Design and Experimental Research on Centralized Lubrication and Waste Oil Recovery System for Wind Turbines

Lubrication plays a key role in increasing availability of wind turbines, extending unit life and reducing operating costs. In view of the problems of valve core lag, grease hardening and difficulty in removing waste oil in a centralized lubrication system, an improved centralized lubrication system and waste oil recovery system were designed in this study. Discharge of waste grease in the bearing cavity was simulated under different vacuum conditions. It was shown that vacuum degree of bearing cavity is proportional to oil output speed of waste grease. Performance and fatigue reliability tests of the waste grease suction and drainer device test platform were conducted over 12,000 fatigue cycles. The results show that the vacuum degree error of the waste grease suction and drainer device before and after the test is less than 5%, and the power oil pressure, oil output pressure and oil output quantity of the test product are stable, indicating that the designed waste grease suction and drainer device has excellent sealing and reliability. The waste grease suction and drainer device can eliminate grease discharge resistance in the bearing cavity, facilitating discharge of waste oil and improving wind turbine operation efficiency.

Automated summary

Lubrication is crucial for increasing wind turbine availability, extending unit life, and reducing operating costs. This study designed an improved centralized lubrication system and waste oil recovery system to address issues such as valve core lag, grease hardening, and difficulty in removing waste oil. The simulation of waste grease discharge under different vacuum conditions showed that the vacuum degree of the bearing cavity is directly related to the oil output speed of waste grease. Performance and fatigue reliability tests conducted on the waste grease suction and drainer device demonstrated its excellent sealing and reliability, with vacuum degree error less than 5% and stable power oil pressure, oil output pressure, and quantity. The device helps eliminate grease discharge resistance, facilitating waste oil removal and improving wind turbine operation efficiency.