Timothy L. Morse, Ph.D., P.E.
\nRobert W. Whittlesey, Ph.D., CFEI
\nExponent, Inc.<\/p>\n
Presented at\u00a0International Symposium on Fire Investigation<\/a>, 2014<\/p>\n ABSTRACT A wind turbine fire origin investigation can be greatly assisted by the large amount of data that is recorded regarding\u00a0the operation of a wind turbine. Wind turbines are heavily instrumented, with sensors throughout the turbine.\u00a0Position sensors monitor the blade pitch position, the nacelle yaw position, and the rotational speed of the high\u00a0speed and low speed shafts. Temperature sensors monitor the gearbox oil temperature, the hydraulic oil temperature,\u00a0and the brake temperature (as well as other temperatures). The performance of the electrical systems (generator,\u00a0transformer, inverter) are carefully monitored. Wind turbines also often have vibration sensors in various locations.\u00a0The data from these sensors are used to control the operation of the turbine through the supervisory control and data\u00a0acquisition (SCADA) system. This system logs the states of all these sensors as often as once every second and\u00a0records any alarm states.<\/p>\n A detailed review of this logged data can provide essential guidance to the wind turbine fire investigator. The logged\u00a0data can indicate which systems or components are having problems prior to the fire, identify any rapid changes in\u00a0operational state proximate to the time of the fire, or show which systems or components are still functional during\u00a0the fire and when they lose functionality. A full understanding of the location of the different sensors, and where\u00a0their communication lines run may also provide indications of the direction of fire spread. Any fire origin that is\u00a0considered must be consistent with the timing and nature of the SCADA data and SCADA alarms.<\/p>\n Download the complete paper<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Timothy L. Morse, Ph.D., P.E. Robert W. Whittlesey, Ph.D., CFEI Exponent, Inc. Presented at\u00a0International Symposium on Fire Investigation, 2014 ABSTRACT Wind turbines and wind farms have become increasingly widespread in the United States. Due to the combination of\u00a0potential ignition sources (electrical failure, overheating of rotating components, lightning strikes) and multiple fuel\u00a0loads (fiberglass, bearing grease, gearbox … Continue reading Wind Turbine Fire Origin Investigation<\/span>
\nWind turbines and wind farms have become increasingly widespread in the United States. Due to the combination of\u00a0potential ignition sources (electrical failure, overheating of rotating components, lightning strikes) and multiple fuel\u00a0loads (fiberglass, bearing grease, gearbox oil, hydraulic oil) wind turbine fires are a regular occurrence. Since wind\u00a0turbine fires often occur in the nacelle, which can be 200 feet or more above the ground, firefighting options are\u00a0limited. Wind turbine firefighting efforts are usually directed at preventing the spread of the fire to adjacent land or\u00a0structures, such as by falling flaming debris, rather than extinguishing the fire. As a result, wind turbine fires often\u00a0burn until the fuel uptower is exhausted and the fire self-extinguishes. This can present a challenge to a fire origin\u00a0investigation. Many fire patterns that are observed in a nacelle can provide misleading or conflicting information as\u00a0they may indicate a fuel load or a source of ventilation, rather than the fire origin. Therefore, attempting to use fire\u00a0patterns alone to identify the origin is often unsuccessful.<\/p>\n