Cage structure rigid coupling

Abstract

The application discloses a cage structure rigid coupling. The coupling is suitable for low-speed heavy-load equipment such as a wind turbine generator system, and is mainly characterized in that the coupling is in an integrated cage structure form, and a driving part and a driven part in a transmission system are rigidly connected through a threaded fastener and other parts to transmit a large torque and bear a certain bending moment. The coupling improves the torque transmission capacity, simplifies the manufacturing and assembly process, and reduces the cost through the optimization of material arrangement and other modes, and can replace the locking disc type coupling widely used in the traditional wind power industry.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a cage-type rigid coupling, particularly addressing the design problems of transmission systems for megawatt-class and above non-direct-drive wind turbine generator sets. Background Technology

[0002] In a typical horizontal axis wind turbine generator set, the impeller needs to be connected to the power generation unit (which can be the rotor of a direct-drive generator or the input shaft of a speed-increasing gearbox) through a transmission system. Therefore, a coupling must be designed for the overall assembly of the transmission system.

[0003] Traditional coupling solutions typically employ two approaches: flexible and rigid. The former introduces flexible components into the drivetrain to mitigate impact loads from the impeller and compensate for angular and axial misalignments during assembly and operation. The latter strengthens the support of the drivetrain, reducing the need for impact mitigation and introducing flexible components at the support points to compensate for potential misalignments. Compared to flexible solutions, rigid couplings offer simpler dynamic response analysis and higher overall reliability, making them the mainstream design approach for wind turbines today.

[0004] For rigid coupling solutions, traditional locking discs are costly, have low efficiency in torque transmission via friction, and poor reliability. Furthermore, as unit capacity increases, the shortcomings of this solution become increasingly apparent. It is necessary to conduct a systematic analysis and design of the unit's transmission chain, strengthening the support structure while simplifying the coupling solution. This will optimize functionality and improve transmission efficiency, ultimately achieving the goal of cost reduction and efficiency improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention addresses the inherent shortcomings of existing technologies by cleverly designing the structural features of parts to allow materials to bear more loads, reduce the use of ineffective materials, and provide channels and space for future maintenance.

[0006] The coupling in this embodiment of the invention primarily functions as a connector and a transmission device. In this invention, the main structural component of the coupling used to connect the front and rear driving and driven components is a flange; the transmission structure includes mounting holes for shear-resistant structural components added to the flange, and reinforcing ribs on the coupling body. Furthermore, considering the needs of disassembly, assembly, and subsequent maintenance, several maintenance holes are provided on the outer wall of the main body at the gaps between the ribs.

[0007] Specifically, in the main embodiments of the present invention, an end-face flange structure is used to connect the front and rear transmission components. The coupling body is located between the front and rear flanges, and the whole has a cage-like structure. The diameter of the neutral plane projection circle is equivalent to the outer diameter of the front and rear connecting flanges. The front and rear flanges and the body are designed as a whole.

[0008] In the embodiments described in this invention, based on the traditional flange coupling, the position and shape of the flange connection structure are improved by deeply analyzing the specific implementation of the transmission function of the parts. This allows the relatively weak material to meet the high torque transmission requirements, reduces manufacturing costs, optimizes the detailed features of each part of the coupling, improves material utilization, and further improves the energy efficiency ratio of the components. Attached Figure Description

[0009] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0010] Appendix Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a low-speed heavy-load transmission system provided for a main embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a cage-type rigid coupling provided for a main embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a partial schematic diagram of the coupling body provided in the main embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 4 A front view of the coupling flange (shear sleeve) provided for a main embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the tapered washer assembly for the coupling flange shear sleeve provided in the main embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a split coupling structure provided for a similar embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 7 A partial schematic diagram of the coupling body (elliptical maintenance hole) provided for a similar embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 8 Partial schematic diagrams a and b of the main body reinforcing ribs of the coupling provided for similar embodiments of the present invention (asymmetric X-shaped ribs and sawtooth ribs).

[0018] Figure 9 This is a partial schematic diagram of the connection surface of a split coupling provided in a similar embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] In the diagram, 1-transmission system, 2-driving component, 3-coupling, 301-coupling body, 302-front connecting flange, 303-mounting hole for shear sleeve, 304-rear connecting flange, 305-maintenance and observation hole, 306-reinforcing rib, 4-driven component, 5-shear sleeve, 6-serrated reinforcing rib, 7-special conical washer, 8-double-ended stud, 9-nut, 10-elliptical maintenance hole, 11-front half coupling, 12-rear half coupling, 13-half coupling assembly surface. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] The present invention provides a cage-type rigid coupling, mainly used as shown in the attached... Figure 1 In the transmission system 1 shown, it connects the driving component 2 and the driven component 4, and transmits torque and load bending moment. A preferred embodiment is shown in the attached figure. Figure 2 As shown: The coupling 3 has a cage-like structure and can be divided into three parts: the connecting flanges 302 and 304 connected to the driving and driven parts, and the cylindrical coupling body 301 with a larger diameter. From the radial section perspective, the main material of the coupling makes full use of the larger distribution circle diameter to transmit torque.

