Reliability-Centered Maintenance for Wind Turbines Based on Statistical Analysis and Practical Experience

The concept of reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is applied to the two wind-turbine models Vestas V44-600 kW and V90-2MW. The executing RCM workgroup includes an owner and operator of the analyzed wind turbines, a maintenance service provider, a provider of condition-monitoring services, and wind-turbine component supplier as well as researchers at academia. Combining the results of failure statistics and assessment of expert judgement, the analysis is focused on the most critical subsystems with respect to failure frequencies and consequences: the gearbox, the generator, the electrical system, and the hydraulic system. This study provides the most relevant functional failures, reveals their causes and underlying mechanisms, and identifies remedial measures to prevent either the failure itself or critical secondary damage. This study forms the basis for the development of quantitative models for maintenance strategy selection and optimization, but may also provide a feedback of field experience for further improvement of wind-turbine design.