High-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind power gear box and wind power equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for a wind power gear box. The high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure comprises a rotating shaft; the supporting piece is fixedly arranged; the two axial sides of the high-speed large gear are each provided with an integrally-formed bearing outer roller path; each tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly comprises a bearing inner ring and a roller assembly arranged on the radial outer side of the bearing inner ring, and the two roller assemblies are correspondingly matched with bearing outer roller paths on the two axial sides of the high-speed large gear respectively. The bearing inner ring is fixedly matched with the supporting piece, and the rotating shaft is matched with the high-speed large gear in an anti-rotation mode so that power transmission can be achieved. According to the embodiment of the utility model, the inner ring assembly is fixed with the supporting piece, and the roller assembly is matched with and integrated with the structure of the outer raceway, so that the effects of avoiding ring running, simplifying the structure, shortening the axial size and lightening the gear box can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wind power equipment. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes and wind power equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Existing wind turbine gearboxes mostly adopt a structure combining three planetary stages and one parallel stage. The high-speed intermediate shaft, as the core component for power transmission, needs to operate stably for extended periods under high speed and heavy load conditions. Currently, the mainstream bearing configuration is a combination of one set of cylindrical roller bearings and two sets of tapered roller bearings. The inner ring of the bearing is interference-fitted with the high-speed intermediate shaft, while the outer ring is fixed to the housing bearing seat. This type of structure has significant drawbacks: not only is the independent outer ring prone to runaway due to temperature rise and vibration, but the combined structure also occupies a large axial space, hindering lightweight design.

[0003] In view of this, there is an urgent need to provide a high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure and wind power equipment for wind turbine gearboxes, so as to achieve lightweight and compact gearboxes while ensuring rigidity. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to at least address one or more of the technical problems mentioned above, this disclosure proposes, in several aspects, a high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes and wind power equipment.

[0005] In a first aspect, this disclosure provides an integrated bearing structure for the outer ring of a high-speed intermediate shaft in a wind turbine gearbox, comprising: a rotating shaft; a fixedly mounted support member; a high-speed gear having integrally formed bearing outer raceways on both axial sides; and two sets of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies. Each tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly includes a bearing inner ring, rollers, and a cage that binds the rollers to the inner ring. The two roller assemblies respectively correspond to and cooperate with the bearing outer raceways on both axial sides of the high-speed gear, and the bearing inner ring is fixedly cooperated with the support member. The rotating shaft and the high-speed gear are anti-rotationally cooperated to achieve power transmission.

[0006] In some embodiments, the two sets of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies are arranged back-to-back.

[0007] In some embodiments, the support includes a rear housing and a rear housing cover, the rear housing cover being connected to the rear housing, the inner ring of one set of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies being fixedly fitted to the rear housing, and the inner ring of another set of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies being fixedly fitted to the rear housing cover.

[0008] In some embodiments, the inner ring of one tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly is interference-fitted with the rear housing, and the inner ring of another tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly is interference-fitted with the rear housing cover.

[0009] In some embodiments, both the rear box body and the rear box cover are made of ductile iron.

[0010] In some embodiments, the outer raceway of the bearing is integrally formed on the radially inner side of the high-speed large gear.

[0011] In some embodiments, the bearing outer raceway is characterized by a convex profile, and the roundness of the bearing outer raceway is less than or equal to 0.03 mm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the high-speed gear is made of 18CrNiMo7-6 and is subjected to carburizing and quenching treatment.

[0013] In some embodiments, the carburized layer depth of the high-speed large gear is 2mm~4mm, the surface hardness is 58HRC~62HRC, and the core hardness is 33HRC~45HRC.

[0014] In a second aspect, this disclosure provides a wind power device including a high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for a wind turbine gearbox as described in the first aspect and several embodiments.

