31 patents in this list

Updated:

Wind turbine bearings operate under extreme mechanical stresses, with main bearings experiencing dynamic loads up to 6,500 kN and rotational speeds varying from 5-15 rpm. These components must maintain precision alignment while enduring temperature fluctuations, variable wind loads, and exposure to environmental contaminants over operational lifespans targeted at 20+ years.

The fundamental challenge lies in balancing bearing durability against the competing demands of load capacity, friction reduction, and maintenance accessibility in large-scale turbine applications.

This page brings together solutions from recent research—including self-aligning roller designs with optimized load distribution, thermal management systems using targeted air cooling, variable thickness reinforcement structures, and intelligent wear monitoring through pitch control. These and other approaches focus on extending bearing life while maintaining turbine reliability and serviceability under real-world conditions.

1. Wind Turbine Generator Bearing System with Integrated Temperature Detection and Automated Cooling Modules

POWERCHINA GUIZHOU ELECTRIC POWER DESIGN RES INSTITUTE CO LTD, POWERCHINA GUIZHOU ELECTRIC POWER DESIGN RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO LTD, 2023

Online monitoring system for wind turbines with automated cooling of generator bearings to prevent overheating and failures. The system has a temperature detection module to monitor bearing temperature, a control module to set a temperature limit, and a cooling module to actively cool the bearings if the temperature exceeds the limit. This provides proactive cooling to prevent bearing overheating compared to just monitoring temperatures.

2. Dynamic Lubrication System for Wind Turbine Bearings with Condition-Based Adjustment

NORDEX ENERGY SE & CO KG, 2023

Optimizing lubrication of wind turbine bearings to extend bearing life. The method involves dynamically adjusting lubricant supply based on factors like load, speed, temperature, and maintenance needs. A control unit calculates the bearing load condition from indirect parameters like wind speed, blade angle, and power. It then determines the operating condition based on the load and factors like rotor speed, temperature, and bearing vs nacelle temp difference. This condition indicates damage potential. The lubricant supply is adjusted accordingly, including quantity, frequency, and region. A damage sum is cumulated over time, triggering maintenance when needed. By tailoring lubrication to real operating conditions, it provides reliable bearing lubrication without excessive or insufficient lubrication.

3. Wind Turbine Main Bearing Cooling System with Temperature-Responsive Medium Introduction and Pressure Monitoring

HALF ELECTRICITY WIND ENERGY LIMITED CO, HALF ELECTRICITY WIND ENERGY LTD CO, 2022

A cooling system and temperature control method for wind turbine main bearings that improves cooling effectiveness and safety. The system has temperature sensors on the inner and outer rings. When inner ring temps exceed a threshold, a cooling device introduces medium into channels near the seals. This cools the seals, reducing heat source and improving cooling. The channels are located close to the seals on both sides of the inner ring. This allows effective cooling of the seals, which is the major source of main bearing heat. The system also has pressure monitoring, analysis, and alarms in the channels.

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4. Double-Row Self-Aligning Roller Bearing with Differential Contact Angles and Diamond-Like Carbon Coating

NTN CORPORATION, 2022

Double-row self-aligning roller bearing for wind turbines and industrial machinery applications that equalizes load distribution between rows of rollers to improve bearing life. The bearing has rollers with different contact angles in each row, along with the row of rollers that receives the axial load having a slightly longer length and the retainer angle being less than the roller angle at the maximum diameter point. The bearing also has a DLC coating on the roller surfaces for improved wear resistance.

US11306776B2-patent-drawing

5. Wind Turbine Pitch Bearing with Variable Thickness Reinforcements on Bearing Rings

ACCIONA WINDPOWER, S.A., 2022

A wind turbine pitch bearing that improves the durability and performance of pitch bearings in wind turbines. The pitch bearing has variable thickness reinforcements attached to the bearing rings. The reinforcements are plates that are thicker at the ends and taper towards the center. This concentrates on extra strength, where the bearing experiences the most stress. The variable thickness reinforcements enable using smaller, lighter bearings compared to uniform thickness designs.

