Condition monitoring of a permanent magnet synchronous generator for a wind turbine application

Increasing wind energy market requires reliable and robust wind turbine technologies, hence condition monitoring to detect and prevent the potential and existing faults in wind turbine systems is of increasing interest. This paper will present condition monitoring of PMSG applied in a wind turbine. Conduction distribution function is applied to model generator under both healthy and faulty conditions. As to the stator winding faults, open circuit and inter-turn short circuit are studied; and the rotor uniform and partial demagnetization are investigated in terms of rotor faults. Generator terminal side signal patterns are analysed and compared under different conditions. From those signals, faults can be detected and the fault type can be distinguished.