Hub assembly for a wind turbine generator

Abstract

The invention relates to a hub assembly (1) for a wind turbine, comprising a hub body (2) having at least one connection face (3) with a first bore circle (4) formed therein, a blade-side extending bearing unit (5) comprising a first bearing ring (6) with a second bore circle (7) aligned with the first bore circle (4) and a second bearing ring (8) for fastening to a rotor blade of the wind turbine, wherein the second bearing ring (8) is arranged coaxially with respect to the first bearing ring (6) so as to be rotatable about a common bearing axis, and a hub-side extending bearing unit (9), wherein the hub body (2) is bolted to the first bearing ring (6) via the first bore circle (4) and the second bore circle (7), and wherein the hub-side extending bearing unit (9) comprises at least two lugs (10) each extending over a circumferential portion of the bore circle (4, 7) and having a corresponding bore circle arc aligned with the bore circle (4, 7), wherein the lugs (10) are inserted into the screw connection of the hub body (2) and the first bearing ring (6).

Description

Background Technology

[0001] The present invention relates to a hub assembly for a wind turbine generator set as described in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] The rotor blades of a wind turbine are secured to the hub body by means of a slewing bearing. The slewing bearing allows for adjustment of the rotor blades' angle of attack relative to the wind, which, among other things, is necessary for controlling the power output of the wind turbine. In addition to the bearing, there is usually a hydraulic or electric adjustment drive for adjusting the rotor blades.

[0003] Currently, commercially available wind turbine hubs are typically designed as a single, integral casting. If necessary, separately manufactured reinforcing plates can be bolted to the hub body to reinforce the blade and / or rotor bearing connection surfaces. These conventional reinforcing plates have a simple disc-shaped geometry and are bolted to the hub body, rotor blades, or blade bearings within a 360° radius of the bearing circumference using circular holes.

[0004] WO 2012 / 069062 A1 discloses a hub assembly according to the preamble of claim 1. WO 2012 / 069062 A1 describes a blade adjustment system for rotating the blades of a wind turbine relative to a hub, the system comprising a bearing having an inner bearing race for mounting on the hub and an outer bearing race for mounting on the blade. A first plate-like connecting element is arranged between the hub and the inner bearing race and covers an opening in the hub at the inner bearing fastening position (except for an opening allowing access from the hub to the blade).

[0005] The disadvantage is that this plate-shaped connecting element has a high self-weight, which increases the mass of the hub body. Furthermore, due to the technological advancements towards increasingly larger hub bodies, manufacturing plates with diameters comparable to the blade connection surface diameter and transporting them to the wind turbine site is becoming increasingly difficult. A traditional solution to eliminate the reinforcing plate is to correspondingly increase the wall thickness of the hub body, but this results in an exceptionally high hub weight.

[0006] Preliminary concepts regarding the segmented construction of wind turbine hubs are disclosed, for example, in EP 2 691 646 B1, EP 2516 845 B1, and DE 10 2011 052 668 B4. What all these patents have in common is that the individual hub segments must be connected to each other in a complex manner by means of additional bolts. To achieve sufficient rigidity in the hub, these segments are either designed with additional flanges to allow them to connect directly at the joints, or additional connecting plates with several bore circles are required to provide a sufficiently stable connection surface for the blade bearings. In some cases, even additional reinforcements are needed in the hub, making access even more difficult. All these measures result in expensive manufacturing and assembly costs for segmented hubs, as well as their considerable weight. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a hub assembly for a wind turbine generator set that reduces weight while maintaining sufficient torsional stiffness of the hub-side blade bearing connection surface, and simplifies the production, transportation and assembly process.

[0008] This objective is achieved by a hub assembly for a wind turbine generator having the features of claim 1.