[0015] By using the high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes provided above, this disclosed embodiment, through the setting of a rotating shaft, support member, high-speed large gear with integrated bearing outer raceway and tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly, adopts a structure in which the inner ring assembly is fixed to the support member and the roller assembly is integrated with the outer raceway, which can eliminate the need for an additional spline shaft, thereby avoiding raceway slippage, simplifying the structure, improving transmission efficiency, and simultaneously achieving the effects of shortening the axial dimension and reducing the weight of the gearbox. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will become readily apparent upon reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, several embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not limitation, and like or corresponding reference numerals denote like or corresponding parts, wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 An exemplary partial cross-sectional view of an integrated bearing structure for the outer ring of a high-speed intermediate shaft for a wind turbine gearbox, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, is shown. Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A magnified view of part A in the middle; Figure 3 An exemplary top view of a wind power device according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this disclosure, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0019] It should be understood that the terms “comprising” and “including” used in this disclosure and claims indicate the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or collections thereof.

[0020] It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. As used in this disclosure and claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this disclosure and claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes such combinations.

[0021] As used in this specification and claims, the term "if" may be interpreted, depending on the context, as "when," "once," "in response to determination," or "in response to detection." Similarly, the phrase "if determined" or "if [described condition or event] is detected" may be interpreted, depending on the context, as "once determined," "in response to determination," "once [described condition or event] is detected," or "in response to detection of [described condition or event]."

[0022] This disclosure provides a high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes. By setting a rotating shaft, a support member, a high-speed large gear with an integrated bearing outer raceway, and a tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly, and adopting a structure in which the inner ring assembly is fixed to the support member and the roller assembly cooperates with the integrated outer raceway, an additional spline shaft can be eliminated, thereby avoiding raceway slippage, simplifying the structure, improving transmission efficiency, and simultaneously achieving the effects of shortening the axial dimension and reducing the weight of the gearbox.

[0023] The specific embodiments disclosed herein will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 An exemplary partial cross-sectional view of an integrated bearing structure for the outer ring of a high-speed intermediate shaft for wind turbine gearboxes, according to some embodiments of this disclosure, is shown. Figure 2It shows Figure 1 A magnified view of part A in the middle.

[0025] Some embodiments disclosed herein provide a high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure 100 for wind turbine gearboxes, comprising a rotating shaft 1, a fixedly mounted support member, a high-speed gear 4, and two sets of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3. One end of the rotating shaft 1 has an anti-rotation structure 11, and the high-speed gear 4 has integrally formed bearing outer raceways 41 on both axial sides. The tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly 3 includes a bearing inner ring 31 and roller assemblies 32 disposed radially outside the bearing inner ring 31. The two sets of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3 respectively correspond to and cooperate with the bearing outer raceways 41 on both axial sides of the high-speed gear 4. The bearing inner ring 31 of the tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly 3 is fixedly fitted to the support member, and the rotating shaft 1 and the high-speed gear 4 are anti-rotated to achieve power transmission.

[0026] Specifically, the rotating shaft 1 is a core power transmission component such as the main shaft of the high-speed intermediate shaft of the wind turbine gearbox. One end of it, equipped with an anti-rotation structure 11, is used to anti-rotate with other components such as the high-speed large gear 4 to provide power transmission, while the other end can anti-rotate with other transmission components to output driving force. The support component can be a structural component such as a housing, which can be provided with bearing mounting positions, such as grooves that match the size of the bearing inner ring 31, to provide stable positioning and support for the tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly 3. The high-speed large gear 4 integrates the bearing outer raceway 41 with itself. Compared with the traditional independent bearing outer ring structure, the two sets of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3 are fixed to the support component through the bearing inner ring 31, and the roller assembly 32 cooperates with the integrated outer raceway, forming a special rotational support structure in which the bearing inner ring 31 is stationary while the roller assembly 32 directly supports the rotation of the high-speed large gear 4. The integrated design of the bearing outer raceway 41 and the high-speed gear 4 fundamentally eliminates the "raceway slippage" risk caused by the clearance between the traditional independent outer ring and the mounting base. It also simplifies the overall assembly structure and reduces production and maintenance costs. Therefore, compared to the traditional approach of assembling the bearing outer ring with supporting components such as the housing, the solution of integrating the bearing outer raceway 41 into the high-speed gear 4 significantly increases overall structural strength, reduces the probability of uneven wear and detachment due to installation errors, and extends service life.

