Bearing housing for a drive train of a wind turbine
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-13
Smart Images
Figure EP2026050533_13082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0002] Storage housing for a drive train of a wind turbine
[0003] Technical field
[0004] The present disclosure relates to a bearing housing for a drive train of a wind turbine. The present disclosure also relates to a drive train with such a bearing housing and to a wind turbine with such a drive train.
[0005] State of the art
[0006] Wind turbines are known to convert wind energy into electricity. These turbines utilize a rotor designed to convert wind energy into mechanical power, such as rotation with torque. This torque can then be fed into a drive train to be converted into electrical power, for example, by a generator. Due to the high weights and forces involved, particularly in large wind turbines with a capacity of several megawatts, the drive train's bearings must meet stringent requirements regarding load-bearing capacity and force transmission. To address these demands, robust housings with high rigidity are used to support the drive train, which can result in significant weight.
[0007] Description of the invention
[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to a bearing housing for a drive train of a wind turbine. The wind turbine may have a rotor. The rotor may be designed to convert wind energy into rotational mechanical energy and introduce this into the drive train. The wind turbine may have a tower and a nacelle, which accommodates and supports at least parts of the drive train. The nacelle may be attached to an upper end of the tower. The nacelle may be rotatably mounted on the tower. [A lower ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14]
[0009] The top of the tower can be anchored to the ground. Alternatively, the bottom of the tower can be attached to an offshore wind turbine platform.
[0010] The drivetrain can include a generator to convert wind energy into electrical energy. The rotor can be connected to the generator, for example, via a rotor shaft of the drivetrain. The rotor can have multiple rotor blades, such as three. The drivetrain can include a hub through which the rotor is coupled to the rotor shaft. The hub can be designed to adjust the pitch angle of the rotor blades. The drivetrain can include a gearbox located in a power flow between the rotor and the generator. The generator can be designed to utilize the rotation of the rotor shaft or the rotation of a gearbox output to generate electricity. The gearbox can be designed to convert the rotational speed of the rotor shaft to another, for example, a higher, speed to drive the generator.The rotor shaft speed during operation can range, for example, between 2 and 30 rpm, or between 5 and 20 rpm. The rotational speed for driving the generator during operation can range, for example, between 500 and 3000 rpm, or between 900 and 2000 rpm. The gearbox drive can be mechanically coupled to the rotor, and the gearbox output can be mechanically coupled to the generator. The gearbox can be designed to transmit power from the rotor shaft to the generator. The torque at the gearbox drive during operation can range, for example, between 500,000 Nm and 15,000,000 Nm, or between 3,000,000 Nm and 10,000,000 Nm.
[0011] The drivetrain may have a housing. The housing may be designed to accommodate and support at least parts of the drivetrain, for example, by allowing it to rotate. The housing may be located in the nacelle. The bearing housing may be attached to the housing. The bearing housing may be located inside the housing. Alternatively or additionally, the bearing housing may be designed as a bearing cover and seal the housing externally. The bearing housing may be essentially rotationally symmetrical. ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0012] be designed. For example, the bearing housing can have a flat or inclined disc shape.
[0013] The bearing housing has a bearing receptacle for receiving axial forces from a bearing for a drivetrain shaft. The bearing is designed to transmit forces in at least one axial direction along the shaft. The bearing receptacle can be configured to receive the bearing for supporting the shaft and to support it with respect to the bearing housing. The bearing receptacle can be configured to receive radial and / or axial forces from the bearing. The bearing can be a rolling bearing and / or a plain bearing. The shaft can be, for example, a gearbox shaft, the rotor shaft, or another shaft of the drivetrain. The bearing housing can be configured to receive and support multiple bearings. The shaft can have multiple bearings. In such a case, some or all of the bearings can be supported by the bearing housing.The bearing support section can be designed to absorb forces in at least the axial direction of the shaft. The axial direction can be one of two axial directions along a shaft axis. In one embodiment, the bearing support section can be designed to transmit forces in both axial directions of the shaft. The forces in one axial direction of the shaft can, for example, include components of the forces that the rotor exerts on the rotor shaft in the wind direction, as well as components of the forces that are exerted on a transmission shaft by the gearbox, for example, by helical gears. The forces in the axial direction of the shaft can be introduced into the bearing support section, for example, by a step, a retaining ring, or another suitable axial contact surface.The bearing mounting section can be designed to absorb forces in a radial direction of the shaft in addition to forces in the axial direction of the shaft.
