Reducing the ‘levelised cost of energy’ in offshore wind through a disruptive fault diagnosis technology, SmartCMS

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Reliability is vital in the growth of wind power, especially offshore installations, currently generating 7.7% of UK electricity. Preventive maintenance, enabled by condition monitoring systems, increases reliability and availability of wind farms as well as reducing maintenance costs, leading to a lower 'Levelised Cost of Energy' (LCOE). Green Solution Engineering Ltd has developed SmartCMS, a unique condition monitoring technology which utilises the electrical measurements available in the converter to detect and diagnose both mechanical and electrical faults in the wind turbine drivetrain (i.e. gearbox, bearings, generator and converter). Having been successfully tested on a laboratory test bench, this project aims to take SmartCMS to the next phase of exploitation through assessment of its technical and commercial feasibility through testing in a pilot wind turbine drivetrain and study of the economics with respect to net reduction in the LCOE.