[0009] This provides a hub assembly for a wind turbine generator set, comprising a hub body, a blade-side extended bearing unit, and a hub-side extended bearing unit. The hub body is equipped with at least one connecting surface in which a first bore is formed. The blade-side extended bearing unit includes a first bearing race having a second bore aligned with the first bore on the connecting surface. The blade-side extended bearing unit also includes a second bearing race for fastening to the rotor blades of the wind turbine generator set. The second bearing race is coaxially arranged with respect to the first bearing race and rotatably arranged about a common bearing axis. The hub body is bolted to the first bearing race via the first and second bores. According to the invention, the hub-side extended bearing unit includes at least two lugs, each lug extending on the circumference of the bore and having a corresponding bore arc aligned with the bore. The lugs are fitted into the bolted connection between the hub body and the first bearing race.

[0010] Therefore, this invention is based on the understanding that, in order to strengthen the hub-side blade bearing connection surface of the hub body, it is sufficient to provide local reinforcements in the form of lug-shaped reinforcement elements of the hub-side extended bearing unit, provided that these reinforcement elements are assembled into the bolted connection between the hub body and the first bearing ring of the blade-side extended bearing unit. By means of the common bolted connection of the hub body, the hub-side extended bearing unit, and the blade-side extended bearing unit, the frictional contact area at the bolted connection is locally increased. The resulting increase in the load-bearing capacity of the frictional engagement reduces the deformation of the hub body in this area. Furthermore, the common bolted connection of the hub-side extended bearing unit and the blade-side extended bearing unit makes the reinforcement effect of the blade-side extended bearing unit on the hub-side connection surface available in a manner that increases in degree. During hub rotation, the load applied to the hub body is uneven around the circumference of the connection surface because these loads are at least partly caused by the self-weight of the rotor blades during rotation around the hub axis. It has been found that such local reinforcements (especially in the structurally most stressed circumferential region) can ensure that the hub-side connection surface receives sufficient reinforcement. In this respect, this principle, with appropriate modifications, also applies to the case of segmented hub bodies; in this case, due to the segmentation, the circumferential region bearing high stress on the hub-side blade bearing connection surface occurs precisely at the segmental joint between adjacent hub segments. Similarly, here, the localized reinforcement according to the invention ensures sufficient reinforcement of the hub-side blade bearing connection surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the wheel hub assembly according to the invention has an advantage in that it has a reduced overall weight. By using ear plates for localized reinforcement, weight savings are achieved compared to conventional reinforcing plates. This results in a weight advantage compared to solutions that do not use reinforcing elements but correspondingly increase the wheel hub wall thickness.

[0012] Finally, the hub body and the extended bearing units on the hub side and blade side are bolted together in a common bore circle. This provides a manufacturing advantage due to the reduced machining costs for machining the connecting flanges and bores, and an assembly advantage due to the fewer screws required.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, at least two lugs are arranged opposite each other along the diametrical direction. Since the loads introduced onto the connection surface have a preferred direction determined by the hub axis (whether due to external loads on the wind turbine or hub segmentation), the areas on the hub-side connection surface that bear the greatest structural stress typically appear opposite each other along the diametrical direction on the circumference of the connection surface.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable that at least two ear plates are connected to each other via a web to radially reinforce the connection surface. Connecting the ear plates via the web effectively reduces radial deformation of the connection surface, thereby preventing ellipticization. It is particularly preferred that the ear plates and the web are integrally formed.

[0015] Furthermore, it is preferable that the web has at least one rib to increase bending stiffness. For the purposes of this disclosure, a rib should be understood to refer to a local increase in the thickness of the web in the width direction, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the web. Thus, the rib increases the area second moment of the web and strengthens its resistance to deflection in the thickness direction. The sub-assembly consisting of ear plates, web, and radial ribs also represents a particularly advantageous solution from the perspective of manufacturing and assembly costs—especially in the case of large hub structures and the resulting large diameter of the hub-side blade bearing connection surface.

[0016] In some embodiments, the web has a web width that ranges from 30% to 90% of the maximum width of each circumference covered by the ear plates connected by the web. Therefore, the web width is smaller than the width of all the circumferences covered by the ear plates. Since the web is primarily used to absorb tensile and compressive loads, as well as bending loads in the longitudinal direction of the web, the width of the web can be selected within a range to reduce weight.

