Auxiliary bearing seat structure and method for testing a wind turbine drivetrain gearbox

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of wind power generation equipment, and particularly to an auxiliary bearing housing structure and method for testing wind turbine transmission chain gearboxes. The structure includes a bearing housing, divided into an upper bearing housing and a lower bearing housing, which are detachably connected. The bearing housing has a flange structure at its end for connection to the test gearbox. A bearing is installed at a predetermined position on the inner ring of the bearing housing. A spline sleeve is installed on the inner ring of the bearing, and both ends of the spline sleeve can be connected to the spline shaft of the test gearbox. A bearing pressure plate is fitted onto the spline sleeve to fix the inner ring of the bearing. This invention replaces the original turbine bearing housing structure required for testing by designing an auxiliary bearing housing structure, thus solving the problems of long production cycles, cumbersome assembly processes, and high testing costs associated with the assembly of existing integrated transmission chain gearboxes requiring the use of the turbine bearing housing for factory testing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wind power generation equipment, and in particular to an auxiliary bearing housing structure and method for testing wind turbine transmission chain gearboxes. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, the bearing housing assembly and gearbox of wind turbine units were separate, connected by a locking disc or flange. The first-stage planetary gearbox had an independent support bearing, and the gearbox only needed to add an auxiliary torque transmission shaft to conduct tests.

[0003] With the increase in the power rating of wind turbine units and the changes in the structure of wind turbine transmission chains, the transmission chain form that integrates the bearing housing assembly and the gearbox has become the mainstream. However, after integration, because the first-stage planetary carrier of the gearbox lacks bearing support and a front housing, the first-stage planetary sleeve needs the main shaft in the bearing housing assembly for support. Therefore, gearbox manufacturers must use the bearing housing assembly to conduct gearbox tests.

[0004] Since the bearing housing assembly and gearbox are manufactured by the OEM and gearbox manufacturers respectively, if the gearbox manufacturer needs to conduct tests, it will need to borrow the bearing housing assembly from the OEM. This leads to additional transportation and disassembly requirements for the bearing housing assembly, resulting in wasted costs and time. Furthermore, the testing process may cause damage to the main shaft bearing in the original bearing housing assembly of the wind turbine or accumulate fatigue damage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an auxiliary bearing housing structure and method for testing wind turbine transmission chain gearboxes. By designing an auxiliary bearing housing structure to replace the original turbine bearing housing structure required during testing, this invention solves the problems of existing integrated transmission chain gearboxes requiring the use of turbine bearing housings for factory testing, resulting in long production cycles, cumbersome assembly processes, and high testing costs. To achieve the above objective, this invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an auxiliary bearing housing structure for testing a wind turbine drive chain gearbox, comprising:

[0007] The bearing housing is divided into an upper bearing housing and a lower bearing housing, and can be detachably connected. The end of the bearing housing is provided with a flange structure for connection with the test gearbox.

[0008] The bearing is installed at a predetermined position on the inner ring of the bearing housing;

[0009] A spline sleeve is installed on the inner ring of the bearing, and both ends of the spline sleeve can be connected to the spline shaft of the test gearbox;

[0010] A bearing pressure plate is fitted onto the spline sleeve to fix the inner ring of the bearing.

[0011] Secondly, the present invention provides a test method for a wind turbine drive train gearbox, which employs the auxiliary bearing housing structure for testing wind turbine drive train gearboxes as described in the first aspect, and includes the following steps:

[0012] Assemble the bearing, spline sleeve, lower bearing housing, and bearing pressure plate in sequence and hoist them onto the test bench; assemble the spline shaft and the first-stage planetary carrier of the gearbox; hoist the gearbox onto the test bench, assemble the spline shaft and spline sleeve, and fix the mounting bolts between the lower bearing housing and the first-stage gear ring of the gearbox; after hoisting the upper bearing housing, the test can be carried out.

