Wind Turbine Radial Fluid Bearing Locking Without Bolts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bearing arrangements in wind turbines face issues with loose parts, assembly complexity, and maintenance due to bolt connections in radial fluid bearings, which can loosen over time.
Innovation Solution
A bearing arrangement with press-fitted locking pieces, such as T-bar or I-bar elements, and spring elements to securely lock radial bearing pads to a cylindrical seat, eliminating the need for bolts and reducing maintenance, while allowing for tiltable support structures to compensate for tolerances between the drive shaft and bearing pads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If bolt connections are used to secure radial bearing bodies to the cylindrical seat, then the bearing arrangement can be assembled, but loose parts are introduced and the connection may loosen over time requiring maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the bolt connection elements from the bearing arrangement. Instead of using bolts to secure radial bearing bodies to the cylindrical seat, the patent employs a press-fitted locking mechanism where the bearing bodies are directly locked into the cylindrical seat through interference fit, removing loose parts entirely and eliminating the risk of bolt loosening over time
Solution Approach 2:
The press-fitted locking mechanism provides self-securing functionality. The radial bearing bodies are designed with features that automatically lock them into the cylindrical seat through interference fit during assembly, eliminating the need for separate fastening operations and ensuring continuous secure connection without maintenance intervention
2Ease of manufacture
If bolt connections are used to secure radial bearing bodies, then the bearing arrangement can be assembled, but the assembly space required becomes very large making assembly and maintenance cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of the bearing body and the locking mechanism into a single integrated component. The radial bearing bodies incorporate press-fitted locking features directly into their structure, eliminating the need for separate bolts, nuts, and fastening hardware, thereby dramatically reducing the assembly space required and simplifying both initial assembly and any potential maintenance operations
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple loose parts are used in the radial fluid bearing, then the bearing can be assembled, but the bearing arrangement requires more maintenance effort
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts all loose fastening parts from the radial fluid bearing assembly. By replacing bolt connections with a press-fitted locking system, the patent eliminates multiple separate components (bolts, nuts, washers, etc.) that would require inspection, tightening, and replacement during maintenance, thereby dramatically reducing maintenance effort
Solution Approach 2:
The press-fitted locking mechanism provides self-securing functionality that maintains the integrity of the bearing assembly without requiring maintenance intervention. The interference fit design ensures continuous secure connection of radial bearing bodies to the cylindrical seat, eliminating the need for periodic tightening or replacement of fastening elements
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a bearing arrangement for a wind turbine including a bearing housing and a drive shaft, whereby the drive shaft is arranged within the bearing housing in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis of the bearing housing, the bearing arrangement further including a downwind bearing and an upwind bearing, whereby the downwind bearing and the upwind bearing are arranged between the bearing housing and the drive shaft, wherein the downwind bearing and/or the upwind bearing is a radial fluid bearing including multiple radial bearing pads, whereby each one of the multiple radial bearing pads is attached to one of a multiple radial bearing bodies of the radial fluid bearing and the multiple radial bearing pads are arranged about the drive shaft.