Fluid film bearing and wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11473565-B2
Application number	US-202117242343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2021
Priority date	Apr 28, 2020
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

Provided is a fluid film bearing, for a rotor hub in a wind turbine, including a first and second part rotatably connected to each other, wherein the first part forms a first annular sliding surface that extends in the circumferential direction of the bearing along the first part, wherein the second part includes a support structure and first pads distributed along the circumference of the support structure, wherein a respective pad sliding surface of each of the first pads or of a first subgroup of the first pads supports the first annular sliding surface, wherein each first pad includes a mounting section that is mounted to a backside of the support structure, a contact section that is either forming the respective pad sliding surface or carrying a coating that forms the respective pad sliding surface and a connecting section that connects the contact section with the mounting section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid film bearing, for a rotor hub in a wind turbine, comprising a first and second part rotatably connected to each other, wherein the first part forms a first annular sliding surface that extends in the circumferential direction of the bearing along the first part, wherein the second part comprises a support structure and first pads distributed along the circumference of the support structure, wherein a respective pad sliding surface of each of the first pads or of a first subgroup of the first pads supports the first annular sliding surface, wherein each first pad comprises a mounting section that is mounted to a backside of the support structure that is facing away from the first part, a contact section that is either forming the respective pad sliding surface or carrying a coating that forms the respective pad sliding surface and a connecting section that connects the contact section with the mounting section and that allows for a tilting of the contact section with respect to the mounting section, wherein the mounting section, the connecting section and the contact section are formed as one piece, wherein the support structure comprises a through hole for each of the first pads from the backside to a frontside of the support structure that is facing the first part of the bearing, wherein the respective connecting section is arranged at least partially within the respective through hole and/or wherein the respective contact section is arranged at least partially within the respective through hole, wherein the through hole allows for a removal and mounting of the respective pad from the backside.

2. The fluid film bearing according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the respective connecting section of the first pads in at least one direction is smaller by a factor of at least three or at least five or at least ten then the extension of the pad sliding surface of the respective first pad in the respective direction.

3. The fluid film bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting section is elastically deformable to allow for a tilting of the pad sliding surface by an angle of one of at least 0.5° or at least 1° or at least 3°.

4. The fluid film bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting section of the respective first pad extends along the backside beyond the respective through hole and closes the respective through hole.

5. The fluid film bearing according to claim 4 , wherein the mounting section of the respective first pad is connected to the support structure by multiple bolts or screws spaced around the circumference of the respective through hole.

6. The fluid film bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the first part forms a second annular sliding surface, arranged at an angle to the first annular sliding surface, wherein the second part comprises second pads or a second subgroup of the first pads, wherein a respective pad sliding surface of each of the second pads or of the second subgroup of the first pads supports the second annular sliding surface.

7. The fluid film bearing according to claim 6 , wherein the first pads are offset in the circumferential direction of the bearing with respect to the second pads or in that the first pads of the first subgroup are offset in the circumferential direction of the bearing with respect to first pads of the second subgroup.

8. The fluid film bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the first part is an outer part of the bearing, wherein the first and/or second annular sliding surface are formed on the inner circumference of the first part and/or wherein the respective pad sliding surface of the first and/or second pads or of the first and/or second subgroup of the first pads has a convex shape.

9. A wind turbine, comprising a rotor with a rotor hub that is connected to a further component of the wind turbine using a fluid film bearing according to claim 1 , wherein the hub is part of the first or second part or mounted to the first or second part.

10. The wind turbine according to claim 9 , wherein the hub is connected to the further component by a single bearing.

11. The wind turbine according to claim 9 , wherein the hub and/or the second part and/or the further component form an interior space that allows personal to access the support structure, wherein the first and/or second pads are mounted to the support structure in such a way that they can be exchanged by personal from within the inner space.

Assignees

• Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy As

Inventors

• Cerda Varela Alejandro
• Frydendal Niels Karl
• Thomsen Kim
• Thorhauge Morten

Classifications

• F03D80/50

  Maintenance or repair · CPC title

• F16C32/0685

  for radial load only · CPC title

• F16C27/02

  Sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C33/108

  with a plurality of elements forming the bearing surfaces, e.g. bearing pads · CPC title

• F03D80/70 Primary

  Bearing or lubricating arrangements · CPC title