On lifetime extension of wind turbine drivetrains

The focused shift to reduce carbon emissions by substituting fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, including wind, is increasing. This means that more and more wind turbines are being installed, both onshore and offshore and as this number increases, more and more turbines are reaching their end of designed service life. Extending this designed service life, which is commonly referred to as lifetime extension (LTE), is particularly favoured by owner/operators, due to economic reasons. Whilst there are relatively well-established practices for lifetime extension of structural members or those preserving structural integrity, the electro-mechanical and drivetrain systems are often overlooked. Therefore, this paper reviews lifetime extension assessment practices executed within a variety of industries, such as oil and gas, marine vessels, electrical machines, mechanical rotating equipment and bearings, to determine if any of these practices can be implemented or adapted within the wind industry, particularly on wind turbine drivetrains.