[0013] As a further technical solution, the test gearbox needs to be aligned with the auxiliary bearing housing structure for the test of the wind turbine transmission chain gearbox as described in the first aspect.

[0014] As a further technical solution, when the test gearbox is aligned with the auxiliary bearing housing structure, the position of the first-stage planetary carrier is temporarily fixed by means of the planetary carrier auxiliary mounting component.

[0015] As a further technical solution, the planetary carrier auxiliary mounting component is installed between the spline shaft and the first-stage gear ring of the gearbox.

[0016] As a further technical solution, the lower bearing housing is fixed to the first-stage gear ring of the gearbox before the planetary carrier auxiliary installation components are removed.

[0017] As a further technical solution, the planetary carrier auxiliary installation component has an overall fan-ring structure.

[0018] As a further technical solution, the bearing housing and the first-stage gear ring of the gearbox are fixed together by a flange structure.

[0019] As a further technical solution, there are two test gearboxes, which are respectively arranged at both ends of the auxiliary bearing seat structure for the test of the wind turbine transmission chain gearbox as described in the first aspect.

[0020] As a further technical solution, one of the test gearboxes is equipped with a test motor, and the other test gearbox is equipped with a test generator.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0022] 1. This invention replaces the original unit bearing housing structure required during the testing process by designing an auxiliary bearing housing structure. This solves the problem that existing integrated transmission chain gearboxes require the use of the unit bearing housing for factory testing, resulting in long production cycles, cumbersome assembly processes, and high testing costs. It reduces the transportation time and cost of transporting the bearing housing assembly from the machine plant to the gearbox plant, and also avoids the risk of damage or fatigue damage accumulation caused by the original wind turbine bearing housing assembly during gearbox testing.

[0023] 2. After the gearbox of the present invention is assembled, during the test, the spline shaft and the first-stage planetary carrier are first connected with bolts and pins, and then the planetary carrier auxiliary mounting component is installed between the spline shaft and the first-stage gear ring of the gearbox to fix the position of the first-stage planetary carrier, so as to facilitate the spline fit assembly when the gearbox and bearing housing are assembled and aligned.

[0024] 3. The auxiliary bearing housing structure for wind turbine transmission chain gearbox testing of this invention can simultaneously connect the main test gearbox and the auxiliary test gearbox at both ends, with torque transmission between the two gearboxes via splines. In the testing method using the original turbine bearing housing structure, two lubrication systems are required to lubricate the two transmission chains. This structure allows for the use of a single lubrication system to lubricate both test gearboxes during testing, saving equipment, lubricating oil, and lubrication time.

[0025] 4. The auxiliary bearing housing structure of the present invention has a short overall size, which can effectively reduce the length of the test bench and the test transmission chain, thereby reducing the floor space occupied by the test bench. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. It should also be understood that these drawings are for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The invention will now be described and explained with additional features and details using the drawings, wherein:

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the test bench installation in an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the auxiliary bearing housing structure in an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0029] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the auxiliary bearing housing structure in an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the experimental gearbox assembly structure in an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of gearbox alignment in an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Auxiliary bearing housing structure; 11. Bearing; 12. Spline sleeve; 13. Bearing pressure plate; 14. Bearing housing; 15. Mounting base; 2. Fasteners; 3. Main test gearbox; 31. Other parts of the gearbox; 32. First-stage gear ring; 33. First-stage planetary carrier; 34. Spline shaft; 4. Test generator; 5. Accompanying gearbox; 6. Test motor; 7. Connection to the test bench; 8. Auxiliary mounting components for the planetary carrier. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions in typical embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Example 1

