Method and device for determining gear meshing force of wind driven generator and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of wind driven generator transmission systems, in particular to a wind driven generator gear meshing force determination method and device and a storage medium, and the method comprises the steps: building a finite element model of a target gear and a complete machine dynamic model of a wind driven generator comprising the target gear; defining and generating a turbulent wind model based on actually measured wind speed time sequence data, importing the turbulent wind model into multi-body dynamics software, calculating to obtain a load on the blade in combination with aerodynamic airfoil parameters of each section of the fan blade, and driving the whole machine dynamics model to move to obtain a position and load information corresponding to a target gear hinge point; and inputting the position and load information obtained by the complete machine dynamic model into the finite element model of the target gear, and calculating to obtain the meshing force of the target gear. According to the method, the gear meshing stress can be calculated in real time under the time-varying boundary condition in the operation process, and a more scientific basis is provided for reliable design and operation maintenance of the wind generating set.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wind turbine transmission system technology, specifically to a method, device, and storage medium for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine. Background Technology

[0002] Wind turbines operate in complex and ever-changing environments, with significant uncertainties in the external input loads on the rotor. This uncertainty causes gears in the drivetrain and yaw systems to be frequently subjected to alternating loads, making them highly susceptible to damage. Simultaneously, critical components such as the main frame and gearbox housing may undergo irregular deformation under the impact of sudden, abrupt load changes, causing instantaneous impacts on gear meshing. This ultimately leads to common faults such as gear wear, pitting, and even tooth breakage, severely impacting the unit's operational reliability and service life.

[0003] Currently, the finite element method (FEM) is commonly used in the industry to evaluate gear strength. This method treats each component as an independent entity, solves and analyzes the gear contact stress and tooth root bending stress, and evaluates gear performance by determining whether its ultimate stress meets preset requirements. However, there are extremely strong coupling characteristics among the wind turbine rotor, main shaft, gearbox, generator, and yaw system of a wind turbine generator set. Under the continuous action of random wind loads, the magnitude of the gear meshing force is not only directly affected by external loads but also influenced by the impact generated by the deformation of internal components. This is a systematic process involving the interaction of multiple components and factors. Obviously, relying solely on the finite element static method to evaluate the gear strength of a wind turbine generator set is insufficient to fully reflect the stress state of the gear under actual complex working conditions, and the sufficiency and accuracy of the evaluation results are limited. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method, device, and storage medium for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator, which can calculate the gear meshing stress in real time under time-varying boundary conditions during operation, providing a more scientific basis for the reliable design and operation and maintenance of wind turbine generator sets.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator, comprising: Establish a finite element model of the target gear, and a whole-machine dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear; A turbulent wind model is defined and generated based on measured wind speed time series data. The turbulent wind model is then imported into multibody dynamics software. The load on the blade is calculated by combining the aerodynamic airfoil parameters of each section of the wind turbine blade. This drives the motion of the whole machine dynamic model, and the position and load information corresponding to the target gear hinge point are obtained. The position and load information obtained from the whole machine dynamics model is input into the finite element model of the target gear to calculate the meshing force of the target gear.

[0006] Furthermore, the establishment of the finite element model of the target gear includes: importing the three-dimensional model of the target gear into the finite element preprocessing software for mesh generation, then importing the meshed target gear model into the finite element processing software, and defining the material parameters, contact parameters, and node set for data interaction with the overall dynamic model of the target gear.

[0007] Furthermore, the overall dynamics model includes a blade model, a tower model, a transmission chain system model, and a yaw system model.

[0008] Furthermore, the establishment of the blade model includes: constructing an initial blade model in multibody dynamics software, dividing the initial blade model into several elements based on Timoshenko beam theory, and inputting preset cross-sectional geometric properties, mass, and stiffness into each element to obtain the blade model; The establishment of the tower model includes: collecting the geometric model data of the tower, selecting a hollow circular cross section in the multibody dynamics software, and setting the cross section parameters and mass properties corresponding to each height of the tower according to the geometric model data of the tower, and constructing the tower model based on Euler Bernoulli beam theory. The establishment of the transmission chain system model and the yaw system model includes: flexible component modeling and rigid component modeling; The flexible component modeling includes: meshing the three-dimensional model of the flexible component, then using finite element software for modal reduction to generate a modal neutral file, and finally importing the modal neutral file into multibody dynamics software to generate the flexible component model. The rigid component modeling includes: parametrically modeling the rigid component using a rigid body model in multibody dynamics software, or importing the geometric model data of the rigid component into multibody dynamics software and defining the physical properties of the rigid component; The flexible components include a main shaft, a planetary carrier, and a gearbox housing; the rigid components include bearings, hubs, gears, splines, and a generator in the transmission chain system, as well as a yaw bearing and yaw gear set in the yaw system.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes: establishing a whole-machine dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear, and establishing a variable speed and pitch control strategy so that the whole-machine dynamic model can be in the same stress state as the actual wind turbine under wind load.

