The Role and Impact of Coated Bearings in Wind Turbines: A Review

Abstract

Rolling bearings in modern wind turbines operate under demanding tribological conditions that include high contact stresses, mixed lubrication, transient loads, electrical discharge, corrosion, and hydrogen-assisted damage. These factors contribute to premature failures such as micropitting, scuffing, white etching cracks (WECs), and electrical fluting, which remain major reliability challenges in both onshore and offshore turbines. Surface-engineering technologies have emerged as effective tools to mitigate these failure modes. Carbon-based coatings improve sliding performance and reduce wear under boundary-lubricated conditions; black oxide conversion layers enhance the corrosion resistance, lubricant retention, and early-life running-in behavior; and insulating ceramic coatings protect generator bearings from electrical discharge damage. Additional solutions, including polymer overlays, composite films, and hybrid ceramic architectures, offer further improvements in friction, surface fatigue resistance, and environmental robustness. This manuscript reviews the current state of coated bearing technologies relevant to wind turbine applications, synthesizing findings from tribological research, industrial practice, and emerging material developments. While only a limited number of coating suppliers provide documented evidence of coating use in wind turbine drivetrain bearings, the collective progress in surface engineering demonstrates clear potential for improving reliability and extending service life across the installed turbine base. The analysis highlights the mechanisms by which coatings enhance performance, the conditions under which they are most effective, and the gaps that remain in field validation and large-scale deployment. Coated bearings represent a promising pathway toward higher turbine availability, reduced maintenance costs, and improved drivetrain durability. Continued advances in carbon-based films, multilayer architectures, and insulating coatings, combined with better integration of lubrication strategies and condition-monitoring technologies, will play an increasingly important role in enabling the next generation of high-power wind energy systems.