Bearing arrangement for fluid machinery application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10859113-B2
Application number	US-201816221708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2018
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

A bearing arrangement for a fluid machinery application employing an axially locating bearing. The axially locating bearing includes: a first angular self-aligning contact bearing arranged next to a second angular self-aligning contact bearing. Each of the first angular self-aligning contact bearing and the second angular self-aligning contact bearing includes a set of rolling elements arranged in a row and interposed between a respective curved inner raceway and an associated curved outer raceway. Each roller is a symmetrical cylindrically-shaped roller having a curved raceway-contacting surface. Each roller is inclined respective to the axial direction of the shaft by a respective contact angle. The rollers support an axial force and a radial force. The axially non-locating bearing position is arranged spaced apart from the axially locating bearing position, as seen in the axial direction. Examples of fluid machinery applications include: a wind turbine, water turbine or a propulsion turbine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing arrangement for a fluid machinery application having an axially locating bearing position and an axially non-locating bearing position, the bearing arrangement comprising:
wherein the axially locating bearing position comprises:
a first angular self-aligning contact bearing arranged next to a second angular self-aligning contact bearing for locating a shaft against movement in an axial direction;
the first angular self-aligning contact bearing having a first set of rolling elements arranged in a first row and interposed between a first curved inner raceway and a first curved outer raceway, wherein each roller is a symmetrical roller having a curved raceway-contacting surface being engageable with the first curved inner raceway and the first curved outer raceway,
wherein each of the first set of rolling elements of the first angular self-aligning contact bearing is inclined in relation to the axial direction of the shaft by a first contact angle; whereby the first set of rolling elements are arranged to cooperate with the first curved inner raceway and the first curved outer raceway for supporting an axial force and a radial force; and
the second angular self-aligning contact bearing having a second set of rolling elements arranged in a second row and interposed between a second curved inner raceway and a second curved outer raceway, wherein each of the second set of rolling elements is a symmetrical roller having a curved raceway-contacting surface being engageable with the second curved inner raceway and the second curved outer raceway,
wherein each of the second set of rolling elements of the second angular self-aligning contact bearing is inclined in relation to the axial direction of the shaft by a second contact angle;
whereby the second set of rolling elements are arranged to cooperate with the second curved inner raceway and the second curved outer raceway for supporting the axial force and the radial force;
wherein each the first set of rolling elements of the first angular self-aligning contact bearing is inclined in relation to each of the second set of rolling elements of the second angular self-aligning contact bearing such that axial displacement of the shaft relative to the first and second angular self-aligning contact bearings is prevented;
wherein the first set of rolling elements and the second set of rolling elements are toroidal;
wherein, when viewed in cross section, the first curved outer raceway of the first angular self-aligning contact bearing and the second curved outer raceway of the second angular self-aligning contact bearing are each curved and configured to form a point therebetween such that the first curved outer raceway and the second curved outer raceway do not lie along a single, common circular perimeter;

wherein the axially non-locating bearing position is arranged axially spaced apart from the axially locating bearing position, the axially non-locating bearing position not being configured to support axial force sufficiently to, on its own, prevent displacement between the rotor shaft and a third curved outer raceway of the axially non-locating bearing position since the third curved outer raceway and a third curved inner raceway of the axially non-locating bearing position are configured to be misalignable and to be axially displaceable from each other and to be angularly displaceable from each other, the axially non-locating bearing position includes a third set of rolling elements arranged in a third row and interposed between a third curved inner raceway of the third inner ring and the third curved outer raceway of a third outer ring, wherein each of the third set of rolling elements is a toroidal roller having a symmetrical convex shape and having a third curved raceway-contacting surface being engageable with the third curved inner raceway and the third curved outer raceway along an outer surface thereof, each of the third set of rolling elements being elongated, whereby the rollers are arranged to cooperate with the third curved inner raceway and the third curved outer raceway for supporting the radial force;
wherein the first curved outer raceway of the first angular self-aligning contact bearing is facing the second curved outer raceway of the second angular self-aligning contact bearing such that the first and second angular self-aligning contact bearings form an X-arrangement.

2. The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first curved inner raceway is arranged in a first inner ring of the first angular self-aligning contact bearing and/or the first curved outer raceway is arranged in a first outer ring of the first angular self-aligning contact bearing.

3. A fluid machine configured to extract energy from a fluid in motion, the fluid machine comprising:
a plurality of blades that are configured to be rotated by the fluid directly contacting the plurality of blades;
a rotor shaft connected to the plurality of blades such that rotation of the plurality of blades by the fluid drives the rotor shaft, and wherein an axial force and a radial force transmitted to the plurality of blades by the fluid is further transmitted to the rotor shaft;
a bearing arrangement arranged on the rotor shaft, the bearing arrangement comprising:
an axially locating bearing position arranged on the rotor shaft, the axially locating bearing position further comprising:
a first angular self-aligning contact bearing arranged next to a second angular self-aligning contact bearing for locating the rotor shaft against movement in an axial direction;
the first angular self-aligning contact bearing having a first set of rolling elements arranged in a first row and interposed between a first curved inner raceway and a first curved outer raceway, wherein each of the first set of rolling elements is a symmetrical convex shaped roller having a first curved raceway-contacting surface being engageable with the first curved inner raceway and the first curved outer raceway, the first curved inner raceway, the first curved outer raceway, and the first curved raceway-contacting surface are all curved with respect to the axial direction,
wherein each of the first set of rolling elements of the first angular self-aligning contact bearing is inclined in relation to the axial direction of the rotor shaft by a first contact angle; whereby the first set of rolling elements are arranged to cooperate with the first curved inner raceway and the first curved outer raceway for supporting the axial force and the radial force; and
the second angular self-aligning contact bearing having a second set of rolling elements arranged in a second row and interposed between a second curved inner raceway and a second curved outer raceway, wherein each of the second set of rolling elements is a symmetrical convex shaped roller having a second curved raceway-contacting surface being engageable with the second curved inner raceway and the second curved outer raceway, the second curved inner raceway, the second curved outer raceway, and the second curved raceway-contacting surface are all curved with respect to the axial direction,
wherein each of the second set of rolling elements of the second angular self-aligning contact bearing is inclined in relation to the axial direction of the rotor shaft by a second contact angle;
whereby the second set of rolling elements are arranged to cooperate with the second curved inner raceway and the second curved outer raceway for supporting the axial force and the radial force;
wherein the first set of rolling elements and the second set of rolling elements are toroidal;
wherein, when viewed in cross section, the first curved outer raceway of the first angular self-aligning contact bearing and the second curved outer raceway of the second angular self-aligning contact bearing are each

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Kullin Arne Lars Jonas
• Reichert Juergen
• Wendeberg Hans

Classifications

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• F16C19/36

  with a single row of rollers · CPC title

• F16C2360/31

  Wind motors · CPC title

• F16C23/08

  self-adjusting · CPC title

• F16C2240/34

  Contact angles · CPC title