[0010] Furthermore, the meshing force of the target gear includes tooth root bending stress and tooth surface contact stress.

[0011] Furthermore, it also includes: acquiring the history curve of the meshing force of the target gear changing over time, identifying abnormal points in the history curve, wherein the abnormal points are the time points when the gear meshing force is not within a preset range or the change in the gear meshing force exceeds a preset threshold. Examine the deformation of each component in the overall dynamic model at the abnormal point, identify the problematic component that causes the abnormal meshing force of the target gear based on the deformation, and optimize the structure of the problematic component.

[0012] Furthermore, the boundary conditions of the finite element model of the target gear and the overall dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear are transmitted in real time through a co-simulation engine.

[0013] Secondly, the present invention discloses a device for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator, comprising: The model building unit is used to build the finite element model of the target gear and the overall dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear. The first calculation unit defines and generates a turbulent wind model based on measured wind speed time series data. The turbulent wind model is then imported into multibody dynamics software. The load on the blade is calculated by combining the aerodynamic airfoil parameters of each section of the wind turbine blade. This drives the motion of the whole machine dynamic model and obtains the position and load information corresponding to the target gear hinge point. The second calculation unit is used to input the position and load information obtained from the whole machine dynamics model into the finite element model of the target gear, and calculate the meshing force of the target gear.

[0014] Thirdly, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the above-described method for determining the meshing force of wind turbine gears.

[0015] The present invention has the following unexpected beneficial effects: This invention integrates external excitations (the overall dynamic response of the gear caused by turbulent wind loads) and internal excitations (inter-tooth forces and structural deformations during gear meshing) into a unified analysis framework, breaking away from the fragmented treatment of excitation factors in traditional methods. This makes the simulation of wind turbine operation more closely resemble actual working conditions. External excitations are transmitted to the target gear through the overall dynamic model, while internal excitations are coupled with external excitations in the finite element model, ultimately achieving a panoramic reconstruction of the gear's stress state and laying a more reliable foundation for subsequent analysis. Furthermore, by inputting the target gear's position and load obtained from the overall dynamic model into the target gear's finite element model, the meshing force of the target gear is calculated, solving the data silo problem between traditional dynamic analysis and finite element simulation. The dynamic boundary conditions of each component obtained from the dynamic calculations, i.e., the instantaneous position, load distribution, and constraint state of the target gear, can be accurately and promptly transmitted to the finite element model, avoiding boundary condition distortion caused by manual input or delayed transmission. This method ensures that finite element analysis is always based on dynamically updated and realistic boundary conditions, overcoming the limitations of static or simplified boundary conditions in simulation results and fundamentally improving the accuracy of gear meshing force calculation. Based on this, the finite element model can solve for gear meshing forces closer to reality under more realistic boundary conditions. Compared to traditional methods that rely on empirical formulas or simplified models to obtain stress data, this method outputs stress results that more accurately reflect the peak stress, distribution patterns, and dynamic trends of gears under complex operating conditions. This provides a scientific and reliable basis for predicting the lifespan of target gears, optimizing structures, and predicting faults, significantly reducing design risks or maintenance errors caused by stress assessment biases. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating the method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator according to the present invention is shown.

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the blade model described in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the tower model described in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the main axis mesh model described in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 5A schematic diagram of the structure of the primary planetary frame cloth mesh model according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the transmission chain system model according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the overall dynamics model described in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0024] Figure 8 A partial structural schematic diagram of the overall dynamic model described in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the finite element model of the target gear described in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the GRAPHIC image display node set according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the INTERFACE data interaction node set according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0028] Figure 12 The graph shows the history curve of the target gear meshing force according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments are only for illustrating the present invention and not for limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. The drawings only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0031] In one embodiment, see Figure 1 As shown, this invention discloses a method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator, which includes: Establish a finite element model of the target gear, and a whole-machine dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear; A turbulent wind model is defined and generated based on measured wind speed time series data. The turbulent wind model is then imported into multibody dynamics software. The load on the blade is calculated by combining the aerodynamic airfoil parameters of each section of the wind turbine blade. This drives the motion of the whole machine dynamic model, and the position and load information corresponding to the target gear hinge point are obtained. The position and load information obtained from the whole machine dynamics model is input into the finite element model of the target gear to calculate the meshing force of the target gear.

[0032] The method described in this invention can calculate gear meshing stress in real time under time-varying boundary conditions during operation, providing a more scientific basis for the reliable design and operation and maintenance of wind turbine generator sets.

