Prof. Dr. Jan Helsen

Jan Helsen joined the department of Mechnical Engineering at Vrije UniversiteitBrussel (VUB) in 2014. Within OWI-lab he is coordinating drivetrain monitoringand big data related projects.

Hismain research focus is on the use of big data based analytics for wind turbine drivetrain O&M and design optimization. The availability of embedded sensors brings the opportunity for new insights in the complete lifecycle of rotating machinery ranging from design to O&M optimization. Big data based analytics is combined with physical knowledge to gain in depth insights. Before joining VUB Jan managed several research projects with the wind industry, amongst others his post-doctoral project at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)funded by ZF Wind Power, Siemens PLM and IWT on the use of advanced simulation models in a monitoring context. Jan obtained a doctoral degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering sciences at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. This doctoral research funded by ZF Wind Power and IWT was done in close cooperation with National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL).