Condition-monitoring systems use sensors to detect component faults, allowing maintenance professionals to avoid equipment failure

Hinesburg, VT (USA)—Building on three decades of expertise in sensor-based wind measurement, NRG Systems has expanded its offerings to the wind energy operations and maintenance segment. Its patented TurbinePhD™ system monitors the health of turbine components for more cost-effective operations and maintenance.

"Our system borrows technology from the aerospace industry to diagnose early-stage wear —months in advance of a fault—and then to accurately estimate the remaining useful life of each component," said Eric Bechhoefer, chief engineer at NRG Systems. "We also eliminate the need for a diagnostic engineer by integrating data into a single, readily understandable health indicator for each component. The data can be read and acted upon by anyone."

Condition-monitoring systems use sensors to detect component faults, allowing maintenance professionals to avoid equipment failure. TurbinePhD uses digital signal processing techniques to detect component wear before it escalates into a fault. Smart sensors with embedded processors use algorithms to diagnose problems and then transmit that data to a secure website, where the maintenance professional can see easily-understood turbine health indicators (THI™) for each component and drill down to view all of the supporting data.

NRG Systems is finalizing beta installation of the TurbinePhD system and expects to release the product this summer. The system is patented under U.S. patent number 8082115. For more information visit http://turbinephd.nrgsystems.com/.

About NRG Systems

NRG Systems is an independently-owned company that has served the global renewable energy industry for 30 years. Its wind and solar measurement systems, turbine control sensors, and lidar remote sensors can be found in 150 countries on every continent, serving electric utilities, developers, turbine manufacturers, wind farm operators, and research institutes. For more information, visit www.nrgsystems.com.