[0027] Furthermore, compared to the traditional design that involves engaging the main shaft of the high-speed intermediate shaft with the splines on the inner wall of an additional splined shaft, and then placing a column bearing and two tapered bearings between the additional splined shaft and the support component, the embodiment disclosed herein eliminates the additional splined shaft component in the traditional design. This not only reduces the number of parts and simplifies the overall structure of the high-speed intermediate shaft, but also optimizes the support structure by reducing the number of bearings used to support the additional splined shaft, effectively shortening the axial dimension of the high-speed intermediate shaft by approximately 10%. Simultaneously, reducing intermediate links in power transmission lowers power loss during transmission, improves power transmission efficiency, and provides crucial structural support for the lightweight design of wind turbine gearboxes, achieving an overall weight reduction of approximately 500-700 kg.

[0028] In this embodiment, the two sets of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3 are arranged back-to-back. Compared to the traditional face-to-face arrangement, this back-to-back arrangement allows the load lines acting on the roller assemblies 32 to diverge outwards, effectively improving the axial stiffness of the high-speed intermediate shaft. This enables the high-speed intermediate shaft to better withstand combined radial and axial loads under the high-speed, high-load conditions of the wind turbine gearbox, significantly improving the structural stability of the high-speed intermediate shaft and reducing the risk of component wear due to load concentration.

[0029] Further or optionally, the support components include a rear housing 2 and a rear housing cover 6. The rear housing cover 6 is connected to the rear housing 2. The inner ring of one set of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3 is fixedly fitted to the rear housing 2, and the inner ring of another set of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3 is fixedly fitted to the rear housing cover 6. Both the rear housing 2 and the rear housing cover 6 can be made of cast iron or other metal materials, and are machined to form positioning grooves and other positioning structures for fixing and positioning the bearing inner rings 31. The inner rings of the two sets of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3 are individually fixedly fitted to the rear housing 2 and the rear housing cover 6, respectively, allowing the two tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3 to be assembled using a split-assembly method. This layout simplifies the installation and disassembly process of the tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3, facilitating subsequent maintenance and repair, while ensuring the installation accuracy of each assembly, ensuring precise correspondence between the roller assembly 32 and the outer raceway 41 of the bearing on the high-speed large gear 4, and guaranteeing the stability of the rotating support.

[0030] Furthermore, the inner ring of one tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly 3 is interference-fitted with the rear housing 2, and the inner ring of the other tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly 3 is interference-fitted with the rear housing cover 6. The inner rings of the tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3 are connected to both the rear housing 2 and the rear housing cover 6 using interference fit methods. For example, the dimensional relationship between the inner diameter of the bearing inner ring 31 and the corresponding mounting slots on the rear housing 2 and the rear housing cover 6 is set as an interference fit, and interference assembly is achieved through press fitting, heating installation, or a combination thereof. The interference fit allows for clearance-free fixing between the bearing inner ring 31 and the support, effectively preventing relative rotation or axial / radial displacement of the bearing inner ring 31 during the rotation of the high-speed large gear 4, ensuring that the bearing inner ring 31 remains stationary at all times. Furthermore, this ensures a stable fit clearance between the roller assembly 32 and the outer raceway 41 of the bearing, preventing abnormal wear between the roller assembly 32 and the raceway due to changes in the fit clearance. It also prevents abnormal noises and vibrations during operation, effectively extending the service life of the inner ring assembly 3 of the tapered roller bearing.

