Gearbox full oil transportation sealing structure and gearbox

Abstract

The utility model provides a full oil transportation sealing structure of a gear box and the gear box. The full oil transportation sealing structure comprises a bearing cover and a sealing part, wherein the bearing cover comprises a central opening and a first annular inner cavity which circumferentially extends along the inner wall of the central opening; a spindle extending through the central opening of the bearing cap and maintaining a gap with an inner wall of the central opening; and the first inflatable shroud ring is arranged in the first annular inner cavity. And the first inflatable shroud ring has an inflated state and an uninflated state, in the inflated state, the first inflatable shroud ring is in close contact with the main shaft to form a sealing surface, and in the uninflated state, the first inflatable shroud ring retracts into the first annular inner cavity and is separated from the main shaft. The full oil transportation sealing structure is excellent in sealing performance, simple in structure and high in adaptability.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to a gear box, in particular to a full oil transportation sealing structure of gear box. BACKGROUND

[0002] For wind power gear box and other related gear box, customers sometimes require to use full oil transportation scheme. This is because the gear box in the transportation process, gear and bearing parts may move slightly or vibrate, full oil state can ensure that these parts are always covered by lubricating oil, thereby reducing friction and wear. In addition, the lubricating oil has the function of rust and corrosion prevention, can isolate moisture and corrosive substances in the air, prevent the gear box internal parts from rusting or corroding in the transportation process. Moreover, when the gear box reaches the destination, if it has been full of oil, the time and steps of refueling can be saved, and debugging and installation can be directly carried out, improving work efficiency.

[0003] For the gap between the bearing cover and the main shaft of the wind power gear box, V type sealing ring or sealing glue is currently used for sealing. The V type sealing ring is a lip seal ring, and its cross section is in the shape of "V". In the free state, the outer diameter of the lip of the V type ring is larger than the inner diameter of the filler cavity, and the inner diameter of the lip is smaller than the outer diameter of the main shaft, so that there is a certain deformation after assembly. The V type sealing ring has good dust blocking effect, but it is unreliable for sealing lubricating oil, and it is easy to leak oil during transportation. In addition, the structure of the V type sealing ring is relatively complex, which makes it need a larger space to accommodate these components during installation, limiting its application in space limited equipment. In addition, the sealing glue has long curing time, is easy to contaminate parts, and the sealing glue removal is time-consuming and laborious.

[0004] It is in the above background that the full oil transportation sealing structure of the gear box of the utility model is designed. CONTENT OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0005] The utility model aims at providing a full oil transportation sealing structure of gear box which has excellent sealing performance, simple structure and strong adaptability, so as to solve one or more problems in the prior art.

[0006] The full-oil transportation sealing structure of the gear box adopts an inflatable surrounding belt as a sealing ring between a bearing cover and a main shaft (including an input shaft and an output shaft of the gear box), inflates the inflatable surrounding belt sealing ring to make it swell in use, fills an annular inner cavity pre-provided in the bearing cover, and is in close contact with the main shaft, so as to form reliable sealing. Subsequently, when the gear box is transported to a use site for work, the inflatable surrounding belt sealing ring is only needed to be deflated, and the inflatable surrounding belt sealing ring will automatically shrink into the annular inner cavity of the bearing cover and be separated from the main shaft to avoid interfering with the rotating movement of the main shaft. Therefore, the sealing structure has the advantages of simple structure and easy installation, can quickly realize sealing, and improves the convenience of operation. In addition, the inflatable surrounding belt sealing ring can be repeatedly used without disassembly. Further, since the inflatable surrounding belt sealing ring in the inflated state has elasticity, can adapt to slight unevenness on the surface of the main shaft, and can adapt to certain vibration and displacement changes in the transportation process, the lubricating oil leakage can be effectively blocked, so that the stability of the sealing performance is maintained.