[0035] This application addresses a wind turbine drivetrain structure integrating the bearing housing assembly and gearbox. The primary planetary gear unit lacks bearing support, necessitating the use of the wind turbine's bearing housing during testing. This incurs transportation costs for the bearing housing and increases the risk of bearing damage during transport and testing. To overcome these problems, this embodiment provides an auxiliary bearing housing structure 1 for testing the wind turbine drivetrain gearbox, as follows: Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, it includes a bearing housing 14, a bearing 11, a spline sleeve 12, and a bearing pressure plate 13. The overall structure is simple, connected by splines and bolts, making installation convenient. The auxiliary bearing housing structure also simplifies the installation of the test bench, reducing the need for connecting tooling between the two spindles when using the bearing housing structure. Furthermore, the auxiliary bearing housing structure 1 has a short overall dimension, reducing the length of the test bench and thus the floor space required.

[0036] The bearing housing 14 is divided into an upper bearing housing and a lower bearing housing, which can be detachably connected. The end of the bearing housing 14 is provided with a flange structure for connection to the test gearbox. Both the upper and lower bearing housings are provided with mounting bases 15 and are connected together by fasteners 2, such as bolts.

[0037] The bearing 11 is installed at a set position on the inner ring of the bearing housing 14. In this embodiment, there are two identical bearings 11. The specific form of the bearing 11 is not limited to tapered roller bearings.

[0038] The spline sleeve 12 is installed on the inner ring of the bearing and supported by the bearing 11. The inner ring of the spline sleeve 12 is provided with splines. The spline sleeve 12 is connected to the spline shaft 34 of the main test gearbox 3 and the auxiliary test gearbox 5 for torque transmission.

[0039] The bearing pressure plate 13 is fitted onto the spline sleeve 12 to fix the inner ring of the bearing.

[0040] In this embodiment, the auxiliary bearing housing structure 1 for testing the wind turbine transmission chain gearbox can simultaneously connect the main test gearbox 3 and the auxiliary test gearbox 5 at both ends. Torque is transmitted between the two gearboxes via splines. Both the main test gearbox 3 and the auxiliary test gearbox 5 have a gearbox sleeve 31, a first-stage gear ring 32, a first-stage planetary carrier 33, and a splined shaft 34. In the test method using the original turbine bearing housing structure, two lubrication systems are required to lubricate the two transmission chains. In the test of this structure, one lubrication system can be used to lubricate both test gearboxes, saving equipment, lubricating oil, and oiling time.

[0041] The assembly sequence of the auxiliary bearing housing structure 1 is to install the bearing 11 and spline sleeve 12 sequentially to the positioning position of the lower bearing housing 14, and fix the bearing inner ring with the bearing pressure plate 13.

[0042] Example 2

[0043] This invention provides a test method for wind turbine drive chain gearboxes, using the auxiliary bearing housing structure 1 for wind turbine drive chain gearbox testing described in Example 1, and includes the following steps:

[0044] (1) Install the bearing 11 and spline sleeve 12 in sequence to the positioning position of the lower bearing housing 14, fix the bearing inner ring with the bearing pressure plate 13, then hoist the test bearing housing 14 assembly to the test bench, and fix the mounting seat 15 with the mounting bolts, which is achieved by connecting the test bench 7.

[0045] (2) The test gearbox needs to be aligned with the auxiliary bearing housing structure 1. When aligning the test gearbox with the auxiliary bearing housing structure 1, the planetary carrier auxiliary mounting component 8 must be used to temporarily fix the position of the planetary carrier; such as Figure 4 As shown, the splined shaft 34 is fixed to the first-stage planetary carrier 33 of the gearbox using mounting bolts and pins. Then, the planetary carrier auxiliary mounting component 8 is bolted to the first-stage gear ring 32 of the gearbox, supporting the first-stage planetary carrier 33 and facilitating splined assembly during gearbox alignment. In this embodiment, the planetary carrier auxiliary mounting component 8 has an overall fan-ring structure.

[0046] (3) Use mounting bolts to connect and fix the gearbox primary gear ring 32 and the bearing housing 14 housing. The bearing housing 14 and the gearbox primary gear ring 32 are fixed through a flange structure.