[0033] This invention integrates external excitations (the overall dynamic response of the gear caused by turbulent wind loads) and internal excitations (inter-tooth forces, structural deformations, etc. during gear meshing) into a unified analysis framework, breaking away from the traditional fragmented treatment of excitation factors. This makes the simulation of wind turbine operation more closely resemble actual working conditions. External excitations are transmitted to the target gear through the overall dynamic model, while internal excitations are coupled with external excitations in the finite element model, ultimately achieving a panoramic reconstruction of the gear's stress state and laying a more reliable foundation for subsequent analysis.

[0034] Furthermore, by inputting the position and load information corresponding to the hinge point of the target gear obtained from the whole-machine dynamics model into the finite element model of the target gear, the meshing force of the target gear is calculated, thus solving the data silo problem between traditional dynamic analysis and finite element simulation. The dynamic boundary conditions of each component obtained from the dynamic calculation, namely the instantaneous position, load distribution, and constraint state of the target gear, can be accurately and timely transmitted to the finite element model, avoiding the distortion of boundary conditions caused by manual input or delayed transmission. This ensures that the finite element analysis is always based on dynamically updated and realistic boundary conditions, eliminating the limitations of static or simplified boundary conditions on simulation results and fundamentally improving the accuracy of gear meshing force calculation.

[0035] Building upon the above, the finite element model can solve for gear meshing forces closer to reality under more realistic boundary conditions. Compared to traditional methods that rely on empirical formulas or simplified models to obtain stress data, this method outputs stress results that more accurately reflect the peak stress, distribution patterns, and dynamic trends of gears under complex working conditions. This provides a scientific and reliable basis for predicting the lifespan of target gears, optimizing their structure, and providing early warning of faults, significantly reducing design risks or maintenance errors caused by deviations in stress assessment.

[0036] The main difference between this invention and existing technologies lies in overcoming two major problems: inaccurate calculations of flexible body stress values ​​by dynamic simulation software and inaccurate boundary condition settings when calculating flexible body stress by finite element software. A multibody dynamics model of the wind turbine generator, involving aero-elastic-control coupling, is established using multibody dynamics software. This model includes the overall dynamics model of the wind turbine generator, specifically the target gear. It can more accurately simulate the actual load conditions of the wind turbine generator set. Simultaneously, the actual operating state is transmitted in real-time as boundary conditions to the finite element model of the target gear for stress calculation. Compared to existing methods, this approach comprehensively considers the influence of both external and internal excitations of the gearbox, enabling more accurate calculation of gear meshing forces.

[0037] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the establishment of the finite element model of the target gear includes: importing the three-dimensional model of the target gear into finite element preprocessing software for mesh generation, then importing the meshed target gear model into finite element processing software, and defining the material parameters, contact parameters, and node set for data interaction with the whole machine dynamics model of the target gear.

[0038] In this preferred embodiment, the three-dimensional model is imported into the finite element preprocessing software for mesh generation. Differentiated mesh control can be achieved according to the structural characteristics of the gear (such as tooth profile, spokes, hub and other key parts). Fine mesh is used in stress concentration areas such as the meshing area to ensure calculation accuracy, while sparse mesh is used in non-critical areas to balance calculation efficiency. This avoids the problems of uneven density or shape distortion that may occur in traditional manual mesh generation, and lays a high-quality model foundation for subsequent stress analysis.

[0039] In finite element analysis (FEM) software, the material parameters (such as elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, yield strength, etc.) and contact parameters (such as friction coefficient, contact stiffness, etc.) of the target gear are clearly defined to ensure that the FEM model can accurately reflect the physical characteristics and meshing behavior of the target gear. Accurate input of material parameters can avoid stress calculation deviations caused by parameter errors, while reasonable setting of contact parameters can accurately simulate the mechanical transmission law of inter-tooth contact, further improving the model's fidelity to actual working conditions.

[0040] By pre-setting node sets for data interaction, the data interface between the finite element model and the overall machine dynamics model is clearly defined. These node sets typically correspond to the connection positions of gears with other components (such as shafts and bearings) or key areas for force transmission, ensuring that the position, load, and other data output by the dynamics model can be accurately mapped to the corresponding nodes in the finite element model, avoiding misalignment or omissions during data transmission. The standardized node set definition reduces the cost of format conversion and filtering during data interaction, enabling the boundary conditions of dynamic calculations to be quickly and accurately imported into the finite element software. This synergy with the real-time data exchange mechanism further enhances the timeliness and accuracy of dynamic boundary conditions, providing efficient data link support for the real-time solution of gear meshing forces.

[0041] For example, the Hypermesh finite element preprocessing software is used to mesh the 3D model of the target gear. The mesh model is as follows: Figure 9 As shown, the mesh model is imported into Abaqus software, a finite element analysis software, to define material parameters, contact parameters, and the node sets of the corresponding contact surfaces.

