Wind Turbine Shaft Connector With Flanged Torque Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shaft-to-shaft connectors in wind turbines, such as shrink discs, require large and heavy components, leading to heavy drive trains and potential damage during assembly and disassembly due to tight mating tolerances.
Innovation Solution
A shaft connector with a hollow body and flanges that allows for reduced weight and length by eliminating the need for pressure forces to transmit torque, featuring accessible holes for easy inspection and maintenance, and a strain measurement device for load determination, using bolted or pinned connections to avoid component damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If shrink discs are used to transmit torque through friction, then torque transmission is achieved, but large and heavy components are required
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into a hollow body and separate flanges that can be assembled independently. The hollow body connects to the shaft while flanges connect to the gearbox, allowing modular construction that reduces overall weight compared to monolithic shrink disc assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the friction-based mechanical system of shrink discs with a direct rigid mechanical connection through flanges and fasteners. This substitution eliminates the need for large contact surfaces and heavy components required for friction-based torque transmission.
2Reliability
If tighter mating tolerances are used between shaft and gearbox, then torque transmission reliability is improved, but component damage occurs during assembly and disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the connection into a hollow body and separate flanges connected by fasteners, the patent avoids tight mating tolerances between shaft and gearbox. The flanged connection allows for easier assembly and disassembly without damaging components while maintaining reliable torque transmission through the rigid flange-to-flange connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The flanged connector acts as an intermediary component between the shaft and gearbox, replacing direct tight-fitting connections. This intermediary allows for simpler tolerances and easier maintenance while ensuring reliable power transmission through the rigid flange connection.
3Power
If conventional shaft connectors are used, then torque transmission is achieved, but inspection and maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow body and flanges are designed as separate, accessible components that can be independently inspected and maintained. The modular structure allows technicians to access internal components for inspection without disassembling the entire drive train, significantly improving maintenance ease while maintaining torque transmission capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a wind turbine including: a tower, a nacelle mounted on the tower, an electrical generator housed in the nacelle, a wind rotor rotatably coupled to the nacelle for rotating about a rotational axis and having at least one rotatable blade, two rotating shafts for connecting the wind rotor to the electrical generator, a shaft connector for rigidly connecting the two rotating shafts. The shaft connector includes: a hollow body, at least an inner flange protruding from the hollow body towards an axis of rotation of the shaft connector, the inner flange being connectable to one of the two rotating shafts, at least one hole provided on the hollow body for accessing the inner flange.