[0022] As attached Figure 3 As shown, the coupling body is evenly provided with maintenance and observation holes 305 around its circumference, and reinforcing ribs 306 surround the maintenance holes. The maintenance and observation holes are used for maintenance of the fasteners (such as bolts, studs, etc.) inside the coupling that connect the driving and driven parts. These holes are designed to fit the symmetrical X-shaped reinforcing ribs and can be rhomboid, square, or elliptical (as shown in the attached diagram). Figure 7 (As shown). Alternatively, as attached... Figure 8 As shown, the reinforcing ribs are asymmetrical X-shaped or sawtooth-shaped, and the maintenance holes also change shape synchronously.

[0023] As attached Figure 4 As shown, the coupling has shear sleeve mounting holes 303 at the front and rear connecting flanges, providing stronger torsional transmission capacity through shear-resistant components. These shear-resistant components can be as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 5 The shear sleeve 5 shown can also be a shear pin, or a standard fastener for drilling holes, etc.

[0024] When using shear sleeves, due to the large bore diameter, a special shim is required to prevent localized crushing caused by the preload of the fasteners at the shear sleeve. See the attached document for details. Figure 5As shown, taking the shear sleeve mounting hole of the active flange as an example, the active component 2 is provided with a threaded blind hole and a shear sleeve mounting hole, and the flange 302 is provided with a shear sleeve mounting hole 303 of the same specification at the corresponding position. After the shear sleeve 5 is assembled in place, the front connecting flange 302 and the active component 2 need to be pre-tightened using a double-ended stud 8 and a nut 9. At this time, a special conical washer 7 needs to be installed between the nut 9 and the front connecting flange 302. Its main feature is that it contacts the conical surface of the front connecting flange 302, which can not only be aligned, but also allow the pressure transmitted from the nut to be transmitted more directly to the flange surface, reducing the additional bending moment. Taking into account the processing technology and material requirements, the relationship between the half cone angle α of the connecting cone surface, the washer height h, and the wall thickness k of the shear sleeve (5) is tanα=(k+3) / h.

[0025] When the torque to be transmitted is large, the size of the transmission system will also increase. To reduce processing costs and assembly difficulty, the following can be used: Figure 6 As shown, a rigid coupling assembly is formed by assembling the front and rear half-couplings 11 and 12. When using a split-type half-coupling scheme to connect the transmission system, it can be done as shown in the attached figure. Figure 9 As shown, the connecting surfaces of the front and rear half couplings are designed as tapered surfaces 13 to facilitate alignment during assembly and ensure that the rotation centers of the entire transmission system are coaxial.

[0026] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A cage-type rigid coupling, characterized in that: The rigid coupling (3) is located in the transmission system (1) and is used to rigidly connect the driving part (2) and the driven part (4). The rigid coupling (3) is divided into three parts: the coupling body (301), the front connecting flange (302), and the rear connecting flange (304), which are cage-like structures. The coupling body (301) is a cylindrical structure with a large diameter. The coupling body (301), the front connecting flange (302), and the rear connecting flange (304) are manufactured as a single piece. The cylindrical surface of the coupling body (301) is provided with maintenance and observation holes (305), and the edge of the holes is provided with reinforcing ribs (306). The reinforcing ribs (306) are symmetrical or asymmetrical X-shaped or sawtooth-shaped. The coupling body is uniformly provided with maintenance and observation holes (305) and reinforcing ribs (306) around the maintenance holes. The maintenance and observation holes (305) are molded in conjunction with the reinforcing ribs (306) and change shape synchronously.

2. The cage-type rigid coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that: In addition to fasteners, the front connecting flange (302) and the rear connecting flange (304) are provided with mounting holes (303) for shear sleeves (5), and special tapered washers (7) are required to be used in conjunction with them.

3. A cage-type rigid coupling according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mating surface of the specially made conical washer (7) and the connecting fastener is a plane, and the area of ​​the plane is not less than the contact surface area of ​​the standard nut of the fastener used here; the mating surface of the specially made conical washer (7) and the mounting hole (303) of the shear sleeve (5) is a conical surface, and the area of ​​the conical surface is not less than the contact surface area of ​​the standard nut of the fastener used here. The half-cone angle α is related to the height h of the specially made conical washer (7) and the wall thickness k of the shear sleeve (5), tanα=(k+3) / h.

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