GE, Illinois Tech to Partner on Wind Energy Management

(National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

GE’s software division will collaborate with researchers from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) to devise better monitoring and diagnostic methods for the management of wind farms. The project is part of IIT’s University-Industry Consortium for Wind Energy funded by Department of Energy.

The two-year project aims to help wind farms reduce maintenance costs and improve output by getting earlier predictions of impending problems. The team will conduct its research near Marseilles, Illinois on a GE 1.5 megawatt series wind turbine operated and maintained by Invenergy, an independent wind power generation company.

The IIT team will use GE’s Proficy SmartSignal software with the goal of detecting faults earlier and more accurately than currently possible. The project includes adding more sensors than called for in current industry practices to improve condition-monitoring precision, and enhancing SmartSignal models to include measurements of vibration, lube oil, and blade pitch motors. The IIT team will monitor turbines remotely from the IIT campus in Chicago and analyze the energy output and overall equipment performance.

Mohammad Shahidehpour, director of IIT’s Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation, says the project aims to show “how advanced and automated predictive diagnostics can improve the availability, reliability, and cost performance of wind power generation.” He says the university also plans to develop courses to address the technical, operational, social, and environmental aspects of wind energy.

Read more: GE Technology Selected for First Gas/Wind/Solar Power Plant

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