[0042] To ensure proper data exchange between the finite element method (FEM) software Abaqus and the multibody dynamics software Simpack, some modifications are needed to the Abaqus .inp file. The input .inp file must contain not only the definition of the finite element model but also the co-simulation interface. The co-simulation interface consists of two node sets; see [link to documentation]. Figure 10 As shown, one part consists of graphical display nodes named GRAPHIC. This set of nodes is used to receive displacement and velocity data from the finite element model; see also... Figure 11 As shown, the other node set is the data interaction node set, named INTERFACE, used for displacement and load transfer with Simpack. In Simpack, the interaction logic for coordinated simulation with Abaqus needs to be defined. Simpack will automatically generate the boundary conditions and loading steps for Abaqus.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the overall dynamics model includes a blade model, a tower model, a transmission chain system model, and a yaw system model.

[0044] The blades are key components for receiving wind loads, the tower supports the entire unit and transmits the loads, the drivetrain system is responsible for power transmission, and the yaw system adjusts the turbine's windward direction. Together, these four components constitute the core structure of a wind turbine. Modeling these components individually and then integrating them comprehensively covers the force transmission path during turbine operation, as well as the additional load transmission during yaw adjustments. This avoids model simplification or breaks in force transmission due to the omission of key components, ensuring that the model fully reflects the dynamic characteristics of the entire turbine.

[0045] Under extreme operating conditions (such as strong turbulent winds, yaw adjustments, and start-up / shutdown processes), the stress and deformation of various components of a wind turbine are significantly correlated. For example, blade vibration is transmitted to the drive train through the tower, and yaw action changes the load direction. Component-by-component modeling can specifically characterize the response of each component under complex operating conditions, providing refined sub-model support for subsequent coupled analysis of the entire turbine.

[0046] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the establishment of the blade model includes: constructing an initial blade model in multibody dynamics software, dividing the initial blade model into several elements based on Timoshenko beam theory, and inputting preset cross-sectional geometric properties, mass and stiffness into each element to obtain the blade model.

[0047] Compared to the traditional Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, Timoshenko beam theory considers not only bending deformation but also shear deformation and rotational inertia, making it more consistent with the mechanical behavior of components like wind turbine blades, which have large aspect ratios and are prone to complex deformation. Dividing the blade into multiple elements and defining their cross-sectional geometric properties (such as chord length and torsion angle), mass, and stiffness allows for accurate capture of multi-degree-of-freedom vibrations such as flapping, flaring, and torsion under wind loads, avoiding dynamic response distortion caused by model simplification. The cross-sectional shape, mass distribution, and stiffness of wind turbine blades vary significantly along their length, such as being thick at the blade root and thin at the tip. By inputting parameters for each element, this non-uniform characteristic can be realistically reproduced, making the force transmission and deformation distribution of the blade model more closely resemble reality when subjected to non-uniform loads such as turbulent winds. This provides reliable upstream data for subsequent load calculations of components such as the drivetrain and gears.

[0048] This preferred embodiment further enhances the aeroelastic coupling effect. The blades are the direct load-bearing components, and their dynamic deformation, in turn, affects the distribution of aerodynamic forces—a process known as aeroelastic coupling. Refined modeling based on Timoshenko beam theory accurately transmits the elastic deformation information of the blades in the airflow, synergizing with the aerodynamic model. This allows wind load calculations to not only depend on the initial wind speed but also respond to real-time blade attitude changes, thus more realistically simulating the dynamic force chain transmission process of wind-blade-engine.

[0049] The dynamic loads of the blades are transmitted to the drivetrain and yaw system through components such as the hub and main shaft. The modular blade model can output more refined load timing data (such as inertial and elastic forces in different units), ensuring that these loads are accurately decomposed and transmitted in the overall dynamic model. This avoids load concentration or transmission errors caused by rough blade models, providing accurate boundary conditions for gear meshing force calculations. Furthermore, the modular modeling approach, dividing the blades into multiple units, allows for flexible adjustment of the number of units according to simulation requirements, such as increasing the density in critical areas and simplifying non-critical areas. This ensures the calculation accuracy of critical parts while avoiding the excessive computational power consumption of full 3D modeling, enabling the overall dynamic simulation to be completed within an engineering-acceptable timeframe. Simultaneously, the cross-sectional properties, mass, and stiffness of each unit can be adjusted independently, facilitating parametric analysis of the blade structure, such as changing the stiffness of a blade segment to optimize vibration characteristics. This allows engineers to quickly assess the impact of blade design on overall dynamic performance, providing an efficient simulation tool for blade structure optimization and overall system reliability design.

