By Dr. Raja Pulikollu, Chief Material Scientist at Sentient Science & Dr. Harpal Singh, Sentient’s Technical Expert on Bearing Coatings
Wind Turbine drivetrain components, such as bearings and gears, are built to withstand and operate under harsh environments. They endure a wide range of challenging operating conditions with respect to temperature, wind speeds, load and lubrication. These conditions individually or in-combination with material quality leads to premature failures of the rolling element bearings and ultimately results in high repair costs and revenue loss due to expensive breakdowns.
Wind energy companies continually seek ways to reduce their wind turbine opeating costs. Accordingly, a variety of tribological surface engineering treatments on bearing components have become a crucial part of O&M strategies to increase bearing reliability. The surface treatments can be effective in reducing or eliminating various tribological related failures.