Oil-sensors test bench - an approach to validate oil condition monitoring systems for wind turbine applications

The main objective of this paper is to identify the most relevant aspects for testing oil sensors for condition monitoring of wind turbine gearboxes under realistic conditions. In a wind turbine gearbox, several operating parameters and environmental conditions affect the sensor measurements. By means of suitable testing scenarios, functionality tests can be carried out to validate oil sensors for condition monitoring. A test bench that recreates the most important operating parameters in a gearbox will allow assessing the capability of the sensors to be used as a part of an oil-based condition monitoring system. This paper shows the results of preliminary tests carried out on an oil-properties sensor under influence of temperature variations and water contamination. Practical considerations for achieving homogenization of the oil in case of water or particle insertion are described and the most important challenges and improvement approaches are presented.