Wind Turbine Gearbox Bearing Failure Analysis (with Ricardo)

A fully funded PhD studentship within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield is available immediately. This project is in collaboration with Ricardo UK Ltd, a leading engineering design and development company specialising in power systems.

This PhD project will investigate root causes of failure mechanisms of key bearings in wind turbine gearboxes. There is great uncertainty regarding the causes of premature failures of mechanical components, i.e. gears and bearings, in the drive train systems of wind turbines. This uncertainty is due to:

Insufficient knowledge of the loads acting on these components;
Insufficient knowledge of the detailed (dynamic) operating conditions;
Insufficient data from the early stages of failures.

There has been considerable research progress made in this area in recent years, however, the root causes of failure mechanisms of bearings are still not fully understood. These premature failures cause unplanned shutdowns of wind turbines and costly maintenance and replacement which increase the cost of wind energy.

Building upon the current research, this project aims to derive loading spectra through data analysis of transient loading conditions obtained from wind turbines in operation and laboratory measurements. This could include direct measurement of the loads being transferred across the rolling elements in key bearings in the drivetrain.

Dynamic drivetrain simulation will be developed to obtain detailed understanding of bearing and gearbox behaviour beyond what can be measured. Possible bearing failure modes will be investigated by applying analytical and numerical modelling. Material damage models will be developed enabling damage estimation and remaining service life prediction.

The successful candidate should have or be expected to obtain a 1st class or a good 2.1 degree in mechanical engineering, material sciences or a related discipline, and should have a strong intrerest in fundamental research but also be enthusiastic about laboratory and hands-on activities. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to spend time at Ricardo's Midlands Technical Centre working with their engineers.