[0007] Specifically, the utility model provides a kind of full-oil transportation sealing structure of gear box, wherein the full-oil transportation sealing structure includes: bearing cover, it includes center opening and the first annular inner cavity that first annular inner cavity is extended along the inner wall of center opening;Main shaft, it extends through the center opening of bearing cover and keeps a certain gap with the inner wall of center opening;And first inflatable surrounding belt sealing ring, it is arranged in the first annular inner cavity, wherein the first inflatable surrounding belt sealing ring has inflated state and un-inflated state, in the inflated state, the first inflatable surrounding belt sealing ring is in close contact with the main shaft to form sealing surface, and in the un-inflated state, the first inflatable surrounding belt sealing ring is retracted in the first annular inner cavity, and is separated from the main shaft.

[0008] In one embodiment, the bearing cover further includes a through hole leading from the first annular inner cavity to the outside, and the first inflatable surrounding belt sealing ring is provided with an inflation interface, which extends from the first annular inner cavity to the outside via the through hole.

[0009] In one embodiment, the bearing cover includes: a bearing cover body; an inner annular boss protruding inwardly from the bearing cover body and configured to abut against a bearing outer ring; and an outer annular boss protruding outwardly from the bearing cover body, wherein the center opening extends through the bearing cover body and the outer annular boss, and the first annular inner cavity is provided in the outer annular boss.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first annular inner cavity has a cross-section formed in a shape of upper circle and lower square, an ogival shape, a rectangular shape, a trapezoidal shape or an elliptical shape, the cross-section being a cross-section taken in a plane perpendicular to the plane defined by the first annular inner cavity and passing through the center of the first annular inner cavity.

[0011] In one embodiment, the first inflatable gasket is made of rubber or a composite material with rubber as a base material, the rubber being natural rubber, nitrile rubber or fluororubber.

[0012] In one embodiment, the inflatable gasket comprises an air nozzle mounted on the air inflation interface, the air nozzle being combined with a one-way valve.

[0013] In one embodiment, the inflatable gasket comprises a pressure sensor configured to monitor the air pressure inside the inflatable gasket in real time.

[0014] In one embodiment, the surface of the inflatable gasket is coated with a ceramic coating or a fluorine coating.

[0015] In one embodiment, the bearing cover further comprises a second annular inner cavity extending circumferentially along the inner wall of the central opening and parallel to the first annular inner cavity, and wherein the full-oil transportation sealing structure further comprises a second inflatable gasket disposed in the second annular inner cavity, the second inflatable gasket having an inflated state and a non-inflated state, in the inflated state, the second inflatable gasket is in close contact with the main shaft to form a sealing surface, and in the non-inflated state, the second inflatable gasket is retracted in the second annular inner cavity and is separated from the main shaft.

[0016] The utility model further provides a gear box, the gear box includes according to any one of the full-oil transportation sealing structure of the above.

[0017] Generally, the various embodiments of the utility model can be combined and coupled in any possible way within the scope of the utility model. These and other aspects, features, and / or advantages of the utility model will be apparent and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] The embodiments of the utility model will be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which:

[0019] Figure 1 The full-oil transportation sealing structure according to the embodiments of the utility model is schematically shown at A and B in a wind power gear box;

[0020] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I in Figure 1 , wherein in Figure 2A the inflatable grommet seal is in an uninflated state, and in Figure 2B the inflatable grommet seal is in an inflated state; and

[0021] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the inflatable grommet seal in Fig. 2.

[0022] It should be understood that the drawings only show exemplary ways of implementing the present application and should not be construed as limiting other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. The scope of protection of the present application is only defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] A specific embodiment according to the present application and its variants will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] For the convenience of description, spatial relative terms "inner", "outer", "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "front", "back", etc. may be used herein to define the relative position relationship of various components and their relative position relationship, but this is only for the orientation of the device given in the drawings and has no limiting meaning. When the orientation of the device changes, these spatial relative relationships can also be reversed or changed, without affecting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0025] The wind power gear box is an important mechanical component in the wind turbine generator system, which mainly functions to transmit the power generated by the rotor assembly under the action of wind to the generator and make it reach the required rotating speed of the generator. Figure 1 The wind power gear box is schematically shown. From the external appearance, the wind power gear box comprises a housing 1, bearing covers and main shafts extending from the bearing covers. The bearing covers comprise a left bearing cover 2 and a right bearing cover 3, and the main shafts comprise an input shaft 4 extending from the left bearing cover 2 and an output shaft 5 extending from the right bearing cover 3. The housing 1 usually adopts a tapered cylindrical structure to adapt to the shape and layout of the internal gears and bearings. In terms of material, the housing 1 usually adopts high-strength cast iron or cast steel material. In addition, the housing 1 is usually composed of two half-shell parts, and is provided with structures such as lifting lugs, and this design makes the wind power gear box more convenient to assemble and maintain. The left bearing cover 2 and the right bearing cover 3 are installed on the two end faces of the housing 1 by fastening bolts, forming a sealed space with the housing 1 to protect the bearings (not shown in the figure) and other components installed inside the housing 1 from the external environment. The left bearing cover 2 and the right bearing cover 3 are both formed as a transparent cover, comprising a central opening formed in the center to facilitate the extension of the input shaft 4 and the output shaft 5.

