Segmented Roller Bearing Arrangement for Wind Turbine Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bearing arrangements in wind turbine generators face challenges with frequent maintenance needs, high maintenance costs, and operational inefficiencies due to wear and tear, requiring frequent lubrication and inspection, and are often heavy and costly due to thick materials for durability.
Innovation Solution
A bearing arrangement using multiple individually replaceable roller units with reduced dimensions, arranged in a configuration to handle both axial and radial loads, featuring a bearing element in rolling contact with the rollers, and an urging mechanism to maintain contact with the bearing element, reducing wear and friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional bearing arrangements use thick materials for durability, then reliability is improved, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing arrangement is divided into multiple independent roller units that can be individually replaced. Each roller unit consists of a bearing mount and a roller, allowing selective replacement of only worn components rather than the entire bearing assembly. This segmentation reduces the amount of material needed while maintaining reliability through easy maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller units are designed as replaceable components with simplified construction, allowing them to be easily replaced when worn. This approach trades the durability of thick, permanent materials for the economic benefit of replacing only the necessary components, reducing overall system weight and material usage.
2Reliability
If conventional bearing arrangements require frequent maintenance and lubrication, then reliability is maintained, but productivity decreases due to operational interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing arrangement is segmented into multiple independent roller units that can be individually accessed and replaced. This allows maintenance to be performed on only the specific units that require it, rather than shutting down the entire system for comprehensive maintenance, thus maintaining productivity while ensuring reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The roller units are designed to be self-contained with integrated bearing mounts and rollers that can be independently replaced without requiring disassembly of the rotor hub or other complex operations. This simplifies maintenance procedures and reduces operational interruptions.
3Strength
If conventional bearing arrangements use large dimensions for load bearing, then strength is improved, but ease of operation decreases due to handling difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing arrangement is divided into multiple smaller roller units, each capable of handling a portion of the total load. This segmentation allows each individual unit to be of manageable size for easy handling and replacement, while the collective arrangement of multiple units maintains the overall load bearing capacity required for the application.
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 solution enables cost-efficient and efficient operation by allowing for easy replacement of roller units without dismounting the rotor hub, reducing maintenance time and costs, while enhancing durability and reducing friction losses, thus improving the overall efficiency of the wind turbine generator.
Implementation Method 1
multiple roller units for rotatably supporting said rotor with respect to said stator... the roller units are arranged in rolling contact with said bearing element
Implementation Method 2
reducing wear and friction
Data Source
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AI summary
A Bearing arrangement for a wind turbine generator having a stator and a rotor is provided. The bearing arrangement comprises a first, a second and a third roller unit group (110,112,114) each comprising multiple roller units (108) for rotatably supporting the rotor with respect to said stator.The bearing arrangement further comprises a rotor ring (116) and the roller units are arranged in rolling contact with the rotor ring. The roller units are circularly arranged around a bearing arrangement axis. Furthermore, each roller unit comprises a single roller and is individually replaceable. In the bearing arrangement, the roller units of the first and second roller unit group are arranged with their longitudinal axes extending substantially perpendicular with respect to the bearing arrangement axis. The roller units of the third roller unit group are arranged with their longitudinal axes extending substantially parallel with said bearing arrangement axis.