[0014] The bearing housing has a flanged section for attaching the bearing housing to the drivetrain. Attachment to the drivetrain may include attachment to a drivetrain housing, which may be designed as described above. Alternatively or additionally, attachment to the drivetrain may include... ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0015] Attachment to other support elements of the drivetrain includes mounting. In one embodiment, the flange section can have a flange surface for mounting to a drivetrain housing. The drivetrain housing can have a complementary flange surface that can abut one of the flange surfaces of the flange section. The abutting flange section can be fastened to the drivetrain housing, for example, by means of a fastening device, such as a screw connection. The flange section can have multiple flange surfaces, allowing it to be attached to the drivetrain at several points. In one embodiment, the flange section can have a first flange surface for mounting to a first drivetrain housing and a second flange surface for mounting to a second drivetrain housing. The flange section can be configured to be positioned between the two drivetrain housings.For example, the first housing of the drivetrain can accommodate one gear stage, and the second housing of the drivetrain can accommodate another gear stage. The flange section can, for example, be arranged axially between the two gear stages and accommodate and support a bearing for a shaft of one of the gear stages.
[0016] The flange section and the bearing housing section are connected by a radially extending connecting section. For example, the flange section may be located radially outside the bearing housing section and have a larger diameter than the bearing housing section. Alternatively, the flange section may be located radially inside the bearing housing section and have a smaller diameter. In both cases, the connecting section extends radially along the shaft to connect the flange section and the bearing housing section. The connecting section may also extend axially along the shaft. The flange section, the bearing housing section, and the connecting section may be formed separately and joined together. Alternatively, they may be at least partially integrated.In one embodiment, the flange section, the bearing mounting section, and the connecting section are formed in one piece, so that the bearing housing is monolithic. If there are multiple flange sections and / or multiple ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14.
[0017] If bearing mounting sections are provided, several connecting sections may be provided accordingly. For example, a single connecting section may be provided that connects a bearing mounting section to two flange sections.
[0018] The bearing housing has a circumferential surface. The circumferential surface can extend in a circumferential direction with respect to the shaft axis. The circumferential surface can be substantially rotationally symmetric with respect to the shaft axis.
[0019] For example, the circumferential surface can have a basic shape created by rotating a line parallel or inclined to the shaft axis. The line rotated to form the circumferential surface can be straight or curved. The circumferential surface can therefore have a constant or variable diameter. The circumferential surface can be located near the flange section or at least one flange face of the flange section. The circumferential surface can, for example, be designed such that at least a portion of it is flush with a flange section or a flange face of the flange section. If multiple flange faces are present, the circumferential surface can connect to one or both of these flange faces. The circumferential surface can be radially outward-facing or radially inward-facing. In one example, the bearing mounting section can be radially located within the flange section.In one such example, the circumferential surface can point radially outwards and be located closer to the flange section than to the bearing support section. In another example, the bearing support section can be located radially outside the flange section. In such a case, the circumferential surface can point inwards and be located closer to the flange section than to the bearing support section.
[0020] A recess is formed in the circumferential surface to reduce the weight of the bearing housing. The recess extends radially from the flange section towards the bearing receiving section. Alternatively or additionally, the recess can extend inwards from the circumferential surface. The recess can have a shape formed by at least partial rotation of a cross-section around the shaft axis. Alternatively, the recess can have an extruded shape, such as a ZF Friedrichshafen AG file 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0021] The bearing housing has a prismatic shape. One or more recesses may be formed. The recess(s) may be designed to reduce the weight of the bearing housing. For example, the recesses may be designed to reduce the weight of the bearing housing by at least 1% compared to a bearing housing where the recesses are filled with material, for example, by 5% to 50%, or 10% to 20%. Furthermore, the recess(s) may be designed to reduce the stiffness of the bearing housing by a percentage smaller than the weight of the bearing housing. The stiffness of the bearing housing may refer to its effective stiffness when supporting the force in the axial direction of the shaft on the flange section.For example, stiffness can be a measure of the angle by which the connecting section bends when the flange section is rigidly supported and the axial force of the shaft, for example an operating force of the shaft, is applied to the bearing receiving section.