[0017] In the region of the lug, the hub body preferably has a flange that projects radially relative to the first bearing race, and the flange is bolted to the lug via a plurality of fastening holes. Therefore, in the region of the protruding flange, there is an additional bolted connection between the hub body and the hub-side extended bearing unit, which is radially spaced from the first and second hole circles. This additional connection between the hub body and the lug further increases the rigidity of the hub body. In the case of a segmented design of the hub body, the additional bolted connection can also be advantageously used for pre-assembly of the hub body before connecting the blade-side extended bearing unit.

[0018] Another conceivable embodiment is that the hub-side extended bearing unit includes at least four lugs arranged in a uniform or non-uniform distribution on the circumference of the bore circle. Specifically, the four lugs can be connected to each other in a star-shaped configuration via webs. Given this design, it is advantageous that the circular shape of the connecting surfaces is stabilized in more than one direction when a load is applied to the hub body.

[0019] The ear plate preferably extends on the circumference of the hole circle having a central angle in the range of 20° to 70°, particularly preferably between 30° and 60°. Thus, each ear plate covers only a portion of the circumference of the hole circle and accordingly has a localized reinforcing effect.

[0020] Furthermore, it is preferred that the sum of the central angles of the circumference covered by the ear plate is at most 280°, particularly preferred to be at most 230°, and even more preferably at most 180°.

[0021] This embodiment provides a particularly further advantage of the invention, in which the hub body comprises at least two hub body segments, each of which has a portion forming a first circular hole, wherein portions are joined together in a manner that collectively forms the first circular hole, and the joints are each bridged by lugs. By means of the segmented hub body, larger hub segments can be transported to the wind turbine site. The hub segments are also easier to manufacture because there is no need to cast a monolithic hollow body. Compared to a monolithic hub body, the lower weight and smaller size of the segments make machining and assembly easier. In the case of the hub assembly according to the invention, the blade-side extended bearing unit is therefore the largest component to be transported to the wind turbine site in terms of transport diameter. The hub assembly according to the invention enables particularly easy assembly, during which the blade-side extended bearing unit contributes most to the stability of the multi-component hub body. At the joints, the hub body is additionally supported by lugs as local reinforcing elements. Therefore, it is not necessary to directly bolt the hub segments together, and no additional structural elements are required inside the hub for stabilization.

[0022] The assembly of the hub assembly according to the invention is advantageously accomplished by bolting the hub body section to the blade-side and hub-side extended bearing units.

[0023] The connecting surface is preferably designed as a connecting flange with a through hole as the first hole circle, wherein the hub-side extended bearing unit is arranged on the inner side of the hub of the connecting flange, and the blade-side extended bearing unit is arranged on the outer side of the hub of the connecting flange. The sandwich arrangement and bolted connection of the connecting flange between the blade-side and hub-side extended bearing units has the effect of further increasing the effective surface area for frictional engagement, because both axial surfaces of the flange are made available for transmitting shear and frictional forces. Furthermore, in these embodiments, the bending stress of the bolted connection connecting the two extended bearing units to the integral hub body or hub segment can be reduced.

[0024] In an alternative embodiment, the first hole is in the form of a blind hole in the connecting surface, wherein the hub-side extended bearing unit and the blade-side extended bearing unit are arranged on the outer side of the hub body. To ensure uniform circumferential support for the blade-side extended bearing unit, recesses for accommodating the hub-side extended bearing unit can be provided on the connecting surface of the hub body and / or the corresponding connecting surface of the blade-side extended bearing unit. The recesses for accommodating the hub-side extended bearing unit allow the blade-side extended bearing unit to be directly supported on the hub body in the remaining circumference. For the purpose of uniform support, spacer ring elements can alternatively be provided between the lugs of the hub-side extended bearing unit. A significant feature of this embodiment is that it has only one machined hub-side support surface for fastening the extended bearing unit.

