Assessment of excitation mechanisms and structural flexibility influence in excitation propagation in multi-megawatt wind turbine gearboxes: Experiments and flexible multibody model optimization

• Excitation from the turbine is in general below 20 Hz, except for dynamic events.
• Gears can excite the structural flexibilities of the gearbox.
• Order tracking shows full propagation of meshing excitation throughout the gearbox.
• The gearbox housing is an important propagation path.
• The requirements for full flexible multibody models to be representative are shown.

Reliable gearbox design calculations require sufficient insight in gearbox dynamics, which is determined by the interaction between the different excitation mechanisms and the gearbox modal behavior. Both external gearbox excitation originating from the wind turbine drive train and internal gearbox excitation are important. Moreover with regard to the modal behavior the different gearbox structural components: planet carrier, shafts and housing are of influence. The main objective of this article is the experimental investigation of the interaction between the different excitation mechanisms and the gearbox modal behavior. The insights gathered are used to prove the need for accurate gear mesh representation and structural flexibility within the corresponding flexible multibody gearbox simulation model. Experiments are conducted on a dynamic 13.2 MW test facility on which two multi-megawatt wind turbine gearboxes are placed back to back and subjected to a speed run-up. Measurement sensors consist of bearing displacement sensors, torque sensors, encoders and accelerometers distributed over the gearbox. Excitation order amplitudes on different locations in the gearbox are determined by means of a Time Varying Discrete Fourier Transform (TVDFT) order tracking on the measured sensor signals. Moreover the propagation of this excitation throughout the gearbox is assessed. Relating the orders to the corresponding excitation source allows the definition of order influence regions within the gearbox. The interaction between the gear mesh order excitation and structural flexibility is shown.