Influence of quasi-steady wind loads on the fatigue damage of wind turbine gearboxes

Abstract

Quasi-steady wind varies both in time and space and has a great influence on a wind turbine gearbox's fatigue life. Quasi-steady wind fields are described by mean wind speed and turbulence intensity, and the influence of these two parameters on wind turbine gearbox's fatigue life is studied. Based on the two-step decoupled method (the first step is global analysis and the second is gearbox dynamic analysis), a model which can calculate the complex gearbox's fatigue damage from gear's dynamic force and SN parameters is established. The fatigue damage of every gear calculated from the established model is then analysed. The fatigue damage result under certain wind loads is first analysed, and the vulnerable gears among each stage are found. Then, how mean wind speed and turbulence intensity influences fatigue damage is studied, and the damage comparison factors are calculated, which finds the 3rd stage pinion to be the gear most sensitive to wind loads, and it requires more attention when designing gearboxes. Finally, the gears' fatigue damage sensitivities to mean wind speed and turbulence intensity are analysed and the condition in which fatigue damage is more sensitive to wind loads is found, this is meaningful when designing pitch control systems.