Modern Wind turbines are an important piece of our energy mix. Unfortunately, gearbox life issues have impacted their financial payback. Axial cracks in bearing raceways have become the major cause of premature gearbox failures in the latest generation of wind turbines, shortening life to as little as 1-2 years once damage is initiated.
This paper is divided into two parts:
Part 1: A review of the latest research on the phenomenon of axial cracking.
Part 2: Emergency Stops and Other Transient Turbine Events
Download this white paper to understand the root causes of axial cracking in wind turbine gearbox bearings.