Air in Oil: A Critical Threat to Wind Turbines

Wind turbines operate in harsh and unpredictable environments where lubrication quality is crucial for efficient energy generation and long-term reliability. However, air in oil leads to cavitation, increased friction, and oxidation, shortening component lifespan and raising maintenance costs.

Thanks to direct measurement technology, calibration-free long-term monitoring is possible, enabling continuous oil condition monitoring without frequent recalibrations. Instead of reactive maintenance, preventive maintenance strategies based on real-time root cause analysis can be implemented. Operators can identify issues before failures occur and proactively optimize lubrication strategies.

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Challenges for Wind Power Operators

  • Energy Yield & ROI: Air in oil increases friction, accelerates oil aging, and reduces viscosity. This lowers efficiency, reducing energy output and profitability.
  • Maintenance Intervals & Operating Costs: Time- and mileage-based oil changes occur independently of actual oil conditions. Unplanned downtime and unnecessary maintenance increase operational costs.
  • Wear & Downtime: Cavitation, oxidation, and deposits degrade lubricant quality, accelerate component wear, and can cause critical gearbox and bearing failures.

Challenges for Components & Systems

  • Drivetrain, Gearbox & Bearings: Air in oil disrupts lubrication, causing uneven distribution, increased friction, and cavitation. Oxidation and deposits raise temperature, corrosion, and material fatigue.
  • Hydraulic Systems & Lubrication Circuits: Air bubbles and foaming in fluid systems reduce oil compressibility, impairing power transmission. Clogged oil filters accelerate wear, increase pump loads, and reduce hydraulic efficiency.
  • Pitch Control: Optimized pitch control and rotor blade positioning depend on stable oil conditions. Air in oil and oxidation rates significantly impact regulation accuracy and efficiency.
Precise Air-in-Oil Analysis for Wind Power Industry Challenges

Precise Air-in-Oil Analysis for Wind Power Industry Challenges

Air in oil reduces lubrication performance, accelerates wear, and lowers wind turbine efficiency. Yet, conventional air-in-oil measurement methods fail to provide valid, reproducible results for wind turbine operators and manufacturers.

The Smart Bubble System enables calibration-free long-term measurements with valid, repeatable data. It continuously monitors oil conditions, detecting air bubbles, oxidation, and lubricant degradation. This allows operators to optimize maintenance cycles, avoid unnecessary oil changes, and minimize downtime. Data-driven operation and maintenance strategies extend the lifespan of critical components, lower operating costs, and improve overall turbine profitability.

Efficient Operational Strategy

Efficient Operational Strategy

Through precise long-term air-in-oil measurement, SBS detects oxidation rates and oil aging in real time. This enables data-driven optimization of operational strategies, minimizing friction losses, increasing efficiency, and enhancing energy output.

Optimized Maintenance Strategy

Optimized Maintenance Strategy

The SBS continuously detects air content and lubricant degradation, allowing oil changes to be scheduled based on actual operating conditions. Operators can avoid unnecessary maintenance, extend intervals, and reduce downtime with a condition-based maintenance strategy.

Extended Component Lifespan

Extended Component Lifespan

Cavitation, oxidation, and foaming accelerate component wear. The SBS detects air-in-oil levels early, stabilizes lubricant quality, and prevents material fatigue, protecting gearboxes, bearings, and hydraulic systems from costly failures.

Testing & Implementing the SBS in the Wind Power Industry

The SBS technology portfolio includes two complementary test setups to analyze air in oil under real-world conditions—either directly in the application or in a laboratory setting.

SBS-ST: Controlled Stationary Measurements

Analyzes lubricant behavior and air content in wind turbine gearboxes under dynamic load conditions.
Ideal for turbine manufacturers and lubricant developers to optimize oil service life and maintenance strategies.

SBS-ME: In-Line Real-Time Measurements

Enables real-time monitoring of oil quality in operational wind turbines.
Prevents oxidation, ensures reliable lubrication, and reduces unexpected gearbox failures.

Wind Power Industry

Ready to Optimize Your Wind Turbine Efficiency?

The Smart Bubble System helps wind power operators and manufacturers:

  • Maximize efficiency and ROI through data-driven operational strategies
  • Reduce maintenance costs with root cause-based maintenance planning
  • Extend component lifespan by controlling oil degradation
Ready to Optimize Your Wind Turbine Efficiency?

Find out more about the Smart Bubble System

The Smart Bubble System was developed to optimize fluid management and lubricant strategies along the value chain. Find out what advantages it brings in your specific case.