[0025] Finally, preferably, the first bearing ring is formed with a rotor hub extension that extends beyond the second bearing ring along the bearing axis on the hub side, and a second bore is arranged in the hub-side end region of the rotor hub extension. The rotor hub extension integrated into the blade-side extended bearing unit increases the stiffness of the blade-side extended bearing unit, which helps strengthen the hub-side connection surface. This particularly allows for better absorption of additional stresses arising from the segmentation of the hub body. Furthermore, the spacing between the connection surface and the first bearing ring arranged on the blade-side extended bearing unit reduces bearing ring deformation, which could potentially damage the blade bearing assembly.

[0026] Further advantageous embodiments can be derived from the following description and dependent claims.

[0027] The invention will be explained in detail below with the aid of exemplary embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 A wind turbine generator set having a hub assembly according to the invention is schematically shown. Figure 2 A first exemplary embodiment of the wheel hub assembly according to the present invention is schematically shown in perspective view. Figure 3 The exploded diagram schematically illustrates this. Figure 2 The wheel hub assembly shown has the following structure: Figure 4 The partial sectional perspective view schematically illustrates the following based on Figure 2 Details of the blade-side extended bearing unit and the hub-side extended bearing unit of the wheel hub assembly being fastened to the wheel hub body. Figure 5 The partial sectional perspective view schematically illustrates the following based on Figure 2Details of the connecting surface of the wheel hub assembly's hub body, wherein the connecting surface is designed with a connecting flange having through holes. Figure 6 A second exemplary embodiment of the hub assembly according to the invention is schematically shown in a partial cross-sectional view, wherein the first hole circle is in the form of a blind hole in the connecting surface. Figure 7 The diagram schematically illustrates the hub-side connection surface of a hub body with hub-side extended bearing units, which are in the form of two lugs. Figure 8 The diagram schematically illustrates the hub-side connection surface of a hub body with a hub-side extended bearing unit, which includes two lugs connected via a web. Figure 9 The diagram schematically illustrates the hub-side connection surface of a hub body with a hub-side extended bearing unit. The hub-side extended bearing unit includes two lugs connected via a web, the two lugs being additionally bolted to a radially projecting flange portion of the hub body. Figures 10A to 10C A further variant embodiment of the hub-side extended bearing unit is schematically shown. Detailed Implementation

[0029] In each of the accompanying drawings, the same parts are always given the same reference numerals, and are therefore usually mentioned or described only once in each case.

[0030] Figure 1 A wind turbine generator set 100 with a hub assembly 1 according to the invention is shown. The wind turbine generator set 100 includes a tower 110, a nacelle 120, and a rotor 130 rotatably mounted on the nacelle 120. The rotor 130 includes the hub assembly 1 according to the invention and a plurality of rotor blades 140 rotatably fastened to the hub assembly 1. Typically, as shown, the rotor 130 includes three rotor blades 140.

[0031] The rotor blade 140 is rotatably mounted on the hub assembly 1 to allow control of the power output of the wind turbine generator 100 under fluctuating wind conditions. Furthermore, the rotor blade 140 can be moved to a feathering position, i.e., in the direction of the wind, to minimize the power consumption of the rotor blade 140 and to stop the wind turbine generator 100 from operating.

[0032] To secure at least one of the rotor blades 140, the hub assembly 1 according to the invention includes a blade-side extended bearing unit 5 and a hub-side extended bearing unit 9, which are fastened to the hub body 2 (see [link]). Figure 4 and Figure 6 Preferably, all rotor blades 140 are fastened to the hub body 2 in this manner.

[0033] The following will refer to Figures 2 to 1 0. The construction of the hub assembly 1 according to the present invention will be described in further detail.

