Smart Fibre Optic Monitoring Systems for Wind Generator Asset Management

Institution: University of Manchester

Dept/School/Faculty: EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Power Networks

PhD Supervisor: Dr S Durovic

Application Deadline: Applications accepted all year round

Funding Availability: Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

Student background required: 

Background in power generation systems including electrical machines, as well as understanding of mechanical engineering, signal processing and sensing principles. 

Benefit to / Impact on Industry: 
There is an impending need for improvement of conventional and low carbon power generation operation and maintenance cost, much of which is related to generator unit failures. This research will develop novel monitoring solutions and early failure detection techniques aimed at improving operation and maintenance and reducing costs. 

What novelty will the student base their PhD on? 
The project will investigate the application of advances in fibre optic sensing technology. This research will investigate the design and application of a new distributed fibre optic sensing network for generator units to provide high diagnostic reliability failure detection and management systems. 

Project overview: 
Reduction in cost of operation and maintenance (O&M) in power generation is necessary to ensure the economic viability of future low carbon networks. Much of the reported O&M cost is related to unit failures where conventional condition monitoring techniques have proved insufficient. Recent developments in the fibre optic sensing arena allow the measurement of critical parameters that previously could not be sensed. This work will investigate the application of fibre optic sensing for ac generator units’ asset management applications with an aim to deliver improved early detection of typical electrical and mechanical faults and investigate the improved motor thermal management and fault mitigation techniques. 

Outline of Proposed Project Plan: 
Year 1: Taught courses and preparatory study 
Year 2: Literature review on current standards and demands for power network generator systems in conventional and wind power applications, review of existing fault detection and monitoring techniques; familiarisation with the state-of-the-art fibre optic sensing of strain, stress and temperature and the requirements of ac generator sensing for fault detection and monitoring. Identification of the potential and the requirements of fibre optic sensing applications in ac generators including the design of a fibre optic sensing network for a wind generator. Design of a laboratory test rig to emulate a typical wind generator field application. 
Year 3: Laboratory test rig development, including the design and implementation of the proposed fibre optic sensing network. Experimental research of generator operation under various faulty conditions and evaluation of the proposed fibre optic network’s performance in delivering improved early fault indicators; further refinement of the sensing network design to optimise performance. 
Year 4: Development of real time application techniques for ‘live’ detection of generator faults. Sensing network integration with the generator controller to develop improved asset management techniques for early fault detection and fault effect mitigation. 

Funding Notes:

This project is funded by EPSRC, the University of Manchester and our Industry partners. Funding is available to UK candidates. EU candidates are also eligible if they have been studying or working continuously in the UK for three or more years (prior to the start date of the programme). The successful candidates will have their fees paid in full and will receive an enhanced maintenance stipend. 

See here for information on how to apply and entry requirements: www.power-networks-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/study/projects-apply