[0031] Further, or optionally, both the rear housing 2 and the rear cover 6 are made of ductile iron. Ductile iron combines the excellent casting properties of cast iron with the superior mechanical properties of steel, possessing high strength and rigidity. This provides a stable mounting support for the tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly 3, effectively resisting vibration and impact during wind turbine gearbox operation. Simultaneously, its excellent casting and machining properties allow for easier improvement in its specific precision and concentricity with the inner ring through fine machining, accurately meeting the installation and fitting requirements of the tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly 3. Furthermore, ductile iron has good wear resistance and moderate manufacturing costs, effectively controlling the overall manufacturing cost of the wind turbine gearbox while ensuring the performance and service life of the support components.

[0032] In this embodiment, the outer raceway 41 of the bearing is integrally formed on the radially inner side of the high-speed gear 4. This integrated design differs from the traditional independent bearing outer ring, eliminating the clearance between the independent outer ring and the mounting base, fundamentally solving the "raceway slippage" problem caused by high-speed temperature rise and vibration impact in traditional structures. Simultaneously, placing it radially inner allows the tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly 3 to generate a radially outward supporting force on the high-speed gear 4, corresponding to the transmission force on the radially outer edge of the high-speed gear 4, making the high-speed gear 4 rotate more smoothly. However, those skilled in the art will understand that, in order to provide stable support for the high-speed gear 4 and maintain its rotational accuracy, in some embodiments not shown, the outer raceway 41 can also be located in other positions, such as providing an axially protruding shoulder on the high-speed gear 4 and setting the outer raceway 41 radially outside the shoulder. This disclosure does not impose restrictive provisions on the specific location and orientation of the outer raceway 41.

[0033] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the outer raceway 41 of the bearing is provided with a convex profile, and the roundness of the outer raceway 41 is less than or equal to 0.03 mm. Controlling the roundness of the outer raceway 41 within 0.03 mm ensures high-precision machining quality of the raceway, enabling uniform contact across the entire contact surface between the roller assembly 32 and the outer raceway 41. This avoids premature wear of the raceway due to excessive local contact stress, effectively extending the service life of both the outer raceway 41 and the roller assembly 32. The convex profile modification of the outer raceway 41 makes it more suitable for high-speed operating conditions. It effectively improves the contact state between the roller assembly 32 and the raceway, reduces contact fatigue during high-speed rotation, and simultaneously reduces vibration and noise during operation, further enhancing the operational stability of the high-speed intermediate shaft.

[0034] Further, or optionally, the high-speed gear 4 is made of 18CrNiMo7-6 steel and undergoes carburizing and quenching treatment. 18CrNiMo7-6 alloy steel itself possesses excellent strength, toughness, wear resistance, and fatigue resistance, making it suitable for the harsh working conditions of high-speed, high-load wind turbine gearboxes. Further carburizing and quenching of the high-speed gear 4 forms a hardened layer on its surface. This effectively improves the surface hardness and wear resistance of the gear tooth surface and the integrally formed bearing outer raceway 41, while ensuring good toughness of the gear core. This prevents brittle fracture of the high-speed gear 4 under impact loads, improving its surface wear resistance and core impact resistance to meet the requirements of long-term stable operation.

[0035] In some embodiments, the carburized layer depth of the high-speed gear 4 is 2mm~4mm, the surface hardness is 58HRC~62HRC, and the core hardness is 33HRC~45HRC. Controlling the carburized layer depth of the high-speed gear 4 within the range of 2mm~4mm ensures a sufficiently thick hardened layer on the gear surface, fully meeting the wear resistance and fatigue resistance requirements of the gear tooth surface and the bearing outer raceway 41, and avoiding rapid wear caused by an excessively thin hardened layer. Controlling the surface hardness to 58HRC~62HRC allows the gear surface and bearing outer raceway 41 to possess excellent wear resistance and compressive strength, making it more suitable for long-term high-speed friction conditions. Designing the core hardness to be 33HRC~45HRC avoids excessive brittleness in the gear core, maintaining good toughness and impact resistance, effectively absorbing vibration and impact loads during the operation of the wind turbine gearbox, preventing overall gear fracture, and achieving a balance between surface wear resistance and core impact resistance in the high-speed gear 4, ensuring its long service life under complex operating conditions.