[0026] The input shaft 4 and the output shaft 5 are supported in the housing 1 by bearings, the inner ring of which is fixed to the input shaft 4 and the output shaft 5, and the outer ring of which is axially fixed by the left bearing cover 2 and the right bearing cover 3. As shown in Figure 2A and Figure 2B The right bearing cover 3 comprises a bearing cover body 3a, an inner annular boss 3b and an outer annular boss 3c. The bearing cover body 3a is configured to be mounted to the housing 1 by fastening bolts, and comprises a central opening through which the output shaft 5 extends. The inner annular boss 3b protrudes inwardly from the bearing cover body 3a, and is configured to abut against the outer ring of the bearing to prevent the bearing from moving axially. Therefore, the inner diameter of the inner annular boss 3b is larger than the diameter of the output shaft 5. The outer annular boss 3c protrudes outwardly from the bearing cover body 3a, and is configured to cooperate with the annular surface of the output shaft 5. Therefore, the inner diameter of the outer annular boss 3c can be equal to the diameter of the central opening, i.e. the central opening extends through the bearing cover body 3a and the outer annular boss 3c. Alternatively, the inner diameter of the bearing cover body 3a and the outer annular boss 3c can be slightly larger than the diameter of the output shaft 5, so that the output shaft 5 can easily extend from the central opening of the right bearing cover 3, and after being mounted in place, the output shaft 5 keeps a certain gap with the inner wall of the central opening of the right bearing cover 3.

[0027] Although conventional sealing structures have been provided between the bearing cover and the main shaft and the housing 1, the sealing between the bearing cover and the main shaft is required to be higher in the full-oil transportation state, and therefore the wind turbine gearbox according to the present application comprises a full-oil transportation sealing structure provided between the bearing cover and the main shaft. The full-oil transportation sealing structure comprises a bearing cover, a main shaft and a first inflatable belt seal. The bearing cover comprises a central opening and a first annular inner cavity extending circumferentially along the inner wall of the central opening. The main shaft extends through the central opening of the bearing cover and keeps a certain gap with the inner wall of the central opening. The first inflatable belt seal is provided in the first annular inner cavity. The first inflatable belt seal has an inflated state and an uninflated state. In the inflated state, the first inflatable belt seal is in close contact with the main shaft to form a sealing surface, and in the uninflated state, the first inflatable belt seal is retracted in the first annular inner cavity and is separated from the main shaft.

[0028] Figure 2A and Figure 2B A full-oil transportation sealing structure according to one specific embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in Figure 2A and Figure 2B The above full-oil transportation sealing structure comprises the right bearing cover 3 and the output shaft 5 of the wind turbine gearbox, and a (first) inflatable belt seal 6. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that although the following description is made with reference to the right bearing cover 3 and the output shaft 5, the full-oil transportation sealing structure of the present application is equally applicable to the left bearing cover 2 and the input shaft 4 of the wind turbine gearbox.

