Small wind turbine generator monitoring: A test facility and preliminary analysis

In order to simulate wind turbine generators working at variable speed and develop new condition monitoring and fault diagnosis techniques, a test facility based on a 500 W permanent magnet generator was built. Mechanical faults in the ball bearing outer race and rotor imbalance were simulated. Three vibration analysis techniques were performed and compared. Order analysis proved to be a simple, intuitive and reliable technique for vibration analysis under variable speed.