[0034] Figures 2 to 5 A first exemplary embodiment of the hub assembly 1 according to the present invention is shown. Figure 2 A perspective external view of the wheel hub assembly 1 is shown. To better illustrate the construction of the wheel hub assembly 1, Figure 3 An exploded view is shown, and Figure 4 and Figure 5 A detailed diagram shows the wheel hub body 2 and the components connected to it. Figure 3 For clarity, the hub body section and the blade-side extended bearing unit are not shown in the illustration.

[0035] exist Figures 2 to 5 In the first exemplary embodiment shown, a hub assembly 1 for a wind turbine generator set 100 is illustrated. The hub assembly 1 includes a hub body 2, and in each case includes at least one blade-side extension bearing unit 5 and a hub-side extension bearing unit 9. The hub body 2 has at least one connecting surface 3 in which a first hole circle 4 is formed.

[0036] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the hub body 2 includes three connecting surfaces 3, each of which interacts with a blade-side extension bearing unit 5 and a hub-side extension bearing unit 9 in the manner described below. However, exemplary embodiments are also conceivable in which one of the three different rotor blades is connected to the hub body, or only individual rotor blades are fastened to the hub assembly via the interaction between the hub body, the hub-side extension bearing unit, and the blade-side extension bearing unit according to the invention.

[0037] The blade-side extended bearing unit 5 includes a first bearing ring 6 and a second bearing ring 8. The first bearing ring 6 has a second bore 7 aligned with a first bore 4. The second bearing ring 8 is used to fasten to the rotor blade 140 of the wind turbine generator set 100. The hub body 2 is bolted to the first bearing ring 6 via the first bore 4 and the second bore 7. The second bearing ring 8 is arranged coaxially with respect to the first bearing ring 6 and rotatably about a common bearing axis A.

[0038] According to the present invention, the hub-side extended bearing unit 9 is configured to include at least two lugs 10, 11, each lug extending on the circumferential portion 17 of the bore circles 4, 7 and having a corresponding bore arc 14 aligned with the bore circles 4, 7. The lugs 10, 11 are fitted into the bolted connection between the hub body 2 and the first bearing race 6 (see...). Figure 4 At least two of the ear plates 10 and 11 are preferably arranged opposite each other along the diametrical direction.

[0039] Preferably, the first bearing ring 6 of the blade-side extended bearing unit 5 is formed with a rotor hub extension 21, which extends beyond the second bearing ring 8 along the bearing axis A on the hub side, and a second bore 7 is arranged in the hub-side end region E of the rotor hub extension. The rotor hub extension 21 preferably extends beyond the second bearing ring 8 in the axial direction A by at least half of its axial range. This ensures the axial spacing of the bearing rings 6, 8 relative to the hub-side connecting surface 3, thereby reducing the resulting deformation in the blade bearing and wear-related stresses.

[0040] The first bearing race 6 can be subdivided into two or more partial races 6', 6''. Depending on the bearing design, the second bearing race 8 can also be alternatively or additionally subdivided into two or more partial races (not shown). Subdividing the bearing races simplifies bearing assembly. In these exemplary embodiments, the bearing consisting of the first bearing race 6 and the second bearing race 8 is illustrated as an example of a three-row roller slewing connection. However, the invention also includes other bearing designs with any desired rolling elements (such as balls or rollers) and / or sliding bearings.

[0041] Specially from Figure 3 As can be seen, the wheel hub body 2 can preferably include at least two wheel hub body segments 2', 2'', each of which has a portion 4', 4'' with a first bore circle 4 formed thereon. During the assembly of the wheel hub body 2, portions 4', 4'' are joined together in such a way that they collectively form the first bore circle 4. In this case, the joint 20 is bridged by the lugs 10, 11. When the wheel hub body 2 adopts this segmented design, the wheel hub body segments 2', 2'' can preferably also be connected to each other by one or more rings 22 on the windward and / or leeward sides of the wheel hub body 2.