US11293399B2-patent-drawing

6. Air Blow System with Temperature-Controlled Air Supply for Heat Dissipation in Wind Turbine Bearings

BEIJING GOLDWIND SCIENCE & CREATION WINDPOWER EQUIPMENT CO., LTD., 2022

The system dissipates heat from wind turbine bearings to improve their lifespan. The system includes air blow boxes mounted inside the stationary and rotating shafts. These blow cold air onto the inner and outer bearing rings, respectively. A control system adjusts the air supply based on temperature differences between the rings.

7. Composite Bushing System with Embedded Anchor Element and Threaded Nut for Wind Turbine Blades

LM WP PATENT HOLDING A/S, 2021

A bushing system for wind turbine blades that allows for a cheaper and more efficient bushing with reduced waste compared to prior machined bushings. The bushing system has two components: an anchor element embedded in the blade root and a separate threaded nut that can be fitted and retained within the anchor element. The anchor element can be made of a cheaper material, while the threaded nut can be a stronger, machined material. This reduces the cost of the bushing system by using lower cost materials for most of the bushing and machining only a small threaded nut portion.

US11067056B2-patent-drawing

8. Wind Turbine Pitch Bearing System with Sensor-Based Lubrication Monitoring and Automatic Pitch Adjustment

SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY AS, 2021

Preventing failure of pitch bearings in wind turbine blades due to lack of lubrication. It uses sensors to monitor vibration, noise, and temperature changes in the pitch bearings. If the sensor signals indicate lubrication issues, the pitch angle is adjusted to prevent bearing damage. This periodic pitch movement ensures lubricant reaches all contact surfaces and avoids stagnation.

9. Blade Pitch Adjustment Method for Balancing Wind Turbine Bearing Wear

VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S, 2021

A method for controlling a wind turbine to balance bearing wear using blade pitch adjustment. The method calculates the current wear rate of the main bearing and blade bearings and an adjustment of the blade pitch to shift the current wear ratio to match the desired wear ratio. The pitch adjustment is estimated using a model of how blade pitch affects the main bearing load.

US11002250B2-patent-drawing

10. Slide Bearing and Floating Disk Arrangement in Planetary Gear Sets for Wind Turbines

Flender GmbH, 2021

Planetary gear sets for wind turbines reduces wear and simplify assembly compared to conventional planetary gear sets. The design features a slide bearing and floating disk arrangement to support the planet's gears.

US10948071B2-patent-drawing

11. Feed Apparatus for Dispensing Coiled Pultruded Strips into Molds

Vestas Wind Systems A/S, 2020

A method of making wind turbine blades with integrated load-bearing reinforcing strips addresses the challenges of handling long, heavy pultruded strips. The method involves using a specialized feed apparatus to dispense the coiled pultruded strips into the blade mold. The feed apparatus confines the coil to prevent uncoiling, allowing the strip to be fed into the mold while it uncoils in place. The potential energy is released safely by fixing the coil and feeding from the free end.

12. Yaw-Bearing System with Removable Stop Elements and Continuous Radial Pads for Wind Turbines

Envision Energy (Denmark) ApS, 2020

A wind turbine with a yaw-bearing system that allows easy maintenance and replacement of pads without removing the entire caliper structure. The bearing system has separate upper, radial, and lower pads that contact the flange surfaces. The radial pads extend the entire length of the caliper. Removable stop elements attach to the caliper to retain the radial pads. This allows the radial pads to flex and deform under load. It also enables the removal of stop elements to access and replace the radial pads. The upper pads are a single longer pad rather than multiple smaller pads.

US10781797B2-patent-drawing

13. Wind Turbine Drive Train with Elastic Coupling and Independent Shaft Bearings

Adwen GmbH, 2020

A wind turbine drive train with reduced fatigue and failure by improving load path and reducing parasitic forces. The drive train has a rotor shaft, gearbox input shaft, elastic coupling between them, and separate bearings for each shaft. The elastic coupling allows torque transfer while isolating other loads. This prevents parasitic forces from damaging the gearbox and bearings. The separate bearings allow independent rotation of each shaft. The rotor shaft is supported by a housing constrained in all directions except rotation. The gearbox input shaft is supported similarly.

