Wilberth says: "One of the main sources of inefficiency in wind turbines is the premature failure of large bearings used inside the gearboxes, usually at 10% of the expected life. During my PhD, I have proved that the current understanding of their failure mechanism is incorrect. Through controlled experiments, I have not only found what the real damage mechanism is, but have also come up with simple and counterintuitive solutions that increase the life of the steel by three times and protect against hydrogen embrittlement. By taking this project to industry, wind energy would have a greater margin against conventional sources."