[0029] Still referring to Figure 2A and Figure 2B The right bearing cap 3 has a (first) annular inner cavity extending circumferentially along the inner wall of the central opening, and a through hole leading from the annular inner cavity to the outside. The inflatable belt seal 6 is disposed in the annular inner cavity. The inflatable belt seal 6 is provided with an inflation port 6a which extends from the annular inner cavity to the outside via the through hole, so as to connect the inflatable belt seal 6 to an external air source. In one embodiment, the annular inner cavity can be provided in the bearing cap body 3a. In a preferred embodiment, the annular inner cavity can be provided in the outer annular boss 3c. In this way, the overall strength and structural stability of the right bearing cap 3 can be enhanced.

[0030] The shape and size of the annular inner cavity can be designed according to the size of the inflatable belt seal 6, the right bearing cap 3 and the output shaft 5, as well as the sealing pressure, etc., to ensure that the inflatable belt seal 6 can be placed and inflated smoothly. In one embodiment, the cross section of the annular inner cavity (the cross section taken by a plane perpendicular to the plane defined by the annular inner cavity and passing through the center of the annular inner cavity) can be formed in a substantially circular shape with a wider lower part, whereby the inflatable belt seal 6 can be easily loaded into the annular inner cavity from the wider lower part, and then inflated to come into full contact with the wall of the annular inner cavity to form an effective seal. In an alternative embodiment, the cross section of the annular inner cavity can be formed in a substantial portion of a circle taken by a straight line, i.e. a superior arc. The annular inner cavity with a superior arc cross section can also ensure the smooth placement and full inflation of the inflatable belt seal 6. In other alternative embodiments, the cross section of the annular inner cavity can be formed in a rectangular shape, trapezoidal shape, oval shape, etc. It will be understood that the shape of the cross section of the annular inner cavity is not limited to the specific embodiments given above, but can be any other suitable shape, as long as the inflatable belt seal 6 located in the annular inner cavity can form a sealing surface with the main shaft after inflation. In addition, the inflatable belt seal 6 can be conformally designed with the annular inner cavity.

[0031] Referring to Figure 3 The inflatable belt seal 6 is a ring-shaped component made of an elastic material, and has an uninflated state and an inflated state. In the uninflated state, the size of the inflatable belt seal 6 is smaller than the size of the annular inner cavity, so it will be shrunk inside the annular inner cavity and not in contact with the output shaft 5. In the inflated state, the size of the inflatable belt seal 6 is larger than the size of the annular inner cavity. Therefore, when the inflatable belt seal 6 is inflated in the annular inner cavity, the annular inner cavity will limit the extent of inflation of the inflatable belt seal 6, so as to form a close contact between the inflatable belt seal 6 and the wall of the annular inner cavity, and form a sealing surface between the inflatable belt seal 6 and the output shaft 5.

[0032] The inflatable grommet seal 6 can be made of rubber material. Rubber materials with good elasticity and oil resistance, temperature resistance, such as natural rubber, nitrile rubber, fluorine rubber, etc. can be selected. According to different working environment and medium, the corresponding rubber material can be selected to meet the sealing performance requirements. For example, in the oil medium, nitrile rubber with good oil resistance can be selected; in high temperature environment, fluorine rubber with good high temperature resistance can be selected. Further, the inflatable grommet seal 6 can be made of a composite material using rubber as a base material. In an embodiment, during the manufacturing process of the inflatable grommet seal 6, a vulcanization process can be used to combine the rubber with reinforcing materials (such as steel wire, fiber, etc.) to improve its strength and durability.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the inflatable grommet seal 6 can include an air nozzle 7 mounted on the inflation interface 6a. The air nozzle 7 can be a quick inflation and deflation air nozzle or any other suitable type of air nozzle, which facilitates connection with an external air source to achieve inflation and deflation operations of the inflatable grommet seal 6. In actual operation, compressed air can be filled into the air nozzle 7 through a pneumatic pump, a compressed air pipeline or other equipment. The material of the air nozzle 7 can be selected from corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant metal or plastic materials to ensure its reliability and stability during long-term use. In a preferred embodiment, a one-way valve can be incorporated into the air nozzle 7, which is configured to allow only compressed air to flow from the outside into the inflatable grommet seal 6 during inflation, thereby preventing backflow of gas and ensuring the inflation effect of the seal.