[0042] from Figure 4 and Figure 5 As can be seen from the detailed diagram, the connecting surface 3 in this first exemplary embodiment is designed as a connecting flange having a through hole as a first hole circle 4. A hub-side extended bearing unit 9 is arranged on the inner side of the hub of the connecting flange, and a blade-side extended bearing unit 5 is arranged on the outer side of the hub of the connecting flange. Thus, the hub-side and blade-side extended bearing units 9 and 5 form a sandwich arrangement structure with the connecting flange forming the connecting surface 3. Therefore, the upper and lower sides of the connecting flange can be used to establish a frictional engagement in a bolted connection.

[0043] Similarly, it can be Figure 4 and Figure 5As seen in the diagram, in the region of the lugs 10 and 11, the hub body 2 can be formed with a flange 18 that protrudes radially relative to the first bearing ring 6, wherein the flange 18 is bolted to the lugs 10 and 11 via a plurality of fastening holes 19. Fastening the flange 18 to the lugs 10 and 11 can provide additional stability to the hub body 2 independently of the bolt connection of the first bore circle 4. Especially when assembling a multi-part hub body composed of hub body segments 2', 2'', 2''', bolting the flange 18 to the lugs 10 and 11 allows for pre-assembly of the hub body 2 before attaching the blade-side extended bearing unit 5 by means of the first bore circle 4.

[0044] Figure 6 A hub assembly 1 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. The purpose is only to illustrate the fastening methods of the blade-side extended bearing unit 5 and the hub-side extended bearing unit 9 relative to... Figures 2 to 5 The difference between the first exemplary embodiment shown and the actual embodiment is therefore, for clarity, in Figure 6 The illustration shows only one hub body segment 2' of the hub body 2.

[0045] Compared with the first exemplary embodiment, Figure 6 The first hole 4 is a blind hole in the hub-side connecting surface 3. Both the hub-side extended bearing unit 9 and the blade-side extended bearing unit 5 are arranged on the outer side of the hub body 2. Fastening is achieved by screws 24, which pass through the blade-side extended bearing unit 5 and the hub-side extended bearing unit 9 into the blind hole. This simplifies the manufacturing of the hub body; for the hub-side extended bearing unit 9, only one support surface 3 needs to be precision machined.

[0046] exist Figure 6 In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, it is preferably configured such that spacer rings 23 are arranged on the connecting surface 3 between the ear plates 10, 11, these portions providing additional support surfaces for the blade-side extended bearing unit 5 between the ear plates 10, 11. Accordingly, the spacer rings 23 are preferably flush with the ear plates 10, 11. Alternatively, according to an exemplary embodiment not shown, the connecting surface may have recesses for receiving the ear plates, so that the ear plates are preferably flush with the connecting surface after being received in the recesses.

[0047] The following will refer to Figures 7 to 1 0 describes various variant embodiments of the hub-side extended bearing unit 9. Figures 7 to 1 All the variant embodiments shown in 0 can be combined with the two exemplary embodiments described above, that is, Figures 7 to 1 Each hub-side extended bearing unit 9 shown in Figure 0 can be used for Figures 2 to 6 The wheel hub assembly shown according to the present invention.

[0048] Figure 7 A variant embodiment is shown in which the hub-side extended bearing unit 9 comprises two lugs 10, 11. Both lugs 10, 11 extend over the circumferential portion 17 of the first bore circle 4 and the connecting surface 3. The circumferential extent of the lugs 10, 11 defines the central angle assigned to each lug 10, 11. 1, 2. Ear plates 10, 11 preferably have a central angle in the hole circle 4 within the range of 20° to 70°, particularly preferably between 30° and 60°. 1, Extending on the circumferential portion 17 of 2. As an example, ear plate 11 is provided with a fastening hole 19 for interacting with a flange portion 18 that projects radially inward relative to the first bearing ring, while ear plate 10 does not have such a fastening hole. Similarly, variant embodiments are conceivable in which both ear plates have such a fastening hole, or neither ear plate is formed to have such a fastening hole.

