Replacement Methods for Radial Seals of Wind Turbine Main Bearings
US-2019257294-A1 · Aug 22, 2019 · US
Lubrication system for a main bearing of a wind turbine
US10935003B2 · US · B2
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Publication number | US-10935003-B2 |
| Application number | US-201715800670-A |
| Country | US |
| Kind code | B2 |
| Filing date | Nov 1, 2017 |
| Priority date | Nov 1, 2017 |
| Publication date | Mar 2, 2021 |
| Grant date | Mar 2, 2021 |
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- Title
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Abstract
Official abstract text for this publication.
A lubrication system for a main bearing positioned around a main shaft of a wind turbine includes a seal ring positioned around the shaft adjacent to the bearing, at least one gear adjacent to the seal ring, a mechanical lubricant pump arranged to engage the at least one gear, and at least one lubricant for providing lubrication to the bearing. Thus, as the shaft rotates, the gear(s) drives the lubricant pump such that the pump continuously provides the lubricant to the bearing so long as the shaft is rotating.
First claim
Opening claim text (preview).
What is claimed is: 1. A lubrication system for a bearing positioned around a shaft, the lubrication system comprising: a seal ring positioned circumferentially around the shaft adjacent to the bearing; at least one gear arranged adjacent to and contacting the seal ring, the at least one gear being a separate component mounted directly to the seal ring; a lubricant pump arranged to engage the at least one gear; and, at least one lubricant for providing lubrication to the bearing, wherein, as the shaft rotates, the at least one gear drives the lubricant pump such that the lubricant pump continuously provides the lubricant to the bearing so long as the shaft is rotating. 2. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the lubricant pump comprises a mechanical pump. 3. The lubrication system of claim 2 , wherein the mechanical pump comprises a positive displacement pump. 4. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the bearing comprises a main bearing of a wind turbine and the shaft comprises a main shaft of the wind turbine. 5. The lubrication system of claim 4 , wherein, as the main shaft rotates via wind, the lubricant is delivered to the main bearing via the lubricant pump. 6. The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the bearing comprises at least one of a tapered roller bearing, a spherical roller bearing, or a cylindrical roller bearing. 7. A drivetrain assembly for a wind turbine, comprising: a main shaft; a main bearing comprising an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of roller elements configured therebetween; a lubrication system for providing lubrication to the main bearing, the lubrication system comprising: a seal ring positioned circumferentially around the main shaft adjacent to the main bearing; at least one gear arranged adjacent to and contacting the main shaft, the at least one gear being a separate component mounted directly to the seal ring; a lubricant pump arranged to engage the at least one gear; and, at least one lubricant for providing lubrication to the main bearing, wherein, as the main shaft rotates, the at least one gear drives the lubricant pump such that the lubricant pump continuously provides the lubricant to the main bearing so long as the main shaft is rotating.
Assignees
Inventors
Classifications
Bearings · CPC title
with mechanical drive (F16N13/18 takes precedence) · CPC title
Systems consisting of a plurality of bearings with rolling friction (spindle bearings F16C35/08) · CPC title
Wind Turbines · CPC title
with a single row of rollers · CPC title
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Frequently asked questions
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- What does patent US10935003B2 cover?
- A lubrication system for a main bearing positioned around a main shaft of a wind turbine includes a seal ring positioned around the shaft adjacent to the bearing, at least one gear adjacent to the seal ring, a mechanical lubricant pump arranged to engage the at least one gear, and at least one lubricant for providing lubrication to the bearing. Thus, as the shaft rotates, the gear(s) drives the…
- Who is the assignee on this patent?
- Gen Electric
- What technology area does this patent fall under?
- Primary CPC classification F03D80/70. Mapped technology areas include Mechanical Engineering.
- When was this patent published?
- Publication date Tue Mar 02 2021 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
- What related patents are in patentsdb?
- We list 3 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).