Radially Flexible Ring Gear for Planetary Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing planetary gear mechanisms in wind power plants, particularly those with differential stages, face challenges in achieving optimal load distribution among planetary gear wheels, leading to increased load factors and fabrication-related deviations as the number of gear wheels increases, which complicates load balancing and power density.
Innovation Solution
The ring gear is designed to be radially flexible and adjustable, allowing for the compensation of loads between planetary gear wheels and the ring gear, enabling an increase in the number of gear wheels, which reduces the dimensions of toothing systems and bearings, and enhances power density by dividing power flow among multiple branches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the number of planetary gear wheels is increased from three to four or more, then the power density in the planetary gear mechanism is increased, but the load factors increase uneconomically and fabrication-related deviations have greater influence on load distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The ring gear is designed with radial flexibility, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position to compensate for load distribution imbalances. This dynamic adaptation enables the use of four or more planetary gear wheels while maintaining economical load factors, as the flexible ring gear automatically balances the loads despite fabrication deviations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the rigidity parameter of the ring gear, transforming it from a rigid component to a radially flexible one. This parameter change allows the ring gear to deform radially and compensate for manufacturing deviations, enabling increased power density through additional planetary gear wheels without suffering from excessive load factors.
2Power
If the number of planetary gear wheels is increased, then the power flow is divided among more branches, but the dimensions of toothing systems and bearings must be increased to handle the load
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible ring gear dynamically adapts to the load distribution among multiple planetary gear wheels, allowing the use of smaller, more economical toothing systems and bearings. By radially adjusting to balance loads, it enables power flow division among four or more branches without requiring oversized components.
3Power
If a statically over-determined design with four or more planetary gear wheels is used, then the power density is increased, but high and uneconomic load increase factors result
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex static load balancing mechanisms with a simple radially flexible ring gear. This dynamic solution allows the ring gear to automatically adapt to load distributions in statically over-determined designs with four or more planetary wheels, achieving power density increase without uneconomic complexity.
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 ensures optimal load balancing, allowing for smaller dimensions and increased power density in the planetary gear mechanism, while also providing torsional vibration damping and alignment error compensation.
Implementation Method 1
The ring gear (5) is embodied so as to be flexible in the radial direction and therefore adjustable in order to compensate load between the at least three planetary gear wheels (6a, 6b) and the ring gear (5)
Implementation Method 2
a spring element (12), comprising a toothing system (11) on an inner circumferential face, is arranged between the ring gear (5) and the housing (4) in order to damp torsional vibrations between the ring gear (5) and the housing (4)
Data Source
AI summary
A planetary gear mechanism, in particular for wind power plants, includes at least one planetary gear stage that has two power-split planetary stages connected in parallel. At least one of the two planetary stages includes a ring gear which is operatively connected to a housing. At least three planetary gear wheels are arranged on an inner circumferential face of the ring gear. The ring gear is flexible in the radial direction and is configured to be adjustable in order to compensate load between the at least three planetary gear wheels and the ring gear.