[0047] (4) Remove the planetary carrier auxiliary mounting component 8, install the upper bearing housing 14, and install the mounting bolts between the upper bearing housing 14 and the first-stage gear ring 32 of the gearbox. Install the fasteners between the bearing housing mounting base 15 and the test bench. The completed diagram is shown below. Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the experiment can then be conducted.

[0048] In this embodiment, two test gearboxes are provided, respectively arranged at both ends of the auxiliary bearing housing structure 1 for testing the wind turbine drive chain gearbox. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the main test gearbox 3 and the auxiliary test gearbox 5 are respectively. The main test gearbox 3 is equipped with a test generator 4, and the auxiliary test gearbox 5 is equipped with a test motor 6.

[0049] This embodiment replaces the original unit bearing housing 14 structure that was required during the test process by designing an auxiliary bearing housing structure 1. This solves the problem that the existing integrated transmission chain gearbox requires the unit bearing housing 14 for assembly during factory testing, resulting in long production cycles, complicated assembly processes, and high test costs. It reduces the transportation time and cost of transporting the bearing housing 14 assembly from the machine plant to the gearbox plant, and also avoids the risk of damage or fatigue damage accumulation caused by the original wind turbine bearing housing assembly during gearbox testing.

[0050] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make possible changes and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention by utilizing the methods and techniques disclosed above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solutions of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of testing a wind turbine drivetrain gearbox, characterized by, The test was conducted using an auxiliary bearing housing structure for the wind turbine drive chain gearbox. This auxiliary bearing housing structure includes: The bearing housing is divided into an upper bearing housing and a lower bearing housing, and can be detachably connected. The end of the bearing housing is provided with a flange structure that connects to the test gearbox. The bearing is installed at a predetermined position on the inner ring of the bearing housing; A spline sleeve is installed on the inner ring of the bearing, and both ends of the spline sleeve can be connected to the spline shaft of the test gearbox; A bearing pressure plate is fitted onto the spline sleeve to fix the inner ring of the bearing; Includes the following steps: Assemble the bearing, spline sleeve, lower bearing housing, and bearing pressure plate in sequence and hoist them onto the test bench; assemble the spline shaft and the first-stage planetary carrier of the gearbox; hoist the gearbox onto the test bench, assemble the spline shaft and spline sleeve, and fix the mounting bolts between the lower bearing housing and the first-stage gear ring of the gearbox; after hoisting the upper bearing housing, the test can be carried out. The test gearbox must be aligned with the auxiliary bearing housing structure used for testing the wind turbine transmission chain gearbox. When the test gearbox is aligned with the auxiliary bearing housing structure, the position of the first-stage planetary carrier is temporarily fixed with the help of the planetary carrier auxiliary mounting components.

2. A method of testing a gearbox of a wind turbine drive train according to claim 1, characterized in that The planetary carrier auxiliary mounting components are installed between the splined shaft and the first-stage gear ring of the gearbox.

3. The test method for a wind turbine transmission chain gearbox as described in claim 2, characterized in that, After the lower bearing housing is fixed to the first-stage gear ring of the gearbox, the planetary carrier auxiliary installation components are removed.

4. A method of testing a gearbox of a wind turbine generator set transmission chain as defined in claim 3, characterized in that, The planetary carrier auxiliary installation components are arranged in a fan-ring structure.

5. The test method for a wind turbine transmission chain gearbox as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing housing and the first-stage gear ring of the gearbox are fixed together by a flange structure.

6. The test method for a wind turbine transmission chain gearbox as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Two test gearboxes are provided, which are respectively arranged at both ends of the auxiliary bearing seat structure for testing the wind turbine transmission chain gearbox.

7. The test method for a wind turbine transmission chain gearbox as described in claim 6, characterized in that, One of the test gearboxes is equipped with a test electric motor, and the other test gearbox is equipped with a test generator.

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