Articles | Volume 10, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1763-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-1763-2025
Research article
 | 
01 Sep 2025
Research article |  | 01 Sep 2025

Wind turbine gearbox operation monitoring using high-resolution distributed fiber-optic sensing

Linqing Luo, Unai Gutierrez Santiago, and Yuxin Wu

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Cited articles

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Carroll, J., Koukoura, S., McDonald, A., Charalambous, A., Weiss, S., and McArthur, S.: Wind turbine gearbox failure and remaining useful life prediction using machine learning techniques, Wind Energy, 22, 360–375, https://doi.org/10.1002/we.2290, 2019. 
European Commission (Leyre Azcona (CARSA), S. A. (CARSA), T. L. (CARSA); in cooperation with K. D. (PwC)): SENSING AND MONITORING SYSTEMS FOR OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES Report on promising KETs-based products nr. 8 2 SENSING AND MONITORING SYSTEMS FOR OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES Report on promising KETs-based product nr. 8, 1–24, 2017. 
Feng, Y., Qiu, Y., Crabtree, C. J., Long, H., and Tavner, P. J.: Monitoring wind turbine gearboxes, Wind Energy, 16, 728–740, https://doi.org/10.1002/we.1521, 2013. 
Guo, J., Shi, Z., Li, H., Zhen, D., Gu, F., and Ball, A. D.: Early Fault Diagnosis for Planetary Gearbox Based Wavelet Packet Energy and Modulation Signal Bispectrum Analysis, Sensors, 18, 2908, https://doi.org/10.3390/s18092908, 2018. 
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Short summary
We introduced a new method to monitor wind turbine gearboxes using distributed fiber-optic technology. By attaching a single optical fiber to the gearbox, we tracked strain changes at high resolution, capturing gear movement, torque, and temperature in real time. This study demonstrated the link between torque and strain, enabling early fault detection. The approach offers a cost-effective way to improve gearbox reliability and reduce downtime, supporting more sustainable wind energy operations.
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