Wind Turbine Gearbox Sliding Layer for Replaceable Plain Bearings
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Solution Overview
Problem
The maintenance and replacement of plain bearings in wind turbine gearboxes are complex and costly due to their integration with the planetary gear system, leading to position losses from creep and relaxation effects.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine gearbox with a sliding surface made of build-up welded material, allowing for easy removal and replacement of plain bearings, eliminating position losses and simplifying maintenance, while also providing radial and axial bearing capabilities through strategically applied layers of materials like aluminum-based alloys.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plain bearing bushings are shrunk onto the shaft or pressed into the planet gear, then the gear can be rotatably mounted on the shaft, but the maintenance and replacement of these bearings becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bearing function from the integrated shaft-gear assembly by introducing a separate, easily removable bearing component that can be independently accessed and replaced without disassembling the entire planetary gear system, thereby simplifying maintenance while maintaining rotational reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary bearing component that mediates between the shaft and the planet gear, providing a simple interface that allows the gear to rotate on the shaft while enabling easy access for maintenance and replacement of the bearing itself
2Ease of operation
If plain bearing bushings are used for mounting the gear on the shaft, then the gear can rotate relative to the shaft, but positional losses occur due to creep and relaxation effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters and mechanical properties of the bearing component to resist creep and relaxation effects, selecting materials and designs that maintain dimensional stability and positional accuracy under operational loads while still allowing smooth gear rotation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures in the bearing component that combine materials with different properties to simultaneously achieve low friction for easy rotation and high dimensional stability to prevent positional losses from creep and relaxation
3Reliability
If sliding bearing bushings are pressed into the planet gear or shrunk onto the shaft, then the gear can be mounted, but the replacement process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bearing as a separate, independently accessible component that can be quickly removed and replaced without time-consuming disassembly of the planetary gear system, reducing maintenance time while maintaining reliable mounting through proper bearing design and installation features
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
The solution simplifies maintenance, reduces costs, and prevents position losses due to creep and relaxation, enabling efficient and cost-effective production and operation of wind turbine gearboxes.
Implementation Method 1
a sliding surface is arranged between the gear and the axle or between the axle and an axle mount. The sliding surface is arranged on at least one layer of a welded-on material made of a sliding bearing material
Implementation Method 2
the welded-on sliding layer has the advantage over plain bearing bushings that positional losses of the plain bearing due to creep and relaxation effects are eliminated
Implementation Method 3
the welded-on sliding layer has the advantage over plain bearing bushings that positional losses of the plain bearing due to creep and relaxation effects are eliminated
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a wind turbine gearbox (7), in particular a planetary gearbox, having at least one gear (14) which is mounted on a shaft (19), a sliding surface (26) being disposed between the gear (14) and the shaft (19). The sliding surface (26) is situated on at least one layer (25, 33, 34) of a hardfaced material consisting of a sliding bearing substance. The invention further relates to a method for producing the wind turbine gearbox (7).