Design structure matrix (DSM) method application to issue of modeling and analyzing the fault tree of a wind energy asset

Abstract

The perpetual energy production of a wind farm could be accomplished (under proper weather conditions) if no failures occurred. But even the best possible design, manufacturing, and maintenance of a system cannot eliminate the failure possibility.In order to understand and minimize the system failures, the most crucial components of the wind turbines, which are prone to failures, should be identified. Moreover, it is essential to determine and classify the criticality of the system failures according to the impact of these failure events on wind turbine safety. The present study is processing the failure data from a wind farm and uses the Fault Tree Analysis as a baseline for applying the Design Structure Matrix technique to reveal the failure and risk interactions between wind turbine subsystems. Based on the analysis performed and by introducing new importance measures, the "readiness to fail" of a subsystem in conjunction with the "failure riskiness" can determine the "failure criticality." The value of the failure criticality can define the frame within which interventions could be done. The arising interventions could be applied either to the whole system or could be focused in specified pairs of wind turbine subsystems. In conclusion, the method analyzed in the present research can be effectively applied by the wind turbine manufacturers and the wind farm operators as an operation framework, which can lead to a limited (as possible) design-out maintenance cost, failures' minimization, and safety maximization for the whole wind turbine system. KEYWORDS design structure matrix, failures, fault tree analysis, safety impact, wind turbines | INTRODUCTIONWind is a clean and inexhaustible energy source and has become an important factor in the field of sustainable development. The global wind energy potential was estimated to be 72 TW, sufficient to supply the entire world's energy demand for all purposes. 1 Wind turbines (WTs) are installed either onshore (on land) or offshore (beyond the coast). Offshore wind farms seem to be advantageous because of the enormous energy potential associated with the large continuous areas and the stronger winds that imply greater power generation, even though they have higher investment, operation, and maintenance costs. The size of WTs is of great significance as a bigger WT produces more power in a more efficient way-resulting in greener produced electricity. 2The issue of WTs' failures is of particular interest. Failure is the loss of the ability of an item to perform a required function. 4 In WT, the unusually tough ambient conditions and the extremely high dynamic loading of the components often result to failures. These two factors are carefully considered in the design phase and materials' selection of a WT. Common causes of WTs failure can be components failure, high wind, waves,

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