Wind Turbine Prognostics and Health Management

Wind power generating capacity was 239 GW at the end of 2011, with a further 46 GW of installed capacity to be operational by the end of 2012. While only providing 2.8% of the energy produce in the United States, its is anticipated that by 2030, fully 20% of the electrical energy will come from wind. This widespread deployment of industrial wind projects will require a more proactive maintenance strategy in order to be more cost competitive with traditional energy systems, such as natural gas or coal. This will be particularly true for offshore wind projects, where availability of the site for maintenance can be restricted for extend period of time due to weather. Prognostics and Health Management of these assets can improve operational availability while reducing the cost of unscheduled maintenance.