[0050] For example, the Rotorblade Generation module in the multibody dynamics software Simpack is used to generate the initial blade model. This module requires defining an RBL input file first. In the RBL file, the wind turbine blade is divided into several elements using Timoshenko beam theory. For each element, its cross-sectional geometry, mass, and stiffness information are input. The generated blade model... Figure 2 As shown.

[0051] It should be noted that, to ensure the accuracy of the simulation results and reduce data errors caused by data incompatibility, it is necessary to extract the wind load time series records from the field test data of the wind turbine generator set, reproduce the wind field, and use it as input to provide a basis for subsequent calculations. The open-source turbulent wind stochastic simulator TurbSim provided by Nrel is used to generate the turbulent wind model. Before generating the turbulent wind model with TurbSim, the input file needs to be defined. The input file mainly consists of six parts, of which three need to be defined: ① Runtimes Options, which mainly sets the number of wind seeds; ② Turbine / Model Specifications, which defines the analysis time, time step, and parameters related to the wind turbine generator, such as hub height and inflow angle. Meteorological Boundary Condition: This option sets the turbulence model. It mainly requires defining the selected IEC standard version, the average wind speed at the reference height, and the turbulence intensity.

[0052] An aerodynamic model is generated using the AeroDyn module provided by OpenFast. This module employs blade element momentum theory to establish an iterative process to determine aerodynamic forces. The aerodynamic model takes wind speed data output from a turbulent wind model as input and, combined with the blade's geometric parameters, calculates the aerodynamic forces (such as lift, drag, and torque) acting on the blades using blade element momentum theory. Its core principle is to convert the energy of the wind field into mechanical loads on the blades. These aerodynamic forces are then transferred as intermediate loads to the blade model, becoming the direct driving force for the overall motion and deformation of the aircraft.

[0053] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the establishment of the tower model includes: collecting the geometric model data of the tower, selecting a hollow circular cross section in multibody dynamics software, and setting the cross section parameters and mass attributes corresponding to each height of the tower one by one according to the geometric model data of the tower, and constructing the tower model based on Euler Bernoulli beam theory.

[0054] As a supporting component of wind turbines, the tower's geometry is typically a hollow cylinder with a variable cross-section (thick at the bottom and slender at the top). By collecting actual geometric model data and setting the cross-sectional parameters (such as diameter and wall thickness) and mass properties for each height, the structural changes of the tower along the height direction can be realistically reproduced, avoiding distortions in mass distribution and stiffness characteristics caused by model simplification. Furthermore, the model is built based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, which is applicable to the bending deformation analysis of slender structures and can accurately capture the tower's bending response under wind loads, overall weight, and vibration transmission. For structures with large length-to-diameter ratios, such as wind turbine towers, Euler-Bernoulli beam theory can efficiently simulate their main mechanical behaviors while ensuring computational accuracy, providing a reliable foundation for load transfer analysis.

[0055] Meanwhile, the tower is the core structure connecting the foundation to the upper nacelle and blades. Wind loads are transferred to the tower through the blades and nacelle, and then from the tower to the foundation. Refined cross-sectional parameters and mass property settings ensure that the force transmission process of the tower under these loads is consistent with reality, avoiding load concentration or attenuation errors caused by model simplification, and providing accurate upstream load data for the stress analysis of components such as the drivetrain and yaw system.

[0056] Under dynamic conditions such as turbulent winds and yaw adjustments, the tower's vibration will couple with the blades and transmission chain. Based on actual geometric data and beam theory, the model can accurately output the dynamic deformation and vibration characteristics of the tower, enabling the overall dynamic model to capture this multi-component coupling effect, thereby improving the calculation accuracy of time-varying loads on key components such as gears.

[0057] This preferred implementation uses beam theory modeling instead of full 3D solid modeling, which significantly reduces the number of meshes and computational load. Simultaneously, by setting cross-sectional parameters at different heights, accuracy is preserved at key structural features, achieving a balance between high precision and high efficiency. This makes the overall dynamics simulation more easily applied to engineering design and optimization processes. It should be noted that the cross-sectional parameters and mass properties at each height can be modified independently, facilitating parametric analysis of the tower structure. This allows technicians to quickly assess the impact of tower design on the overall dynamic performance of the machine, providing reliable simulation data for lightweight tower design and vibration optimization, indirectly improving the operational reliability of components such as gears.

[0058] For example, based on the geometric model data of the tower, the section properties and mass properties at each height are set using the No. 2 section property (Circle, hollow). The tower is then constructed using a Linear SIMBEAM Euler Bernoulli beam, specifying the height and order of each section, thus completing the tower modeling. The constructed tower model is as follows: Figure 3 As shown.

