Main bearing arrangement for a wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054109-B2
Application number	US-201314406975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2013
Priority date	Jun 10, 2012
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A drivetrain for a horizontal axis wind turbine includes a main shaft, and a main bearing housing having a main body at least partly enclosing the main shaft and extending from a first end to a second end, a distance from the second end to the rotor attachment flange being larger than a distance from the first end to the rotor attachment flange. The main bearing housing: carries the main shaft via a first bearing and a second bearing, a distance between the second bearing and the rotor attachment flange being larger than a distance between the first bearing and the rotor attachment flange; has a first seat for the first bearing, and a second seat for the second bearing; and includes a seat flange extending from the main body at least partly radially inwards, the second seat being located on a distal end of the seat flange.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drivetrain for a wind turbine, comprising:
a horizontal axis main shaft provided with a rotor attachment flange adapted to be connected to a rotor of the wind turbine, wherein the horizontal axis main shaft extends in a horizontal direction during use, and
a main bearing housing having a main body at least partly enclosing the horizontal axis main shaft and extending from a first end to a second end, a distance from the second end to the rotor attachment flange being larger than a distance from the first end to the rotor attachment flange, the main body presenting at the second end a component attachment flange for a connection of the main bearing housing to a further drivetrain component,
the main bearing housing carrying the horizontal axis main shaft via a first bearing and a second bearing, a distance between the second bearing and the rotor attachment flange being larger than a distance between the first bearing and the rotor attachment flange,
the main bearing housing having a first seat for the first bearing, and a second seat for the second bearing, and
the main bearing housing comprising a seat flange extending from the main body at least partly radially inwards, the second seat being located on a distal end of the seat flange,
wherein the seat flange is shaped as a truncated cone, where the distal end is the narrower end of the truncated cone, and where the distance from the distal end to the rotor attachment flange is larger than the distance from the wider end of the truncated cone to the rotor attachment flange.

2. The drivetrain according to claim 1 , wherein the second bearing is a roller bearing, wherein the bearing rollers each have a first roller end and a second roller end, the distance between the rotor attachment flange and the first roller end being smaller than the distance between the rotor attachment flange and the second roller end, and the distance between the rotational axis of the horizontal axis main shaft and the first roller end being smaller than the distance between the rotational axis and the second roller end.

3. The drivetrain according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the component attachment flange is larger than a diameter of the first bearing seat, and a diameter of the second bearing seat is equal to, or smaller than, the diameter of the first bearing seat.

4. The drivetrain according to claim 3 , wherein the difference between the component attachment flange diameter and the second bearing seat diameter is at least twice as large as the difference between the diameters of the first and second bearing seats.

5. The drivetrain according to claim 3 , wherein the diameter of the component attachment flange is at least 30% larger than the second bearing seat diameter.

6. The drivetrain according to claim 1 , wherein a junction between the seat flange and the main body is located at a distance from the second end of the main body.

7. The drivetrain according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the component attachment flange is larger than a diameter of the second bearing seat.

8. The drivetrain according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the main body and the first seat is smaller than a distance between the main body and the second seat.

9. The drivetrain according to claim 1 , wherein the main body of the main bearing housing encloses the horizontal axis main shaft between the first end and the component attachment flange.

10. The drivetrain according to claim 1 , wherein the further drivetrain component is a component cover.

11. The drivetrain according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the second bearing seat is smaller than a diameter of the first bearing seat.

12. The drivetrain according to claim 1 , wherein the main bearing housing is configured to fully support the further drivetrain component in a cantilevered manner via the component attachment flange.

13. A horizontal axis wind turbine, comprising:
a tower;
a nacelle being carried on a top of the tower, the nacelle being adapted to rotate around a vertical axis in relation to the tower; and
a drivetrain housed in the nacelle, the drivetrain including:
a horizontal axis main shaft provided with a rotor attachment flange adapted to be connected to a rotor of the horizontal axis wind turbine,
a main bearing housing having a main body at least partly enclosing the horizontal axis main shaft and extending from a first end to a second end, a distance from the second end to the rotor attachment flange being larger than a distance from the first end to the rotor attachment flange, the main body presenting at the second end a component attachment flange for a connection of the main bearing housing to a further drivetrain component, and
the further drivetrain component, wherein the component attachment flange is directly connected to the further drivetrain component,
the main bearing housing carrying the horizontal axis main shaft via a first bearing and a second bearing, a distance between the second bearing and the rotor attachment flange being larger than a distance between the first bearing and the rotor attachment flange,
the main bearing housing having a first seat for the first bearing, and a second seat for the second bearing, and
the main bearing housing comprising a seat flange extending from the main body at least partly radially inwards, the second seat being located on a distal end of the seat flange,
wherein the seat flange is shaped as a truncated cone, where the distal end is the narrower end of the truncated cone, and where the distance from the distal end to the rotor attachment flange is larger than the distance from the wider end of the truncated cone to the rotor attachment flange.

14. A drivetrain for a wind turbine, comprising:
a horizontal axis main shaft provided with a rotor attachment flange adapted to be connected to a rotor of the wind turbine, wherein the horizontal axis main shaft extends in a horizontal direction during use, and
a main bearing housing having a main body at least partly enclosing the horizontal axis main shaft and extending from a first end to a second end, a distance from the second end to the rotor attachment flange being larger than a distance from the first end to the rotor attachment flange, the main body presenting at the second end a component attachment flange for a connection of the main bearing housing to a further drivetrain component,
the main bearing housing carrying the horizontal axis main shaft via a first bearing and a second bearing, a distance between the second bearing and the rotor attachment flange being larger than a distance between the first bearing and the rotor attachment flange,
the main bearing housing having a first seat for the first bearing, and a second seat for the second bearing, and
the main bearing housing comprising a seat flange extending from the main body at least partly radially inwards across an entire circumference of the main body, the second seat being located on a distal end of the seat flange, the second seat having a constant distance from the main body around the entire circumference of the main body.

15. The drivetrain according to claim 14 , wherein a diameter of the second bearing seat is smaller than a diameter of the first bearing seat.

16. The drivetrain according to claim 14 , wherein the main bearing housing is configured to fully support the further drivetrain component in a cantilevered manner via the component attachment flange.

17. A horizontal axis wind turbine, comprising:
a tower;
a nacelle being carried on a top of the t

Assignees

• Vestas Wind System As
• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Bitsch Michael Lundgaard

Classifications

• F16C19/547

  with two angular contact rolling bearings · CPC title

• F16C19/364

  with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone · CPC title

• Y02E10/722

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F16C35/045

  with a radial flange to mount the housing · CPC title

• F03D15/00

  Transmission of mechanical power · CPC title