Wind turbines are now a common machine type and, similar to many other machines, are subject to vibration monitoring. This paper presents a small number of case studies relating to wind turbines, but rather than simple pictures of broken machines, some background into the rationale behind the monitoring is presented. The failure mode under consideration and the expected lead times to failure are considered alongside the cases presented. There is also commentary on the tracking of fault development through vibration analysis and comparison with other techniques. Cases are presented relating to: rotor unbalance (aerodynamic and mass); main bearing failure; gear failure and high-speed shaft bearing failure; and structural failure. The cases are drawn from a large pool of experience developed over 20 years of monitoring wind turbines by Bachmann Monitoring, which is now also offering approved training for vibration analysis.
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