NRG Systems says it has expanded its offerings to the wind energy operations and maintenance segment with the introduction of its patented TurbinePhD system, which monitors the health of wind turbine components.
Condition-monitoring systems use sensors to detect component faults, allowing maintenance professionals to avoid equipment failure. TurbinePhD uses digital signal processing techniques to detect component wear before it escalates into a fault, the company explains.
Smart sensors with embedded processors use algorithms to diagnose problems and then transmit that data to a secure website, where the maintenance professional can see turbine health indicators for each component and drill down to view all of the supporting data, NRG Systems adds.
"Our system borrows technology from the aerospace industry to diagnose early-stage wear – months in advance of a fault – and then to accurately estimate the remaining useful life of each component," explains Eric Bechhoefer, chief engineer at NRG Systems. "We also eliminate the need for a diagnostic engineer by integrating data into a single, readily understandable health indicator for each component. The data can be read and acted upon by anyone."