[0049] In a preferred embodiment, the ear plates 10, 11 have a central angle in the hole circles 4, 7 that is in the range of 20° to 70°, preferably between 30° and 60°. 1, Extending from the circumferential portion 17 of 2. The central angle of the circumferential portion 17 covered by the ear plates 10 and 11. 1, The sum of 2 is preferably at most 280°, more preferably at most 230°, and particularly preferably at most 180°.

[0050] Figure 8 The variant shown differs from the previously described variant in that the two ear plates 10, 11 are connected to each other by a web 15 to radially reinforce the connection surface 3. Preferably, the ear plates 10, 11 are integrally formed with the web 15, as this allows for particularly high stiffness values. Finally, the web 15 may preferably have at least one rib 16 to increase bending stiffness. Figure 8 In the slightly enlarged section AA, rib 16 gives the web 15 a T-shaped profile.

[0051] The web 15 preferably has a web width W1, which is in the range of 30% to 90% of the maximum width W2 of the corresponding circumference 17 covered by the ear plates 10, 11 connected by the web 15.

[0052] Figure 9 The variant embodiments shown are similar to Figure 8 The difference is that it is provided with fastening holes 19 for additionally attaching the ear plates 10, 11 to the radially protruding flange portion 18 of the hub body 2 by bolts.

[0053] In other respects, the description made in conjunction with the above-described variant embodiments is accordingly applicable to... Figure 8 and Figure 9 .

[0054] Figures 10A to 10C Three additional variant embodiments of the hub-side extended bearing unit 9 are shown.

[0055] Figure 10A A variation is shown with two lugs 10, 11 connected by a web. (Compared to) Figure 8 and Figure 9 In contrast, the ear plates employ an asymmetrical design, with ear plate 11 extending on a circumference much larger than that of ear plate 10, and having a central angle. 2.

[0056] Figure 10B A variant embodiment of the hub-side extended bearing unit 9 is shown, which has four lugs 10, 11, 12, 13, which are evenly distributed on the circumference of the bore circles 4, 7. The four lugs 10, 11, 12, 13 are connected to each other in a star shape by webs 15, 15'.

[0057] also, Figure 10B The spacer ring 23 is illustrated with dashed lines in the second exemplary embodiment (see [reference]). Figure 6 When assembling, a spacer ring can be used. According to... Figure 6 When assembling, a similar spacer ring 23 can also be used in all other variant embodiments.

[0058] Figure 10C The variant embodiments shown correspond to Figure 10B The variant shown differs in that the lugs 10, 11, 12', and 13' are arranged in a non-uniform distribution on the circumference of the bore circles 4 and 7. This non-uniform distribution allows for optimization of the extended bearing unit 9 for non-uniform load conditions.

[0059] All ear plates 10, 11, 12, 13, 12', 13' have a central angle in the hole circles 4, 7 ranging from 20° to 70°, preferably between 30° and 60°. 1, 2, 3, Extending from the circumference of 4. The central angle of the circumference covered by the ear plates 10, 11, 12, 13, 12', 13'. 1, 2, 3, The sum of 4 is preferably at most 280°, more preferably at most 230°, and particularly preferably at most 180°.

[0060] In other respects, the description made in conjunction with the above-described variant embodiments is accordingly applicable to... Figures 10A to 10C .

[0061] List of reference numerals 1 Wheel hub assembly 2 wheel hubs 2', 2'', 2''' wheel hub body section 3 Connecting surfaces 4. First hole circle 4', 4'' First hole circle part 5-blade side extension bearing unit 6 First bearing ring 6', 6'' partial loop 7. Second hole circle 8 Second bearing ring 9-hub side extension bearing unit 10 to 13, 12', 13' ear plates 14-hole arc 15 webs 16 ribs 17 Circumferential Part 18 flanges 19 Fastening Holes 20 joints 21 Rotor hub extension 22 rings 23-spacer ring 24 screws 100 wind turbine generator set 110 tower 120 cabin 130 rotor 140 rotor blades Bearing axis A 1, 2, 3, 4 central angles E rotor hub extension hub side end area W1 Web width W2 Earplate Maximum Width