[0022] The bearing housing of the first aspect achieves high stiffness with a simultaneously low weight, since the recess(es) are designed in such a way that they reduce stiffness to a lesser extent than the weight. Because the radial offset between the bearing support section and the flange section causes a bending load on the connecting section, the recesses can be positioned where the bending load is low. In the example described above, where the flange section is located radially outside the bearing support section, the circumferential surface can thus point radially outwards and the recess can extend radially inwards, so that the material removed by the recess over a large diameter results in a significant weight saving with minimal impact on stiffness.
[0023] Investigations by the inventor have shown, for example, that in such a case, by providing several recesses extending radially inwards from the circumferential surface, the stiffness decreases by 9% compared to the same bearing housing without recesses, while the weight decreases by 13%. If a conventional design is used for comparison with regard to maximizing stiffness at nearly the same weight, the design according to the first aspect can improve stiffness by 26%, while the ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0024] The weight increases by only 3%. Accordingly, the bearing housing of the first aspect is suitable for minimizing weight while simultaneously adapting the stiffness to the requirements. The design according to the first aspect is particularly suitable when a component has to absorb significant axial forces of a bearing in a substantially rotationally symmetrical design.
[0025] For example, any housing component of the wind turbine drivetrain can be designed as the bearing housing. This design is equally applicable to other bearing housings or bearing covers for applications outside of wind turbines.
[0026] In one embodiment, at least two recesses are formed in the circumferential surface. The bearing housing can have at least one connecting web that extends radially and separates the recesses in a circumferential direction of the surface. The connecting web can extend radially straight or be angled in a radial direction. The connecting web can be formed integrally with the connecting section or be separate from and attached to it. In some embodiments, the recesses can form two essentially disk-shaped areas of the connecting section. In this case, the connecting web can be designed to axially connect the two disk-shaped areas of the connecting section. This allows the bearing housing to have an H-shaped cross-section in a plane normal to a line running radially through the center of the connecting web.Such a cross-section is particularly suitable for absorbing bending loads because, along the neutral axis of the bend, little material is arranged through the cutouts, while in the outer areas, where the greatest bending stress occurs, the most material is arranged through the disc-shaped areas. Accordingly, the H-shaped cross-section (also known as a double-T cross-section) allows for particularly high stiffness perpendicular to the bending line while maintaining low weight. Furthermore, by varying the shape of the H-shaped cross-section, for example, by varying the width of the connecting web, the axial stiffness of the bearing housing can be finely adjusted. If more than two cutouts are provided, a connecting web can be included between each pair of cutouts. In such a case, identical or different connecting webs can be used. ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14.
[0027] The stiffness is distributed around the circumference. Therefore, with a simple design, it is possible to vary the axial stiffness around the circumference by changing the different connecting webs. This can be particularly advantageous for application-specific load conditions.
[0028] In one embodiment, the recess has a triangular shape in a plane containing the axial direction. For example, the spatial shape of the recess can be formed by rotating a profile with a triangular shape. The triangular profile can have radii. The sides of the profile can be straight or at least partially curved. In the example described above, in which two flange surfaces are provided, the triangular profile can, for example, have a point on the side of the bearing receiving section and two legs that widen from the point towards the flange surfaces. This simplifies the production of the recesses.
[0029] In one embodiment, a recess in a plane containing the axial direction has a rectangular shape. The spatial shape of the recess can be formed by rotating a profile, as described above. If several recesses are provided, one of the recesses can have the rectangular shape of the present embodiment, while another recess can have a triangular shape according to the preceding embodiment. The corners of the rectangular shape can be rounded. The sides of the rectangular shape can be straight or at least partially curved. The rectangular shape can, for example, be essentially a trapezoid. Due to the rectangular shape, the recesses can accommodate a large volume of removed material. Thus, the present embodiment makes it possible to achieve a particularly large weight saving with a simple-to-manufacture structure.
