Date of Award

3-2021

Degree Name

MS in Mechanical Engineering

Department/Program

Mechanical Engineering

College

College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Advisor

John Ridgely

Advisor Department

Mechanical Engineering

Advisor College

College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Abstract

With the increased use of wind turbines as sources of energy, maintenance of these devices becomes more and more important. Utility scale wind turbines can be time consuming and expensive to repair so an intelligent method of monitoring these devices is important. Commercial solutions for condition monitoring exist but are expensive and can be difficult to implement. In this project a novel condition monitoring system is developed. The priority of this system, dubbed the LifeLine, is to provide reliable condition monitoring through an easy-to-install and low-cost system. This system utilizes a microcontroller to collect acceleration data to detect imbalances on turbines blades. Two graphical user interfaces are created. One improves control with a small wind turbine while the other interfaces with the LifeLine. A custom PCB is designed for the LifeLine and additional rotor speed, current, and voltage sensors are incorporated into the LifeLine system. Future improvements to this system are also discussed.

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