Claims

1. A hub assembly for a wind turbine generator set (100), comprising: The hub body (2) has at least one connecting surface (3) in which a first hole circle (4) is formed. Blade-side extended bearing unit (5), including The first bearing ring (6) has a second hole (7) aligned with the first hole (4), and A second bearing race (8), used for fastening to the rotor blades (140) of the wind turbine generator set (100), wherein the second bearing race (8) is coaxially arranged with respect to the first bearing race (6) and rotatably arranged about a common bearing axis (A), and Hub-side extended bearing unit (9). The hub body (2) is bolted to the first bearing ring (6) via the first bore (4) and the second bore (7). The hub-side extended bearing unit (9) is characterized in that it includes at least two lugs (10, 11, 12, 13), each of which extends on the circumferential portion (17) of the bore (4, 7) and has a corresponding bore arc (14) aligned with the bore (4, 7), and the lugs (10, 11, 12, 13) are fitted into the bolted connection between the hub body (2) and the first bearing ring (6).

2. The wheel hub assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two of the ear plates (10, 11; 12, 13) are arranged opposite each other along the diametrical direction.

3. The wheel hub assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, At least two of the ear plates (10, 11, 12, 13) are connected to each other by a web plate (15) to reinforce the connecting surface (3) in the radial direction.

4. The wheel hub assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The ear plates (10, 11, 12, 13) are integrally formed with the belly plate (15).

5. The wheel hub assembly according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The web (15) has at least one rib (16) to increase bending stiffness.

6. The wheel hub assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The web (15) has a web width (W1) that is in the range of 30% to 90% of the maximum width (W2) of the corresponding circumference (17) covered by the ear plates (10, 11, 12, 13) connected by the web (15).

7. The wheel hub assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, In the region of the ear plates (10, 11, 12, 13), the hub body (2) is formed with a flange (18) that protrudes radially relative to the first bearing ring (6), and the flange (18) is bolted to the ear plates (10, 11, 12, 13) via a plurality of fastening holes (19).

8. The wheel hub assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The hub-side extended bearing unit (9) includes at least four lugs (10, 11, 12, 13) arranged in a uniform or non-uniform manner on the circumference of the hole circle (4, 7).

9. The wheel hub assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The four ear plates (10, 11, 12, 13) are connected to each other in a star shape via the web plates (15, 15').

10. The wheel hub assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The ear plates (10, 11, 12, 13) have a central angle in the hole circle (4, 7) ranging from 20° to 70°, preferably between 30° and 60°. 1, 2, 3, 4) extends on the circumferential portion (17).

11. The wheel hub assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, The central angle of the circumferential portion (17) covered by the ear plates (10, 11, 12, 13) 1, 2, 3, 4) The sum is at most 280°, preferably at most 230°, and particularly preferably at most 180°.

12. The wheel hub assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The hub body (2) includes at least two hub body segments (2', 2''), on which a portion (4', 4'') of the first hole circle (4) is formed, wherein the portions (4', 4'') are joined together in such a way as to jointly form the first hole circle (4), and the joints (20) are each bridged by ear plates (10, 11, 12, 13).

13. The wheel hub assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The connecting surface (3) is designed as a connecting flange having a through hole as a first hole circle (4), wherein the hub-side extension bearing unit (9) is arranged on the hub inner side of the connecting flange, and the blade-side extension bearing unit (5) is arranged on the hub outer side of the connecting flange.

14. The wheel hub assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The first hole circle (4) is in the form of a blind hole in the connecting surface (3), wherein the hub-side extended bearing unit (9) and the blade-side extended bearing unit (5) are arranged on the outer side of the hub body (2).

15. The wheel hub assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The first bearing ring (6) is formed to have a rotor hub extension (21) that extends beyond the second bearing ring (8) on the hub side along the bearing axis (A), and the second hole circle (7) is arranged in the hub side end region (E) of the rotor hub extension.

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