Wind Gearbox Torque Support With Variable-Stiffness Elastomer Bush
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines with conventional torque support arrangements experience disruptive resonance vibrations, which are difficult to mitigate without compromising the service life of the torque support, especially when wind speed drops and loud interference tones occur.
Innovation Solution
A torque support arrangement featuring an elastomer bearing bushing with varying stiffness, comprising a soft area of lower rigidity and a harder area of higher rigidity, where the soft area ensures force flow at low loads and the harder area takes over at higher loads, reducing resonance vibrations without reducing service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a conventional torque support arrangement with uniform stiffness is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but disruptive resonance vibrations occur at low wind speeds causing loud interference tones
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomer bearing bushing is designed with non-uniform stiffness distribution, featuring a softer first region and a harder second region. This local quality variation allows the softer region to dominate at low loads (reducing resonance vibrations and interference tones) while the harder region provides structural support at high loads, eliminating the need for a completely complex structure to achieve vibration reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffness parameter of the elastomer bearing bushing is changed spatially across different regions. The first region has lower stiffness to reduce resonance vibrations at operational speeds, while the second region has higher stiffness to maintain structural integrity. This parameter change approach resolves the contradiction by allowing vibration reduction without requiring overall structural complexity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a softer torque support is used to reduce resonance vibrations, then interference tones are reduced, but the service life of the torque support decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomer bearing bushing incorporates a first region with softer properties for reducing interference tones and a second region with harder properties for enhancing service life. The softer first region reduces resonance vibrations and interference tones during operation, while the harder second region provides durability and resistance to wear, thus resolving the contradiction between reducing harmful tones and maintaining service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomer bearing bushing functions as a composite structure with regions of different material properties - a softer elastomeric first region and a harder second region. This composite approach allows the softer region to reduce interference tones while the harder region ensures long service life, effectively resolving the contradiction between vibration reduction and durability.
3Force
If the stiffness of the torque arm is reduced to avoid resonance vibrations, then vibration transmission is reduced, but the torque support becomes too soft compromising reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomer bearing bushing features a first region with lower stiffness to reduce vibration transmission and a second region with higher stiffness to maintain reliability. The softer first region reduces resonance vibrations and interference tones, while the harder second region ensures the torque support remains reliable under various operating conditions, resolving the contradiction between vibration reduction and reliability.
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 design effectively reduces resonance vibrations by up to 30% and shifts interfering tones into the inaudible range, ensuring a long service life by protecting the softer area with a harder area during high-load conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an elastomer bearing bushing of varying stiffness depending on the load, with a soft area of lower rigidity and at least one harder area of higher rigidity
Implementation Method 2
effectively reduces resonance vibrations by up to 30% and shifts interfering tones into the inaudible range
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a torque support arrangement for a wind power gearbox (3) for transmitting a supporting force to a support structure (7) of a wind power plant, wherein on the gear side, at least one radial support arm (11) having an associated opening (12) for receiving a horizontal support pin (14) is provided, which establishes a detachable connection to at least one opening (13a; 13b) corresponding thereto of a support eyelet unit (9) arranged on the support structure (7). The at least one opening (13a; 13b) of the support eyelet unit (9) has an elastomer bearing bush (15a; 15b) of different rigidity depending on the load, into which the support pin (14) is inserted. The elastomer bearing bush (15a; 15b) further consists of a soft area (16) of low rigidity, and in contrast thereto, has at least one harder area (17) of higher rigidity.