Innovative Wind Turbine Bearings for Improved Performance

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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A power generation device like wind turbines that reduces wear and failures in the speed-up gear bearings. It uses a one-way clutch between the gear output shaft and the generator drive shaft. The clutch connects the shafts when the gear output speed exceeds the generator speed, allowing power transfer. But when the gear speed drops below the generator speed, the clutch disengages to prevent generator inertia from backdriving the gear. This avoids excessive loads and bearing failures in the gear when wind speeds change rapidly.

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A rotating system for a wind turbine that reduces friction and improves efficiency while also simplifying lubrication and improving temperature control. The system has a housing and a rotating part inside that can move relative to the housing. It also has a lubricant drain in the housing. When the rotating part turns, it forces the lubricant toward the drain, which reduces slip streams and helps contain and circulate the lubricant without complex sealing.

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A sliding bearing arrangement for a wind turbine that allows easy replacement of bearing pads without weakening the bearing structure.

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