[0034] In another preferred embodiment, the inflatable grommet seal 6 can include a pressure sensor (not shown in the figure), which is configured to monitor the air pressure inside the inflatable grommet seal 6 in real time. During inflation, the inflation pressure needs to be controlled within a suitable range to ensure effective sealing while avoiding excessive expansion of the inflatable grommet seal 6 and damage. The specific value of the inflation pressure can be determined according to the material, size and working environment of the inflatable grommet seal 6, etc. For example, in the sealing application of the wind turbine gearbox full oil transportation, the inflation pressure can be controlled between 0.5-1.0 MPa, of course, the pressure range can also change with the transportation conditions and environmental pressure, etc. In addition, the pressure sensor can also monitor the air pressure inside the inflatable grommet seal 6 in real time during transportation. If the air pressure is found to be decreasing, compressed air can be supplemented in time to maintain the sealing performance.

[0035] In another preferred embodiment, the surface of the inflatable belt seal 6, particularly the side surface facing the interior space of the wind turbine gearbox (which surface is in direct contact with the lubricating oil), can be coated with a wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant coating to improve its service life. For example, a ceramic coating or a fluoride coating can be used to effectively prevent the lubricating oil from eroding the inflatable belt seal 6.

[0036] The assembly process of the full-oil transportation sealing structure described above will be described in detail below. First, the inflatable belt seal 6 is inserted into the annular inner cavity of the right bearing cover 3, and the inflation interface 6a of the inflatable belt seal 6 is extended to the outside via the through hole on the right bearing cover 3, and then the air nozzle 7 is installed on the inflation interface 6a. Subsequently, the right bearing cover 3 is fitted on the output shaft 5, and the right bearing cover 3 is installed on the housing 1 via the fastening bolts, so that the inner side annular boss 3b of the right bearing cover 3 abuts against the bearing outer ring. At this time, the inflatable belt seal 6 is in an un-inflated state, shrunk in the annular inner cavity of the right bearing cover 3, and maintains a certain distance from the surface of the output shaft 5, as shown in Figure 2A Then, compressed air is filled into the inflatable belt seal 6 through the air nozzle 7, and the inflatable belt seal 6 gradually expands after inflation, filling in the annular inner cavity of the right bearing cover 3 and being in close contact with the output shaft 5 to form a sealing surface, as shown in Figure 2B At this time, the rubber material of the inflatable belt seal 6 is elastically deformed under the action of the compressed air, which can adapt to the slight unevenness of the surface of the output shaft 5, further improving the sealing effect. Moreover, this elastic deformation can also adapt to certain vibration and displacement changes during transportation, blocking the leakage of lubricating oil, thereby maintaining the stability of the sealing performance. Thus, during the full-oil transportation process, the lubricating oil inside the housing 1 will not leak from the gap between the output shaft 5 and the right bearing cover 3. After the wind turbine gearbox is transported to the destination, only the air nozzle 7 needs to be removed, and the compressed air in the inflatable belt seal 6 is released, and the inflatable belt seal 6 will gradually shrink into the annular inner cavity and be separated from the outer surface of the output shaft 5, thereby avoiding interference with the rotational movement of the output shaft 5. At this time, the inflatable belt seal 6 does not need to be removed from the right bearing cover 3, which can save operation time and is beneficial to use in the next full-oil transportation process (if necessary).

[0037] The full-oil transport sealing structure according to the present application can be used in combination with other types of sealing devices (e.g. labyrinth seal, contact seal, etc.) to achieve a more efficient sealing effect. As such, even if one of the layers fails, the other sealing devices can still function to seal. In a preferred embodiment, the right bearing cover 3 further comprises a second annular inner cavity which also extends circumferentially along the inner wall of the central opening and is parallel to the first annular inner cavity. The full-oil transport sealing structure according to the present application can comprise a second inflatable band seal ring arranged in the second annular inner cavity. The second inflatable band seal ring can be identical to the first inflatable band seal ring 6 described above and thus has an inflated state and a non-inflated state. In the inflated state, the second inflatable band seal ring is in close contact with the main shaft to form a sealing surface, and in the non-inflated state, the second inflatable band seal ring retracts in the second annular inner cavity and is disengaged from the main shaft. As such, a two-stage full-oil transport sealing is achieved, enhancing the reliability of the sealing structure. Similarly, the right bearing cover 3 can comprise a third annular inner cavity, and the full-oil transport sealing structure can comprise a third inflatable band seal ring, and the skilled person can select the specific number as needed.

