On-Site Planetary Gear Maintenance Tool for Wind Turbines
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Maintenance of planetary gears, particularly in wind power applications, is laborious due to the need to move the gear away from its operating site for replacing or repairing planet wheel pins, which is cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance tool with a force generating device, such as a hydraulic actuator, and a body structure that allows axial movement of planet wheel pins without rotating the body structure relative to the planet carrier, enabling on-site removal and installation of planet wheel pins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the planetary gear is moved to a mechanical repair plant for maintenance, then appropriate means for detaching and installing planet wheel pins are available, but the maintenance work becomes laborious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential maintenance function from the remote repair plant and brings it to the operating site by providing a portable maintenance tool that can detach and install planet wheel pins on-site, eliminating the need to transport the entire planetary gear assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance tool acts as an intermediary device that provides the necessary detachment and installation capabilities at the operating site, serving as a bridge between the limited on-site resources and the comprehensive maintenance capabilities that would otherwise require a repair plant
2Ease of repair
If the planetary gear is moved from the operating site, then maintenance can be performed with proper equipment, but the task becomes cumbersome especially in wind power applications
Solution Approach 1:
The maintenance tool enables the planetary gear system to perform its own maintenance at the operating site without requiring external assistance or relocation, with the tool being portable enough to be brought to and used at the specific operating location
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance tool is designed to be dynamically adaptable to the operating site conditions, particularly in wind power applications where the tool can be positioned and operated in the nacelle environment without requiring permanent installation or complex setup
3Ease of operation
If a force generating device with actuator is used to move planet wheel pins axially, then on-site maintenance becomes possible, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hydraulic actuator as the force generating device, which provides the necessary axial force to detach and install planet wheel pins through hydraulic pressure, offering a compact and powerful solution that balances capability with space constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The maintenance tool is designed with universal applicability to handle multiple planet wheel pins and adapt to different positions on the planetary gear, reducing the need for multiple specialized tools and simplifying the overall maintenance process despite the complexity of the actuator mechanism
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
Enables on-site maintenance of planetary gears without the need to move the gear from its operating site, reducing labor and improving efficiency in wind power applications.
Implementation Method 1
A maintenance tool according to the invention comprises: a force generating device, e.g. a hydraulic device, comprising an actuator for fastening to an end of a planet wheel pin of the planetary gear and for directing axial force to the planet wheel pin
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~1d
Figure 2
AI summary
A maintenance tool for a planetary gear comprises a force generating device (101) comprising an actuator (102) for fastening to an end of a planet wheel pin of the planetary gear and for directing axial force to the planet wheel pin, and a body structure (104) for mechanically supporting a frame of the force generating device with respect to the planet carrier of the planetary gear so as to allow the actuator to move the planet wheel pin axially with respect to the planet carrier. In many cases, the maintenance tool enables removal of a planet wheel pin and installing the same or another planet wheel pin at an operating site of the planetary gear. Thus, there is no need to move the planetary gear away from its operating site, e.g. a nacelle of a wind power plant, for maintenance work comprising removal of one or more planet wheel pins.