[0030] In one embodiment, a recess in a plane containing the axial direction has a side whose profile is at least partially aligned with a deflection curve of the connecting section when an axial operating force is applied to the shaft. The axial operating force of the shaft can, for example, be... [ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14]
[0031] This refers to a force expected under normal operating conditions of the drivetrain. This force can, for example, include components of the axial force on the rotor shaft caused by the wind, as well as components of any axial forces on the transmission shafts caused by the gearbox, such as helical gearing. As described above, a bending load can occur in the connection section under the axial operating force. This bending load can be determined in advance, for example, through tests, simulations, or analytical methods. Accordingly, it is possible to align the profile of the recess, or one side of the recess, with the bending curve, or at least partially align it. This ensures optimal material utilization to maximize stiffness and minimize weight.
[0032] In one embodiment, the bearing housing has a rib. The rib can extend at least partially from the connecting section in the direction of an axial operating force on the shaft. The rib can also extend at least partially radially from the bearing mounting section to the flange section. The above description applies to the axial operating force on the shaft. Due to the aforementioned design, the rib improves axial stiffness with minimal material usage. Several ribs can be provided. For example, multiple ribs can be distributed evenly or unevenly around the circumference of the connecting section.
[0033] In one embodiment, some of the recesses are formed with different shapes. For example, the profiles of the recesses can differ from one another. This makes it possible to vary the axial stiffness around the circumference. In another embodiment, the recesses are evenly distributed around the circumference. This results in a simpler design. Alternatively, the recesses can be unevenly distributed around the circumference. This also makes it possible to vary the axial stiffness around the circumference.
[0034] In one embodiment, at least one of the recesses is wider in the circumferential direction of the circumferential surface than a connecting web adjacent to this recess. This results in a particularly high weight saving. ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0035] If more than two recesses are provided, some or all of these recesses may be wider than the respective connecting webs. In one embodiment, all recesses are wider than all connecting webs. In one embodiment, the recesses are formed to cover 10% to 70%, for example, 25% to 55%, of the circumference of the surface. In one embodiment, the recesses are formed to cover at least 10% of the circumference of the surface. In one embodiment, the recesses are formed to cover at least 30% of the circumference of the surface. In one embodiment, the recesses are formed to cover at least 50% of the circumference of the surface.
[0036] A second aspect of the present disclosure relates to a drive train for a wind turbine with the bearing housing according to the first aspect. The drive train may include a generator. A rotor of the wind turbine may be mechanically connected to the generator, for example, via a rotor shaft. The drive train may include a gearbox arranged in a power flow between the rotor and the generator. The gearbox may have a gearbox housing to which the bearing housing is attached. The gearbox housing may have several gearbox housing sections, which have mounting surfaces for the flange sections of the bearing housing. The respective advantages and further features can be found in the description of the first aspect, whereby embodiments of the first aspect also constitute embodiments of the second aspect and vice versa.
[0037] In one embodiment, the drivetrain has several gear stages. The gear stages can have gear sets, for example, spur gear sets or planetary gear sets. For example, a transmission in the drivetrain can have three gear stages, each with a planetary gear set. The bearing housing can be arranged axially between a gear set of one gear stage and a gear set of another gear stage to accommodate a bearing of a transmission shaft from one of the gear stages. For example, the flange section can have one flange surface in an axial direction towards one gear stage and another flange surface in the opposite axial direction towards the other gear stage. In such a design, the stiffness of the bearing housing can have a significant influence on the ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0038] Wheelsets can be affected, for example, by the introduction of parasitic forces due to axial loading. The drivetrain of the present embodiment, with its high stiffness of the bearing housing, prevents excessive introduction of parasitic forces into the gear stages.
[0039] A third aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wind turbine with a drive train according to the second aspect. The wind turbine may, for example, be designed for electricity generation. In addition to the drive train, the wind turbine may have a tower, the drive train being mounted at the top of the tower. Furthermore, the wind turbine may have a rotor for transferring power into the drive train. The respective advantages and further features can be found in the descriptions of the first and second aspects, whereby embodiments of the first and second aspects also constitute embodiments of the third aspect and vice versa.
