located at the top. This bottom-up arrangement increases the filtration time of the gear oil and improves the filtration effect. The magnetic rod 502 is mainly used to filter most magnetic particles. The mechanical filter element 503 can use a 2μm magnetic filter screen to filter small mechanical particles. The fine filter element 504 uses resin filtration to filter components such as gear oil deterioration products. The magnetic rod 502 is detachable, allowing for timely replacement.

[0046] As shown in Figure 1, the oil inlet A of the parallel pipeline is also directly connected to the oil return port B of the parallel pipeline via the oil drain pipeline (C). A first one-way drain valve 700 is also connected to the oil drain pipeline. This allows for draining the gear oil when it needs to be emptied or is no longer usable.

[0047] This embodiment uses a parallel viscosity detection module 200, a particle size detection module 300, and a quality detection module 400 to perform real-time detection of the viscosity, particle size, and quality of the wind turbine gear oil. The detected gear oil is then returned to the wind turbine gear oil tank. If the indicators detected by one or more of these modules do not meet the usage requirements, the filtration module 500 is activated to filter the gear oil to meet the usage requirements. In this embodiment, the viscosity detection module 200 includes a temperature control device to improve the fluidity of the gear oil. In this embodiment, the gear oil is filtered by a magnetic rod 502 to remove most magnetic particles, then by a mechanical filter 503 to remove small mechanical particles, and finally by a fine filter 504 to remove deterioration products, thereby improving the filtration effect. This invention integrates detection and filtration, enabling timely detection and filtration of the gear oil. The detection and filtration cycle is short and the response is timely, thereby improving the service life of the wind turbine gears and ensuring the healthy operation of the wind turbine gearbox.

[0048] Example 2:

[0049] This embodiment discloses a method for monitoring and treating wind turbine gear oil, using the wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment device in Embodiment 1 above. The method includes the following steps: the wind turbine gear oil is divided into two paths from the oil inlet A. One path passes through the heating and defoaming module 600 and then enters the viscosity detection module 200 and the particle size detection module 300. The other path passes directly through the quality detection module 400, thereby detecting the viscosity, particle size, and quality of the wind turbine gear oil. If any indicator does not meet the usage requirements, the filter module 500 is activated to treat the wind turbine gear oil until all indicators return to normal.

[0050] It should be noted that testing and filtration can be performed simultaneously, allowing real-time monitoring of the filtered fan gear oil to ensure it meets usage requirements. Alternatively, if a particular indicator fails to meet requirements, the control valve on that pipeline can be closed, and the valve reopened after a period of filtration. If the requirements are still not met after reopening, filtration continues until all indicators meet the requirements.

[0051] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system, characterized in that, It includes an oil pump; the outlet end of the oil pump is connected to a viscosity detection module, a particle size detection module, a quality detection module, and a filtration module arranged in parallel; the outlet ends of the viscosity detection module, particle size detection module, quality detection module, and filtration module are connected to an oil return port; the viscosity detection module includes a temperature control device; the filtration module includes a filtration tower, and a magnetic rod, a mechanical filter element, and a fine filter element are arranged sequentially along the gear oil flow direction inside the filtration tower.

2. The wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a heating defoaming module, which is connected to the inlet of the viscosity detection module and the particle size detection module, and a first temperature sensor is connected inside the heating defoaming module.

3. The wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The viscosity detection module includes a viscosity detection pipe, a first control valve connected to the viscosity detection pipe, and a viscosity detection chamber. A viscosity detection sensor is connected inside the viscosity detection chamber, and a second temperature sensor is connected to the viscosity detection chamber.

4. The wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The particle size detection module includes a particle size detection pipeline and a second control valve and a particle size detection sensor connected to the particle size detection pipeline.

5. The wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The quality inspection module includes a quality inspection pipeline and a third control valve and a quality sensor connected to the leather inspection pipeline.

6. The wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filtration module also includes a filtration pipe and a fourth control valve and a filtration tower connected to the filtration pipe; the filtration module also includes a first pressure gauge, a third temperature sensor, a first sampling valve, a first pressure relief valve and a first oil discharge valve connected sequentially along the oil inlet end to the filtration pipe.

7. The wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The oil inlet of the parallel pipeline is also directly connected to the oil return port of the parallel pipeline through the oil drain pipeline.

8. The wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filter tower is provided with a magnetic rod, a first buffer zone, a mechanical filter element, a second buffer zone, a fine filter element, and a third buffer zone in sequence from the oil inlet end to the outlet end. Observation windows are provided in the first buffer zone, the second buffer zone, and the third buffer zone.

9. The wind turbine gear oil monitoring and treatment system according to claim 8, characterized in that, A second sampling valve and an exhaust valve are also connected at the third buffer zone.

10. A method for monitoring and treating gear oil in a wind turbine, characterized in that, Using any one of the above-mentioned fan gear oil monitoring and treatment devices according to claims 1-9, the fan gear oil enters the viscosity detection module, particle size detection module, and quality detection module through the oil inlet to detect the viscosity, particle size, and quality of the fan gear oil. If any indicator does not meet the usage requirements, the filter module is turned on to treat the fan gear oil until all indicators return to normal.

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