Overview of Digital Twin Technology in Wind Turbine Fault Diagnosis and Condition Monitoring

Accurate diagnosis of fault and condition monitoring in a wind turbine is critical to the prevention of turbine failure and timely maintenance or repair of any affected component. Hence, intelligent strategies in fault diagnosis and condition monitoring can offer huge advantage in utility scale wind power plant. Digital twin technology has emerged as an ingenious concept which can give wind energy industry an enhanced accessibility, visibility, and availability. This article provides an overview of the application of digital twin technology in the fault diagnosis and condition monitoring of wind turbine mechanical components. The frequently used tools for digital twins and enabling technologies are identified and briefly analysed while the common mode of failure in wind turbine components were highlighted. The benefits and challenges associated with the application of this technology are discussed. In conclusion, the key issues which need to be addressed to unleash the potential of digital twin technology in fault diagnosis and condition monitoring were outlined.