[0040] Brief description of the characters
[0041] Figure 1 schematically shows a wind turbine with a drive train.
[0042] Figure 2 schematically shows a perspective view of a bearing housing according to one embodiment.
[0043] Figure 3 schematically shows a side view of the bearing housing of Figure 2.
[0044] Figure 4 schematically shows a sectional view of the bearing housing of Figure 2.
[0045] Figure 5 schematically shows a perspective view of a bearing housing according to one embodiment.
[0046] Figure 6 schematically shows a sectional view of the bearing housing of Figure 5.
[0047] Detailed description of embodiments ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0048] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a horizontally mounted wind turbine 1. The wind turbine 1 has a nacelle 3, which is attached to the upper end of a tower 2. The lower end of the tower 2 is anchored to a ground 5. The nacelle 3 houses a drive train 10, which includes a rotor shaft 11, a gearbox 12, a generator 13, auxiliary components 14, and a hub 15. A rotor 4 of the wind turbine 1 is mechanically connected to the generator 13 via the hub 15, the rotor shaft 11, and the gearbox 12.
[0049] Figures 2 to 4 show a bearing housing 20 according to one embodiment, with Figure 2 being a perspective view, Figure 3 a side view, and Figure 4 a sectional view. The bearing housing 20 has a bearing receiving section 22, a flange section 30, and a connecting section 40. The bearing receiving section 22, the flange section 30, and the connecting section 40 are formed in one piece, so that the bearing housing 20 is monolithic. The bearing housing 20 is designed as a substantially rotationally symmetric body about a shaft axis 91 of a shaft (not shown). The bearing receiving section 22 is designed to receive and support a bearing (not shown) of the shaft. The bearing is designed to absorb radial forces of the shaft as well as axial forces of the shaft in an axial direction 90 that runs along the shaft axis 91.In the present embodiment, the bearing receiving section 22 has a circumferential support surface 23 and an axial support surface 24, as shown in Figure 4. In the present embodiment, the bearing receiving section 22 is designed such that it does not absorb any forces in a different axial direction 92, which is a direction opposite to the one axial direction 90 along the shaft axis 91. In the present embodiment, the shaft (not shown) is provided with an angled bearing.
[0050] The flange section 30 is designed to attach the bearing housing 20 to the drive train 10 and to support forces exerted by the bearing housing 20 on the drive train 10. In the present embodiment, the flange section 30 has two separate flange surfaces 31, 32. A first flange surface 31 faces in the axial direction 90. ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0051] and is configured to attach the bearing housing 20 to a first housing section of the drive train 10 (not shown). In this case, the first housing section is configured to accommodate a gear stage. The second flange surface 32, shown here in the opposite axial direction 92, is configured to attach the bearing housing 20 to a second housing section of the drive train 10 (not shown). In this case, the second housing section is configured to accommodate a further gear stage. In the present embodiment, the further gear stage comprises a planetary gear stage, and the shaft (not shown) is a planet carrier for the planetary gear stage. In further embodiments (not shown), the shaft is a sun gear shaft, a ring gear shaft, an intermediate shaft of a gearbox, another gear shaft, and the rotor shaft 11 of the drive train 10, respectively.
[0052] The connecting section 40 extends between the bearing receiving section 22 and the flange section 30. In the present embodiment, the connecting section 40 extends radially outwards from the bearing receiving section 22 and partially in the axial direction 90 to the first flange surface 31 and in the other axial direction 92 to the second flange surface 32, which can be clearly seen in Figure 4.
[0053] The bearing housing 20 has a circumferential surface 50. In the present embodiment, the circumferential surface is an inclined surface, which is also a radially outer surface of the flange section 30. More precisely, in the present embodiment, the circumferential surface 50 extends from the outer edge of the first flange surface 31 to an inner edge of a helical surface 33, which is arranged axially offset from the second flange surface 32, as can be clearly seen in Figure 4 below. Thus, in the present embodiment, the circumferential surface 50 is a surface of revolution, which is formed by rotating a curved profile, which runs obliquely relative to the shaft axis 91, about the shaft axis 91. In another embodiment, not shown, the rotated profile is straight. In yet another embodiment, not shown, the profile runs parallel to the shaft axis 91.In another embodiment, ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14.