[0059] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the establishment of the transmission chain system model and the yaw system model includes: flexible component modeling and rigid component modeling; The modeling of the flexible component includes: meshing the three-dimensional model of the flexible component, then performing modal reduction using finite element software to generate a modal neutral file, and finally importing the modal neutral file into multibody dynamics software to generate the flexible component model; the flexible component includes a main shaft, a planetary carrier, and a gearbox housing.

[0060] Flexible components such as the spindle, planetary carrier, and gearbox housing are prone to deformation under load, and this deformation directly affects the gear meshing state, such as the relative position between teeth and the load distribution. By employing a process of mesh generation, finite element modal reduction, generating modal neutral files, and importing them into multibody dynamics software, the elastic deformation characteristics of these components can be accurately preserved. This avoids ignoring the dynamic impact of deformation on gear meshing due to simplification to rigid bodies. For example, deformation of the planetary carrier may lead to uneven meshing clearance between the planetary gears and the sun gear, thereby exacerbating local stress concentration.

[0061] The rigid component modeling includes: parametrically modeling the rigid component using a rigid body model in multibody dynamics software, or importing the geometric model data of the rigid component into multibody dynamics software and defining the physical properties of the rigid component. The rigid components include bearings, hubs, gears, splines, and generators in the transmission chain system, and yaw bearings and yaw gear sets in the yaw system.

[0062] Rigid components such as bearings, hubs, and gears have high stiffness and negligible deformation. By using rigid body models and importing geometric data and defining physical properties (such as mass and moment of inertia), the load can be accurately transmitted while simplifying calculations. This avoids force transmission errors caused by overly complex modeling and ensures that the power transmission path from the blades to the transmission chain and from the yaw system to the whole machine is clear and consistent with reality.

[0063] The operation of the transmission chain and yaw system is the result of the synergistic effect of flexible and rigid components. For example, the deformation of the main shaft is transmitted to the gearbox through the bearings, and the deformation of the gearbox housing in turn reacts on the gear meshing. Differentiated modeling allows the deformation of the flexible components to be fed back to the force analysis of the rigid components in real time, and the force transmission of the rigid components can also accurately drive the dynamic response of the flexible components. This fully captures the coupling process of load input, flexible deformation, rigid transmission, and gear force, avoiding the fragmentation of coupling relationships in traditional single modeling (all rigid or all flexible).

[0064] Under extreme wind loads and yaw adjustment conditions, the transient deformation of flexible components (such as gearbox housing vibration) and the dynamic stress of rigid components (such as the impact load on the yaw gear set) interact with each other. Differential modeling can accurately simulate this dynamic coupling. For example, when the rotation of the yaw bearing (rigid) transmits torque through the yaw gear set (rigid), the deformation of the gearbox housing (flexible) will change the boundary conditions of gear meshing. The model can capture this process synchronously, providing a realistic dynamic boundary for calculating gear meshing forces.

[0065] For flexible components, finite element modal reduction is used to generate modal neutral files. This significantly reduces the model's degrees of freedom (eliminating higher-order minor modes) while preserving key deformation characteristics, avoiding the massive computational burden of full 3D detailed modeling and enabling the completion of whole-machine dynamics simulation within an engineering-acceptable timeframe. For components with high stiffness and negligible deformation, rigid body models are used, eliminating the need for complex mesh generation and elastic parameter definitions. This ensures force transmission accuracy while simplifying the model structure, reducing the data interaction complexity during co-simulation between multibody dynamics and finite element software, and providing efficient support for real-time data exchange.

[0066] Furthermore, when simulations detect abnormal gear stress, the source of deformation can be traced through flexible component models (such as excessive deformation of the gearbox housing leading to gear misalignment), or force transmission problems can be investigated through rigid component models (such as abnormal bearing contact stiffness). This provides a clear direction for targeted optimization (such as strengthening the planetary carrier stiffness and adjusting bearing parameters), thereby improving the design reliability of the transmission system and yaw system.

[0067] For example, for the flexible components of a transmission chain system, the three-dimensional model of the flexible component is meshed, see [reference]. Figure 4 The spindle model shown and Figure 4The first-stage planetary carrier model is shown. Then, modal reduction is performed using finite element software to generate a modal neutral file. Finally, the modal neutral file is imported into the FBI FileGeneration module of the multibody dynamics software Simpack to generate a flexible body FBI file, that is, to generate a flexible component model.

[0068] Rigid body models are used for other components with higher stiffness in the transmission chain system, such as hubs, gears, splines, and generators. For the bearings, Hertz contact theory is employed, treating rollers as equivalent spring elements and considering bearing damping reference stiffness. By incorporating reference damping coefficients for bearing compression and expansion, the characteristics of bearing dynamics are realistically reflected throughout the entire process. The gear meshing section also utilizes Hertz contact theory, considering the time-varying meshing rods of the gear pair. The final overall transmission chain model is as follows: Figure 6 As shown.