[0036] According to some embodiments of the wind turbine gearbox, a high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure 100 is provided. This structure comprises a rotating shaft 1, a fixed support, a high-speed gear 4 with an integrally formed outer raceway 41 on both axial sides, and two sets of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3, each containing an inner ring 31 and roller assemblies 32. The tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies 3 are fixed to the support, and the roller assemblies 32 cooperate with the integral outer raceway 41 to support rotation. The rotating shaft 1 and the high-speed gear 4 cooperate to transmit force without rotation. This eliminates the need for a traditional additional spline shaft, fundamentally eliminating the risk of bearing slippage, simplifying the overall assembly structure, improving power transmission efficiency, and shortening the axial dimension of the high-speed intermediate shaft by approximately 10%, achieving a weight reduction of 500-700 kg for the gearbox. It also reduces the probability of uneven wear and detachment, extending the equipment's service life.

[0037] In addition, see Figure 3 , Figure 3 An exemplary top view of a wind power device according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. This disclosure also provides a wind power device 200, which may be a wind turbine gearbox or a wind turbine including a wind turbine gearbox. The wind power device 200 includes a high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure 100 for a wind turbine gearbox according to the above embodiments, and fan blades 70 and power generation equipment 80 connected to the high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure 100 for a wind turbine gearbox.

[0038] While numerous embodiments of this disclosure have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Many modifications, alterations, and alternatives will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and intent of this disclosure. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of this disclosure described herein may be employed in the practice of this disclosure. The appended claims are intended to define the scope of this disclosure and therefore cover equivalents or alternatives within the scope of these claims.

Claims

1. A high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes, characterized in that, include: Rotating shaft (1); Fixed support components; The high-speed large gear (4) has integrally formed bearing outer raceways (41) on both sides of its axial direction; and Two sets of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies (3), each tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly (3) includes a bearing inner ring (31) and a roller assembly (32) disposed on the radially outer side of the bearing inner ring (31). The two roller assemblies (32) respectively correspond to the bearing outer raceways (41) on both sides of the axial direction of the high-speed gear (4), and the bearing inner ring (31) is fixedly engaged with the support member. The rotating shaft (1) is anti-rotationally engaged with the high-speed gear (4) to realize power transmission.

2. The integrated bearing structure for the outer ring of the high-speed intermediate shaft of a wind turbine gearbox according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two sets of tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies (3) are arranged back to back.

3. The integrated bearing structure for the outer ring of the high-speed intermediate shaft of a wind turbine gearbox according to claim 2, characterized in that, The support includes a rear housing (2) and a rear housing cover (6). The rear housing cover (6) is connected to the rear housing (2). The inner ring of one set of tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly (3) is fixedly fitted with the rear housing (2), and the inner ring of another set of tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly (3) is fixedly fitted with the rear housing cover (6).

4. The integrated bearing structure for the outer ring of the high-speed intermediate shaft of a wind turbine gearbox according to claim 3, characterized in that, The inner ring of one of the tapered roller bearing inner ring assemblies (3) is interference-fitted with the rear housing (2), and the inner ring of the other tapered roller bearing inner ring assembly (3) is interference-fitted with the rear housing cover (6).

5. The high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rear box body (2) and the rear box cover (6) are both made of ductile iron.

6. The high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer raceway (41) of the bearing is integrally formed on the radial inner side of the high-speed gear (4).

7. The high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The outer raceway (41) of the bearing is provided with a convex shape, and the roundness of the outer raceway (41) of the bearing is less than or equal to 0.03 mm.

8. The high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The high-speed gear (4) is made of 18CrNiMo7-6 and is subjected to carburizing and quenching treatment.

9. The high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes according to claim 8, characterized in that, The carburized layer of the high-speed gear (4) has a depth of 2mm to 4mm, a surface hardness of 58HRC to 62HRC, and a core hardness of 33HRC to 45HRC.

10. A wind power device, characterized in that, Including the high-speed intermediate shaft outer ring integrated bearing structure for wind turbine gearboxes according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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