[0038] The skilled person will appreciate that although the full-oil transport sealing structure has been described above with reference to a wind turbine gearbox, the full-oil transport sealing structure according to the present application can be applicable to other various types of gearboxes.

[0039] It will be understood that, although the present application has been described in relation to the above described embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the examples described herein. The scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims. In the context of the claims, the term "comprise" or "to comprise" does not exclude other possible elements or steps. Also, the reference to something being "a" or "an" does not exclude more than one. Use of the reference sign "a" or "an" in the claims does not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, the use of the term "first", "second", "third", etc. does not limit the scope of the application, but merely identifies a name of a feature. Also, the use of the terms first and second in the description is merely to help the understanding of the application, and is not to be construed as implying that a first feature is to be preferred over a second feature.

Claims

1. A fully oil-sealed transport structure for a gearbox, characterized in that, The oil-filled transport sealing structure includes: A bearing cap, comprising a central opening and a first annular inner cavity extending circumferentially along the inner wall of the central opening; A main shaft, extending through the central opening of the bearing cap and maintaining a certain gap with the inner wall of the central opening; and A first inflatable sealing ring (6) is disposed in the first annular inner cavity. The first inflatable sealing ring (6) has an inflated state and an uninflated state. In the inflated state, the first inflatable sealing ring (6) is in close contact with the main shaft to form a sealing surface. In the uninflated state, the first inflatable sealing ring (6) retracts into the first annular inner cavity and disengages from the main shaft.

2. The oil-filled transport sealing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing cover also includes a through hole leading from the first annular inner cavity to the outside. The first inflatable belt sealing ring (6) is provided with an inflation port (6a), which extends from the first annular inner cavity to the outside through the through hole.

3. The oil-filled transport sealing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing cap includes: Bearing cover body; An inner annular boss, which protrudes inwardly from the bearing cap body and is configured to abut against the outer ring of the bearing; and An outer annular boss protrudes outward from the bearing cover body. The central opening extends through the bearing cover body and the outer annular boss, and the first annular inner cavity is disposed in the outer annular boss.

4. The oil-filled transport sealing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-section of the first annular inner cavity is formed as an upper circle and a lower circle, an arc shape, a rectangle, a trapezoid, or an ellipse. The cross-section is a cross section taken by a plane perpendicular to the plane defined by the first annular inner cavity and passing through the center of the first annular inner cavity.

5. The oil-filled transport sealing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first inflatable sealing ring (6) is made of rubber or a composite material with rubber as the base material, wherein the rubber is natural rubber, nitrile rubber or fluororubber.

6. The oil-filled transport sealing structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inflatable band sealing ring (6) includes an air nozzle (7) installed on the inflation port (6a), the air nozzle (7) being coupled with a one-way valve.

7. The oil-filled transport sealing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inflatable enclosure sealing ring (6) includes a pressure sensor configured to monitor the air pressure inside the inflatable enclosure sealing ring (6) in real time.

8. The oil-filled transport sealing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the inflatable enclosure sealing ring (6) is coated with a ceramic coating or a fluoride coating.

9. The oil-filled transport sealing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing cap further includes a second annular inner cavity, which extends circumferentially along the inner wall of the central opening and is parallel to the first annular inner cavity. The full oil transport sealing structure further includes a second inflatable sealing ring disposed in the second annular inner cavity. The second inflatable sealing ring has an inflated state and an uninflated state. In the inflated state, the second inflatable sealing ring is in close contact with the main shaft to form a sealing surface. In the uninflated state, the second inflatable sealing ring retracts into the second annular inner cavity and disengages from the main shaft.

10. A gearbox, characterized in that, The gearbox includes a full-oil transport sealing structure according to any one of claims 1-9.

Images