[0054] The circumferential surface, which is not shown, is a lateral surface of a cylinder.
[0055] At least one recess 52 is formed in the lateral surface 50. In the present embodiment, a total of eight recesses 52 are distributed around the circumference of the circumferential surface 50 in two groups of four recesses 52 each.
[0056] Within each group of four recesses 52, the distance between them is the same. The distance between the two groups is different from the distance between the recesses 52 within the groups. In another embodiment, not shown, a different number of recesses is evenly distributed around the circumference of the circumferential surface 50. In yet another embodiment, not shown, a number of recesses is unevenly distributed around the circumference of the circumferential surface 50.
[0057] As can be clearly seen in Figure 4, the recess 52 in the present embodiment has a triangular profile in a median plane that contains the shaft axis 91 and the axial direction 90. Two sides 53, 55 of the triangle extend radially inwards from the circumferential surface 50 and converge towards each other. A third side 57 is a connecting line running along the circumferential surface 50 between the respective points of intersection of the two sides 53, 55 with the circumferential surface 50. The recesses 52 are formed in this embodiment by rotating the triangular profile with the three sides 53, 55, 57 within a specific angular range around the shaft axis 91 in order to remove material from the connecting section 40 at this point or to prevent its presence altogether.This divides the connecting section 40 in the angular region where the recess 52 is provided into two essentially disc-shaped areas 41 and 42 of the connecting section 40 (see Figures 3 and 4). One area 41 extends towards the first flange surface 31 of the flange section 30. In the present embodiment, this area 41 is designed to at least partially follow a bending curve 48, with side 53 at least partially following the bending curve 48 (see Figure 4 above). The bending curve 48 essentially corresponds to a line of optimal force transmission from the axial support surface 24 to the first flange surface 31 when an axial operating force 94 is applied to the axial support surface 24. ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14.
[0058] The axial operating force 94 is illustrated in Figure 4 and essentially corresponds to a nominal expected operating force in a normal operating condition of the wind turbine. A further area 42 of the connecting section 40 extends towards the second flange surface 32 of the flange section 30. In the present embodiment, this area 42 extends radially outwards without having an axial extension.
[0059] In the present embodiment, a connecting web 44 is formed between each adjacent recess 52. In this embodiment, the connecting web 44 extends essentially radially. As can be clearly seen in Figure 3, three connecting webs 44 are formed in the present embodiment to separate the four recesses 52 of a group from each other in the circumferential direction. Two further connecting webs 45 are provided between the two groups of recesses 52, as shown in Figure 3. Each further connecting web 45 has a greater width than the respective recesses 52. Conversely, the connecting webs 44 have a smaller width than the recesses 52. With respect to the axial direction 90, each connecting web 44 connects the areas 41, 42 of the connecting section 40 described above. The areas 41, 42 of the connecting section 40 are essentially disc-shaped in this embodiment.Thus, the connecting web 44 forms an H-shaped cross-section with an adjacent part of the areas 41, 42, which is shown in Figure 3 as an example of a connecting web.
[0060] In the present embodiment, the bearing housing 20 is designed to support the axial operating force 94 with high axial stiffness via the connecting section 40 and the flange section 30, more precisely the first flange surface 31, on the drive train 10. The recesses 52 reduce the weight of the bearing housing 20. The optional connecting webs 44 increase the axial stiffness.