[0069] See Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, by assembling and connecting the blade model, tower model, transmission chain system model and yaw system model established above, the multibody dynamics model of the whole machine is obtained.

[0070] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it further includes: establishing a dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear, and establishing a variable speed and pitch control strategy so that the dynamic model of the wind turbine can be in the same stress state as the actual wind turbine under wind load.

[0071] Variable speed and pitch control is the core mechanism for wind turbines to cope with changes in wind load (e.g., optimizing wind energy capture through variable speed at low wind speeds and limiting power output through pitch control at high wind speeds). Incorporating this strategy into the overall dynamics model ensures that the model's speed and pitch angle adjustments under wind loads are consistent with the control logic of the actual unit. This guarantees that the magnitude and timing of loads (such as torque and bending moment) on components like blades and drivetrain closely match real-world operating scenarios, avoiding distortion of the stress state caused by neglecting the control strategy.

[0072] For example, variable speed and pitch control is required when a wind turbine is in the following situations so that the operating power curve of the wind turbine is substantially consistent with the expected power curve.

[0073] To limit grid-connected or off-grid power during startup or shutdown; When operating below the rated speed, the wind turbine is always positioned at the optimal windward side by adjusting the pitch. When the wind speed exceeds the rated wind speed, pitch control is required to ensure stable output power.

[0074] The variable speed and pitch control measurement was programmed in C language and a .dll file was generated. It was then applied in Simpack using force element number 243.

[0075] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the meshing force of the target gear includes tooth root bending stress and tooth surface contact stress.

[0076] During the operation of wind turbine gears, excessive bending stress at the tooth root can lead to fatigue cracks and subsequent tooth breakage; while excessive contact stress on the tooth surface can easily cause failures such as tooth surface wear and pitting. Including these two stresses in the calculation of meshing force can comprehensively reflect the main mechanical risks faced by gears during meshing, cover the key stress types that are most prone to gear failure, and avoid the one-sidedness caused by evaluation based on a single stress index.

[0077] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it further includes: obtaining a history curve of the meshing force of the target gear changing over time, identifying abnormal points in the history curve, wherein the abnormal points are time points when the gear meshing force is not within a preset range or the change in gear meshing force exceeds a preset threshold; examining the deformation of each component in the whole machine dynamics model at the abnormal point time, determining the problematic component that causes the abnormal meshing force of the target gear based on the deformation, and optimizing the structure of the problematic component.

[0078] The time-varying history curve of the meshing force obtained in this preferred embodiment can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 12 The illustrated curve of the target gear meshing force visually reflects the dynamic forces acting on the gear at different operating stages. By identifying anomaly points (moments exceeding the preset range or exhibiting excessive fluctuations), the key time points of gear stress anomalies can be precisely pinpointed, avoiding the omission of dynamic anomalies in traditional static analysis. At the anomaly point, the deformation of each component in the overall dynamic model can be observed. Utilizing the strong coupling between components in the overall model, the source of the abnormal meshing force can be traced. For example, if the anomaly point of tooth root bending stress coincides with the peak deformation of the first-stage planetary carrier bushing, it can be determined that the planetary carrier deformation is the key cause of gear eccentric loading, solving the problem that traditional single-component analysis struggles to clarify coupling effects.

[0079] This preferred embodiment avoids blindly optimizing all components of the machine by pinpointing the problematic part, making structural improvements more targeted. For example, if the anomaly stems from excessive spindle deformation, the spindle stiffness can be specifically strengthened or its cross-sectional parameters adjusted, rather than adjusting the entire transmission chain, significantly reducing optimization costs and time. Furthermore, the optimization is based on actual operating conditions of abnormal gear meshing forces (rather than theoretical assumptions) and incorporates deformation data from the overall machine dynamics model, ensuring that optimization measures effectively improve the stress environment of the gears.

[0080] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the boundary conditions of the finite element model of the target gear and the overall dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear are transmitted in real time through a co-simulation engine.

[0081] As the scheduling core, the collaborative simulation engine can uniformly manage the communication rhythm and time step of the multibody dynamics software Simpack and the finite element software Abaqus, ensuring that the boundary conditions such as gear positions and loads output by the whole machine dynamics model can be transmitted to the finite element model in real time, avoiding simulation errors caused by data transmission delays or asynchrony.

[0082] For example, multibody dynamics software and finite element software are connected through SIMULIA Co-Simulation-Engine (CSE) for real-time data exchange. CSE acts as a scheduling process, managing communication and time step synchronization between solvers, so that the multibody dynamics software can input the boundary conditions of the gears into the finite element software, and the finite element software can output the effect of the gear meshing force.

