Bearing arrangement for a wind turbine and wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020362829-A1
Application number	US-202015931902-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 14, 2020
Priority date	May 16, 2019
Publication date	Nov 19, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A bearing arrangement for a wind turbine including a bearing housing and a drive shaft, whereby the drive shaft is arranged within the bearing housing in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis of the bearing housing, a downwind bearing and an upwind bearing, whereby the downwind bearing and the upwind bearing are arranged between the bearing housing and the drive shaft, wherein the downwind bearing and/or the upwind bearing is a radial fluid bearing including multiple radial bearing bodies, multiple radial tiltable support structures secured to the multiple radial bearing bodies, whereby each one of a multiple of radial bearing pads is attached to one of the multiple radial tiltable support structures and the multiple radial bearing pads are arranged about the drive shaft is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A bearing arrangement for a wind turbine comprising:
a bearing housing; a drive shaft arranged within the bearing housing in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis of the bearing housing; a downwind bearing; and an upwind bearing, wherein the downwind bearing and the upwind bearing are arranged between the bearing housing and the drive shaft, further wherein the downwind bearing and/or the upwind bearing is a radial fluid bearing comprising multiple radial bearing bodies, multiple radial tiltable support structures secured to the multiple radial bearing bodies, wherein each one of a multiple of radial bearing pads is attached to one of the multiple radial tiltable support structures and the multiple radial bearing pads are arranged about the drive shaft; wherein at least one curved interface plate is attached to at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies opposite of the radial bearing pad, and the interface plate is arranged in contact with a cylindrical seat of the radial fluid bearing.

2 . The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a first interface plate side of the at least one interface plate, which is contact with the cylindrical seat, has a curvature corresponding to a curvature of the cylindrical seat.

3 . The bearing arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein a second interface plate side of the at least one interface plate, which is located opposite of the first interface plate side, is predominantly plain or plain.

4 . The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one interface plate comprises at least one interface plate attachment means for attaching the at least one interface plate to the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies.

5 . The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one interface plate attachment means is an interface plate through hole.

6 . The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical seat is formed in the bearing housing.

7 . The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies to which the at least one interface plate is attached is fixed by means of limit stops attached to the cylindrical seat, further wherein the limit stops are adjacent to the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies in a tangential direction along a circumference of the cylindrical seat.

8 . The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies to which the at least one interface plate is attached is fixed to the cylindrical seat by means of at least one fastening element, further wherein the at least one fastening element at least partially extends through the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies.

9 . The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the multiple radial tiltable support structures comprises a ball head.

10 . The bearing arrangement according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies securing the at least one of the multiple radial tiltable support structures comprising the ball head comprises a ball socket for the ball head.

11 . The bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the multiple tiltable support structures is secured to at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies by means of a spring connection.

12 . A wind turbine comprising the bearing arrangement according to claim 1 , the wind turbine further comprising a rotor operatively connected to drive the drive shaft and a generator operatively connected to be driven by the drive shaft.

Assignees

• Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy As

Inventors

• Demissie Edom
• Soerensen Morten

Classifications

• F16C17/26 Primary

  Systems consisting of a plurality of sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C17/03 Primary

  with tiltably-supported segments, e.g. Michell bearings {(hydrostatic bearings with tiltably supported bearing pads F16C32/0666; made from a plurality of rods F16C33/26; with flexible leaves F16C17/024; hydrodynamic bearings with chambers F16C33/1075)} · CPC title

• F03D80/70 Primary

  Bearing or lubricating arrangements · CPC title

• F16C41/00

  Other accessories, {e.g. devices integrated in the bearing not relating to the bearing function as such} · CPC title

• F16C2360/31

  Wind motors · CPC title