Hybrid-Additive Wind Turbine Gear for Hard Coating and Bearing Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wind turbine gearbox manufacturing is complex and expensive, involving multiple processes and leading to dimensional distortion, with a need for costly cylindrical and tapered roller bearing elements that often require replacement.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming gear bases via casting or forging and applying additive manufacturing coatings like boron nitride or tungsten carbide to increase hardness, reducing the need for expensive bearings by integrating journal bearings and minimizing weight through voids in the gear design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional forging and heat treatment processes are used to manufacture gears, then the gear base structure is obtained, but the process complexity increases and dimensional distortion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing operations into a single additive manufacturing process. The gear base, coating application, and bearing integration are performed in one unified process, eliminating the need for separate forging, heat treatment, and assembly steps. This merging of operations directly reduces process complexity while maintaining dimensional accuracy through digital modeling and controlled deposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental manufacturing parameters from subtractive/conventional processes to additive manufacturing. By using additive manufacturing, the process achieves net-shape or near-net-shape production with inherent dimensional control, avoiding the dimensional distortion associated with traditional heat treatment while reducing overall process complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate manufacturing processes are used for gear base and teeth, then the gear structure is formed, but manufacturing cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the manufacturing of gear base, gear teeth, and bearing surfaces into a single additive manufacturing operation. This eliminates multiple manufacturing steps and reduces the number of separate processes required, directly improving ease of manufacture while increasing productivity through consolidated production.
Solution Approach 2:
The additive manufacturing process performs preliminary shaping of the gear base and simultaneous formation of gear teeth and bearing surfaces in one operation. This preliminary action eliminates the need for subsequent machining and assembly operations, simplifying the overall manufacturing process and improving efficiency.
3Strength
If heat treatment is applied to increase gear hardness, then the desired hardness is achieved, but dimensional distortion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the method of achieving hardness from post-manufacturing heat treatment to controlled material deposition during additive manufacturing. By adjusting deposition parameters and selecting appropriate materials, the desired hardness is achieved during the manufacturing process itself, avoiding dimensional distortion that would result from subsequent heat treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material approaches where coatings with desired hardness properties are applied during additive manufacturing. This allows the integration of hard coating materials with the gear base material in a controlled manner, achieving the required hardness without the dimensional instability caused by traditional heat treatment processes.
4Reliability
If cylindrical and tapered roller bearing elements are used in the gearbox, then the required bearing function is provided, but the cost and complexity increase and they require replacement in service
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bearing function directly into the gear structure by integrating bearing surfaces as integral parts of the additively manufactured gear components. This eliminates separate bearing elements and their associated complexity, while the monolithic construction enhances reliability by removing potential failure interfaces between bearings and gear mounts.
Solution Approach 2:
The gear components serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide gear tooth engagement for power transmission and incorporate integrated bearing surfaces for rotational support. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate bearing elements, reducing system complexity while maintaining or improving reliability through the integrated design.
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 approach simplifies and cost-reduces gearbox manufacturing, eliminates the need for complex bearings, and enhances gear durability by applying high-strength coatings via additive processes, optimizing structural performance and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
applying a coating material to at least a portion of the base of the gear and at least a portion of the plurality of gear teeth of the gear via an additive manufacturing process
Implementation Method 2
applying a coating material to at least a portion of the base of the gear and at least a portion of the plurality of gear teeth of the gear via an additive manufacturing process so as to increase a hardness of the portions of the base and the plurality of gear teeth that includes the coating material
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a planet gear or a sun gear of a gearbox of a wind turbine includes forming a base of the planet gear via at least one of casting or forging. The base of the planet gear includes an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface. Therefore, at least one of the inner circumferential surface or the outer circumferential surface of the planet gear includes a plurality of net or near-net gear teeth. The method also includes applying a coating material to at least a portion of the base of the gear and at least a portion of the plurality of gear teeth of the gear via an additive manufacturing process so as to increase a hardness of the portions of the base and the plurality of gear teeth that includes the coating material.