Wind turbine gearbox reliability analysis based on the system level stress-strength model

In order to estimate the reliability of wind turbine gearbox based on the system level, a generalized stress-strength model is introduced. Considering that the system works properly under a variety of random stresses which affect every component, the total stress on the system is given by a known linear combination of the stresses of all components. Then the strength of the system can be viewed as a linear combination of the strengths of relative components. In this model, stress and strength are independent of each other. Reliability of the system is the probability that strength exceeds stress. Finally, the reliability of wind turbine gearbox is estimated by the multivariable reliability calculation method. The corresponding result is compared with the results of reliability in the extreme cases(completely dependent and completely independent) by the traditional evaluation method.     

Reliability Copula Model for Wind Turbine Gearbox Based on Failure Correlation

On the basis of each gear’s failure correlation, the reliability Copula model of a wind turbine gearbox is established and a 1.5 MW wind turbine gearbox is taken as the research object. Firstly, based on the dynamic reliability model of mechanical parts, each gear’s life distribution function of a wind turbine gearbox is obtained.The life distribution function can be used as the marginal distributions of the system’s joint distribution. Secondly,Copula function is introduced to describe the failure correlation between parts, and the appropriate Copula function is selected according to the shape characters of Copula probability density function. Finally, the wind turbine gearbox system is divided into three parts according to the failure correlation of each gear. The Sklar theorem and the thought of step by step analysis are used to obtain the reliability Copula model for a wind turbine gearbox based on failure correlation.     

Comparison analysis of efficiency between double-synchronous step-down-stress and step-up-stress accelerated life tests

Double-crossed-step-stress (DCSS) accelerated life test (ALT) method is widely used for estimating the lifetime of products with high reliability and long lifetime. In order to further reduce the test time and test cost, a double-synchronous-step-stress (DSSS) ALT method which combines a double-synchronous-step-down-stress (DSSDS) ALT method and a double-synchronous-step-up-stress (DSSUS) ALT method is proposed. The accelerated stresses decrease and increase in a synchronous way with one step in the DSSDS-ALT and DSSUS-ALT methods, respectively. Monte Carlo method is adopted to simulate the two methods, and the validity and efficiency of them are demonstrated by the simulation results. In addition, a comparison analysis of efficiency between DSSDS-ALT method and DSSUS-ALT method is carried out. The result shows that the DSSDS-ALT method compared with the DSSUS-ALT method can significantly improve the test efficiency under the same test condition.