14. Wind Turbine Bearing Lubrication System with Adaptive Hydrostatic Pressure Control

SIEMENS WIND POWER AS, 2019

Controlling wind turbine bearing lubrication to improve bearing life and reduce friction during startup/shutdown. The method involves using hydrostatic pressure to separate the bearing surfaces and prevent partial contacts. The wind turbine control system intelligently adjusts the bearing hydrostatic pressure based on factors like load, weather, lubricant condition, and bearing health. This prevents wear and friction in the operating range before complete film separation. By monitoring and controlling bearing lubrication, it allows predictive maintenance and avoids unplanned repairs.

15. Sliding Bearing Assembly with Integrated Oil Level Sensor for Real-Time Lubricant Detection in Heavy Shaft Applications

ZAHNRADFABRIK FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, 2019

Sliding bearing arrangement for heavy shafts like wind turbine main bearings that prevents lubricant starvation and bearing failure. The bearing has an oil level sensor in the lubricant feed channel or bag to detect if oil is present. If oil level drops below a threshold, the control system can take action like increasing pump pressure, adding lubricant, or stopping the shaft to prevent dry running. The sensor provides real-time monitoring to prevent lubricant starvation issues during machine operation.

WO2019120870A1-patent-drawing

16. Wind Turbine Main Shaft Bearing Lubrication System with Temperature-Responsive Control

国电联合动力技术有限公司, 2019

Lubrication compensation system and method for wind turbine main shaft bearings to improve lubrication efficiency and prevent over/under lubrication. The system uses temperature sensors on the bearings to feedback real-time temperatures to the control system. The control system adjusts lubrication duration at each point based on the acquired temperatures. This allows precise and flexible lubrication control compared to fixed intervals. It prevents over lubrication at points that don't need it and ensures sufficient lubrication at critical points.

17. Bearing with Axial Thermal Sensors for Temperature Profile Monitoring

ENVISION ENERGY APS, ENVISION ENERGY DENMARK APS, 2019

Bearing design and operation that improves lifetime and reliability of bearings like those used in wind turbines. The bearing has thermal sensors in the axial direction to monitor temperature profiles. This data is used to optimize bearing operation, like adjusting temperatures, to mitigate thermal issues. By actively managing temperatures based on the measured profiles, bearing lifetime and maintenance can be improved.

DK179778B1-patent-drawing

18. Rotor Imbalance Compensation Mechanism for Wind Turbine Blades

Acciona Windpower, S.A., 2019

Balancing wind turbine rotors to reduce loads and vibrations by compensating for imbalances between blade centers of gravity while minimizing added mass. The balancing involves calculating the rotor imbalance magnitude and phase and positioning the imbalance phase within a permissible range relative to blade reference positions. The permissible range is where loads are minimized.

19. Sensor-Driven Lubrication System for Bearings with Integrated Parameter-Responsive Pumping Mechanism

Aktiebolaget SKF, 2019

An automatic lubrication system for bearings that automatically provides the right amount of lubrication to a bearing based on its actual operating conditions. The system includes a lubrication device and a sensor device to detect parameters like vibration and speed. The lubrication device is connected to the sensor device and pumps lubricant into the bearing based on the detected parameters. This ensures the bearing gets the right amount of lubrication for optimal performance and wear prevention.

20. Elastic Coupling-Based Wind Turbine Drive Train with Load Isolation Mechanism

Adwen GmbH, 2018

A wind turbine drive train design that isolates rotor loads from the gearbox and bearings to improve reliability. The drive train uses an elastic coupling between the rotor shaft and gearbox input shaft that allows rotation but constrains other movements. This prevents parasitic forces from transferring through to damage the gearbox and bearings.

21. Dynamic Blade Pitch Adjustment for Wear Balancing of Wind Turbine Main and Blade Bearings

22. One-Way Clutch Mechanism for Shaft Disengagement in Wind Turbine Power Generation Systems

23. Bearing Protection System with Preheating Mechanism for Wind Turbine Generators in Cold Environments

24. Rotating System with Integrated Lubricant Drain for Wind Turbine Assemblies

25. Sliding Bearing Arrangement with Replaceable Bearing Pads for Wind Turbines

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A variety of new innovations in wind turbine bearings, such as better load distribution, increased durability, and temperature management, are demonstrated by the patents discussed here. As wind energy grows in prominence as a renewable energy source, advances in wind turbine bearings are going to be crucial to maintaining clean and sustainable energy output.