Axial Bearing Housing Layout for Even Wind Turbine Load Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional wind turbine designs face issues with uneven load distribution to mechanical components, leading to wear and tear, and increased costs due to additional reinforcement structures required to manage high loads at high wind speeds or in large turbines.
Innovation Solution
An axially coupled bearing housing with multiple fastening points is used to distribute loads evenly to underlying support structures, eliminating the need for a foot-like structure and reducing stress concentration by using a monolithic or segmented design with fastening means like bolting, welding, or magnets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional foot-like structures with additional reinforcement structures (ribs and reinforcements) are used to transfer loads, then the load bearing capability is improved, but the weight and cost of the wind turbine increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing housing is divided into multiple segments that can be coupled together, allowing the load transfer function to be distributed across multiple components rather than requiring a single heavy reinforced structure. This segmentation enables efficient load path creation through the coupling of bearing housing segments to the support structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a traditional foot-like structure extending radially outward to an axial coupling arrangement where the bearing housing is coupled to the support structure in the axial direction. This dimensional change eliminates the need for additional radial reinforcement structures while maintaining load transfer capability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional foot-like structures are used to transfer loads, then the structural stability is improved, but the load distribution becomes uneven causing wear and tear
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing housing segments are designed with specific coupling surfaces and fastening means at localized positions to optimize load distribution. By creating dedicated load transfer interfaces at specific locations rather than relying on a distributed foot-like structure, the load is evenly transferred to the support structure, preventing localized stress concentrations and wear.
3Reliability
If additional reinforcement structures such as ribs and reinforcements are added, then the load distribution is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the unnecessary foot-like structure and its associated reinforcement elements (ribs and reinforcements) from the design. The core load transfer function is achieved through the axial coupling of the bearing housing segments directly to the support structure, removing redundant components and simplifying the overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A bearing housing for use in a wind turbine is provided. Further, the bearing housing is axially coupled to a base support structure using plurality of fastening points on the bearing housing. The bearing housing may be coupled to the base support structure at multiple points so that the load is distributed evenly to the support structures such as base plate and the tower. The bearing housing is coupled to the base support structure using a fastener. The horizontal central axis of the bearing housing coincides with the horizontal central axis of the base support structure.