Wind Turbine Flange Assembly for Easier Bedframe-Shaft Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing connection between the bedframe and shaft in wind turbines requires extensive machining and cumbersome screw placement and tightening, especially at the bedframe side, due to multiple rows of bores and limited space, posing challenges in assembly and safety.
Innovation Solution
A flange connection design with three rows of bores, comprising through and threaded blind bores, allows for easier screw insertion and tightening, with screws accessible from the bedframe side for the first row and the shaft side for the remaining rows, using an intermediate plate to prevent ovalization and maintain the air gap.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If multiple rows of bores are arranged in the flange connection to ensure structural stability, then connection strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flange connection is segmented into three distinct rows of bores with different configurations: a first row with through bores only, a second row with a mixture of threaded blind bores and through bores, and a third row with threaded blind bores only. This segmentation allows each row to serve specific functional purposes, distributing the connection strength requirements across different structural configurations while simplifying the overall assembly process by providing clear access paths for different types of fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring all fasteners to be accessed from one side of the flange connection, the invention inverts the approach by providing through bores in the first row that allow access from the bedframe side, while threaded blind bores in the second and third rows are accessed from the shaft side. This inversion of access perspectives eliminates the need for cumbersome tight-space maneuvers and enables efficient assembly from both sides of the connection.
2Reliability
If through bores and threaded blind bores are arranged in multiple rows, then connection reliability is improved, but assembly ease deteriorates due to limited space for tightening
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a single-sided assembly approach to a two-dimensional assembly strategy by arranging different types of bores in multiple rows that can be accessed from both the bedframe side and the shaft side. The first row with through bores is accessed from the bedframe side, while the second and third rows with threaded blind bores are accessed from the shaft side. This dimensional change in assembly approach eliminates space constraints and improves assembly ease while maintaining connection reliability through the multi-row configuration.
3Manufacturing precision
If extensive machining is performed on the bedframe side to create multiple bores, then connection precision is improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flange connection structure is designed with preliminary action by pre-configuring three distinct rows of bores with specific patterns: through bores in the first row for easy alignment and insertion, threaded blind bores in the second row for secure fastening, and a combination arrangement in the third row. This preliminary structural configuration ensures high positioning precision is achieved through the design itself rather than requiring extensive post-manufacturing machining operations, thereby improving assembly productivity while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
Wind turbine, comprising a bedframe (2) having a cylindrical frame connection flange (11) and shaft (3) having a cylindrical shaft connection flange (16), wherein the shaft connection flange (16) is fixated to the frame connection flange (11) by screw connections arranged in axially extending bores provided in the frame connection flange (11) and the shaft connection flange (15), wherein - the frame connection flange (11) is provided with a first row (Ia) of first through bores arranged at an outer first frame radius and the shaft connection flange (16) is provided with a first row (Ib) of first threaded blind bores (21) arranged at an outer first shaft radius which corresponds to the first outer frame radius, - the frame connection flange (11) is provided with a second row (IIa) of second threaded blind bores (26) arranged at an intermediate second frame radius and the shaft connection flange (16) is provided with a second row (IIb) of second through bores (27) arranged at an intermediate second shaft radius which corresponds to the intermediate second frame radius, - the frame connection flange (11) is provided with a third row (IIIa) of third threaded blind bores (31) arranged at an inner third frame radius and the shaft connection flange (16) is provided with a third row (IIIb) of third through bores (32) arranged at an inner third shaft radius which corresponds to the inner third frame radius, - wherein a through bore is flush with a threaded bore and a screw connection (22, 28, 33) extends through the through bore and is screwed into the threaded blind bore.