[0061] Figures 5 and 6 show a bearing housing 20 according to one embodiment. The bearing housing 20 of Figures 5 and 6 is identical to the bearing housing 20 according to Figures 2 to 4, with the exception of the following: ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0062] Differences. While the embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 4 features recesses 52 with a triangular profile, the present embodiment features recesses 54 with a quadrilateral profile. The quadrilateral profile is shown in Figure 6 and, in addition to sides 53, 55, and 57, which are configured as described above, has a fourth side 59 that runs essentially parallel to the shaft axis 91 and connects sides 53 and 55. Thus, the quadrilateral profile of the present embodiment is essentially trapezoidal. Furthermore, the recesses 54 in the present embodiment are unevenly distributed around the circumference of the cylindrical surface 50. Figure 5 shows four recesses 54 by way of example. Three of the recesses 54 are separated by connecting webs 44.The connecting webs 44 are narrow and have a significantly smaller circumferential dimension than the recesses 54. The fourth recess 54 shown in Figure 5 is separated from the other three recesses by a wide web 45. The wide web 45 has a larger circumferential dimension than the recesses 54. On the side of the bearing housing 20 not visible in Figure 5, further recesses and connecting webs are formed, each with different dimensions. ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043.
[0063] Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14
[0064] Reference mark
[0065] 1 wind turbine
[0066] 2 Tower
[0067] 3 gondolas
[0068] 4 Rotor
[0069] 5 Floor
[0070] 10 Drivetrain
[0071] 11 Rotor shaft
[0072] 12 gearboxes
[0073] 13 Generator
[0074] 14 auxiliary units
[0075] 15 hub
[0076] 20 bearing housings
[0077] 22 Storage section
[0078] 23, 24 Support surface
[0079] 30 Flange section
[0080] 31, 32 Flange area
[0081] 33 Screw surface
[0082] 40 Connecting section
[0083] 41, 42 areas of the connecting section 44, 45 connecting bridge
[0084] 46 H-shaped cross-section
[0085] 48 Bending curve
[0086] 50 Circumferential area
[0087] 52, 54 recess
[0088] Pages 53, 55, 57, 59
[0089] 90, 92 axial direction
[0090] 91 Shaft axis
[0091] 94 axial operating force
Claims
ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14 Patent claims 1. Bearing housing (20) for a drive train (10) of a wind turbine (1) comprising a bearing receiving section (22) for receiving axial forces (94) of a bearing for a shaft of the drive train (10), wherein the bearing is designed to transmit forces in at least one axial direction (90) of the shaft, and a flange section (30) for attaching the bearing housing (20) to the drive train (10), wherein the flange section (30) and the bearing receiving section (22) are connected via a radially extending connecting section (40), the bearing housing (20) has a circumferential surface (50), and a recess (52; 54) for weight reduction of the bearing housing (20) is formed in the circumferential surface (50) and extends radially from the flange section (30) in the direction of the bearing receiving section (22).
2. Bearing housing (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two recesses (52; 54) are formed in the circumferential surface (50), and the bearing housing (20) has at least one connecting web (44; 45) which extends radially and separates the recesses (52; 54) in a circumferential direction of the circumferential surface (50).
3. Bearing housing (20) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a recess (52) in a plane which contains the axial direction (90) has a triangular shape.
4. Bearing housing (20) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a recess (54) in a plane which contains the axial direction (90) has a square shape.
5. Bearing housing (20) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a recess (52; 54) in a plane which contains the axial direction (90) has a side (53) whose profile at a deflection line (48) of the connecting section (40) when an axial operating force (94) is introduced into the shaft. ZF Friedrichshafen AG File 304043 Friedrichshafen 2025-01-14 is at least partially aligned.
6. Bearing housing (20) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing housing (20) has a rib which extends from the connecting section (40) at least partially in the direction of an axial operating force (94) of the shaft and extends radially at least partially from the bearing receiving section (22) to the flange section (30).
7. Bearing housing (20) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that some of the recesses (52; 54) are formed with different shapes.
8. Bearing housing (20) according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the recesses (52; 54) are evenly distributed over the circumference.
9. Bearing housing (20) according to one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that at least one of the recesses (52; 54) is wider in the circumferential direction of the circumferential surface than a connecting web (44; 45) adjacent to this recess (52; 54).
10. Drive train (10) for a wind turbine (1) with a bearing housing (20) according to one of the preceding claims.
11. Drive train (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that the drive train (10) has several gear stages and the bearing housing (20) is arranged axially between a gear set of a gear stage and a gear set of a further gear stage.
12. Wind turbine (1) with a drive train (10) according to claim 10 or 11.