Angular Contact Roller Bearing Guiding Faces Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Rolling bearings used in wind turbines experience reduced service life due to skewing or tilting of rollers under load, leading to inadequate static and dynamic carrying capacities.
Innovation Solution
The rolling bearing design features guiding faces on the inner and outer rings that are perpendicular to the raceways, with rollers' rotation axes converging at a single point, and spacers with lubricant reservoirs to maintain roller alignment and reduce friction, enhancing the bearing's manufacturing simplicity and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional rolling bearing design is used, then the bearing can support radial and axial loads, but the rollers skew or tilt under load reducing service life
Solution Approach 1:
Guiding faces are introduced as intermediary elements between the rollers and the bearing rings. These guiding faces actively prevent roller skewing and tilting by providing lateral guidance, thereby maintaining proper roller alignment under load conditions and extending bearing service life
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding faces are pre-configured with specific geometric orientations (perpendicular to raceways, converging rotation axes) that proactively counteract the tendency of rollers to skew or tilt under operational loads, preventing misalignment before it occurs
2Reliability
If guiding faces perpendicular to raceways are added, then roller alignment is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding faces are merged with the bearing rings, forming an integrated structure where the guiding functionality is combined with the load-bearing structure. This eliminates the need for separate guiding components and reduces overall device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing rings serve multiple functions: they provide the primary load-bearing raceways and simultaneously incorporate guiding faces for lateral roller guidance. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components needed in the bearing assembly
3Reliability
If spacers with lubricant reservoirs are used, then friction is reduced and service life increased, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spacers are designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: they maintain circumferential spacing between rollers, provide structural support, and incorporate integrated lubricant reservoirs. This multi-functionality justifies the increased complexity by eliminating the need for separate lubrication components
Solution Approach 2:
The spacers with integrated lubricant reservoirs enable the bearing to self-lubricate during operation. The lubricant is delivered directly at the contact points where it is needed, allowing the bearing to maintain itself without external lubrication systems
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design increases the service life of the bearing by up to 40% and reduces friction, allowing for downsized actuation means and improved efficiency in wind turbines by requiring less power to pitch blades.
Implementation Method 1
spacers with lubricant reservoirs to maintain roller alignment and reduce friction
Data Source
AI summary
The rolling bearing comprises an inner ring (1), an outer ring (2) and at least one row of angular contact rollers (3) disposed between raceways (5, 7) provided on the rings, each roller comprising a rolling surface (3a) in contact with said raceways and two opposite end faces (3b, 3c). The inner and outer rings further comprise guiding faces (9, 11) coming into contact with the end faces o f the rollers.