[0083] In one embodiment, the present invention discloses a device for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator, comprising: The model building unit is used to build the finite element model of the target gear and the overall dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear. The first calculation unit defines and generates a turbulent wind model based on measured wind speed time series data. The turbulent wind model is then imported into multibody dynamics software. The load on the blade is calculated by combining the aerodynamic airfoil parameters of each section of the wind turbine blade. This drives the motion of the whole machine dynamic model and obtains the position and load information corresponding to the target gear hinge point. The second calculation unit is used to input the position and load information obtained from the whole machine dynamics model into the finite element model of the target gear, and calculate the meshing force of the target gear.

[0084] In one embodiment, the present invention discloses a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the method for determining the meshing force of wind turbine gears as described above.

[0085] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the above embodiments does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0086] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0087] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0088] This application implements all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments, which can also be accomplished by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The computer-readable medium can include: any entity or interface switching device capable of carrying the computer program code, a recording medium, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a computer memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium, etc.

[0089] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention and the features thereof can be combined with each other unless otherwise specified.

Claims

1. A method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator, characterized in that, include: Establish a finite element model of the target gear, and a whole-machine dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear; A turbulent wind model is defined and generated based on measured wind speed time series data. The turbulent wind model is then imported into multibody dynamics software. The load on the blade is calculated by combining the aerodynamic airfoil parameters of each section of the wind turbine blade. This drives the motion of the whole machine dynamic model, and the position and load information corresponding to the target gear hinge point are obtained. The position and load information obtained from the whole machine dynamics model is input into the finite element model of the target gear to calculate the meshing force of the target gear.

2. The method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The establishment of the finite element model of the target gear includes: importing the three-dimensional model of the target gear into the finite element preprocessing software for mesh generation, then importing the meshed target gear model into the finite element processing software, and defining the material parameters, contact parameters, and node set for data interaction with the overall dynamic model of the target gear.

3. The method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The overall dynamics model includes a blade model, a tower model, a transmission chain system model, and a yaw system model.

4. The method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The establishment of the blade model includes: constructing an initial blade model in multibody dynamics software, dividing the initial blade model into several elements based on Timoshenko beam theory, and inputting preset cross-sectional geometric properties, mass and stiffness into each element to obtain the blade model; The establishment of the tower model includes: collecting the geometric model data of the tower, selecting a hollow circular cross section in the multibody dynamics software, and setting the cross section parameters and mass properties corresponding to each height of the tower according to the geometric model data of the tower, and constructing the tower model based on Euler Bernoulli beam theory. The establishment of the transmission chain system model and the yaw system model includes: flexible component modeling and rigid component modeling; The flexible component modeling includes: meshing the three-dimensional model of the flexible component, then using finite element software for modal reduction to generate a modal neutral file, and finally importing the modal neutral file into multibody dynamics software to generate the flexible component model. The rigid component modeling includes: parametrically modeling the rigid component using a rigid body model in multibody dynamics software, or importing the geometric model data of the rigid component into multibody dynamics software and defining the physical properties of the rigid component; The flexible components include a main shaft, a planetary carrier, and a gearbox housing; the rigid components include bearings, hubs, gears, splines, and a generator in the transmission chain system, as well as a yaw bearing and yaw gear set in the yaw system.

5. The method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A dynamic model of the wind turbine generator, including the target gear, is established, and a variable speed and pitch control strategy is developed so that the dynamic model can be in the same stress state as the actual wind turbine generator under wind load.

6. The method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The meshing force of the target gear includes tooth root bending stress and tooth surface contact stress.

7. The method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Obtain the history curve of the meshing force of the target gear changing over time, and identify abnormal points in the history curve. The abnormal points are the time points when the gear meshing force is outside the preset range or the change in gear meshing force exceeds the preset threshold. Examine the deformation of each component in the overall dynamic model at the abnormal point, identify the problematic component that causes the abnormal meshing force of the target gear based on the deformation, and optimize the structure of the problematic component.

8. The method for determining the gear meshing force of a wind turbine generator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The boundary conditions of the finite element model of the target gear and the overall dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear are transmitted in real time through a co-simulation engine.

9. A device for determining the meshing force of gears in a wind turbine generator, characterized in that, include: The model building unit is used to build the finite element model of the target gear and the overall dynamic model of the wind turbine including the target gear. The first calculation unit defines and generates a turbulent wind model based on measured wind speed time series data. The turbulent wind model is then imported into multibody dynamics software. The load on the blade is calculated by combining the aerodynamic airfoil parameters of each section of the wind turbine blade. This drives the motion of the whole machine dynamic model and obtains the position and load information corresponding to the target gear hinge point. The second calculation unit is used to input the position and load information obtained from the whole machine dynamics model into the finite element model of the target gear, and calculate the meshing force of the target gear.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform the method for determining the meshing force of wind turbine gears as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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