High-Performance Gearboxes for Wind Turbines

Wind power gearbox with a double-row composite planetary stage followed by an NW planetary stage to transmit high power with reduced weight compared to multiple composite planetary stages. The composite stage increases speed and reduces torque, and the NW stage further increases speed and reduces torque. This two-stage configuration allows meeting higher power density requirements compared to multiple composite stages for large wind turbines. The composite and NW stages have fixed carriers and active inner rings, with the NW stage output connecting to the generator.

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Wind turbine gearbox with simplified structure, reduced size, weight, and cost compared to conventional multi-stage planetary gearboxes. The gearbox has a single-stage planetary setup with a rotating element between the star gear and planet gears. This replaces the multiple stage planetary connections. The rotating element uses steel balls in annular grooves on the star gear shaft and planet gear inner raceway. This improves load capacity and eliminates end-face friction. The single-stage setup simplifies the gearbox structure and reduces volume and weight compared to multi-stage boxes.

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Improving the efficiency of turbine engine gearboxes by optimizing the design of the planet pins in epicyclic gearing. The planet pin shape is contoured to match the deformation of the planet gear rim under load, increasing the clearance between the pin and gear for better bearing performance. The contour deflection is in the range of -4.2e-03 inches to -1.2e-05 inches. This prevents metal-to-metal contact and improves efficiency compared to flat pins.

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Planetary gear for wind turbines that has simpler and less expensive design for absorbing axial forces compared to using anti-rotation washers. The planet gears are mounted between side cheeks of the planet carrier and are axially slidably mounted in the respective axial direction via sliding surfaces of the side cheeks. The sliding surfaces protrude into the axial direction. This allows the planet gears to slide axially within the side cheeks, absorbing the axial forces without needing separate anti-rotation washers on the side cheeks. The sliding surfaces can be made of wear-resistant materials like diamond-like carbon or nitride coatings to reduce wear.

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Planetary gearbox for wind power equipment with modified contact surfaces to improve reliability and reduce costs compared to traditional gearboxes. The modification involves adding trimming areas on the planet shaft and gear where they contact to create oil films and distribute loads better. This reduces stress concentrations and edge wear compared to unmodified surfaces. The trimming areas can be symmetric or asymmetric based on load conditions. The gearbox also uses dynamic pressure sliding bearings on the shaft ends instead of traditional thrust bearings, which reduces parts count and costs.

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A compact large transmission ratio wind power gearbox that reduces the size of high ratio wind turbine gearboxes compared to cascaded planetary transmissions. The gearbox has an outer planetary transmission mechanism with an input planet carrier, fixed ring gear, and multiple outer planet gears. It also has an inner planetary transmission mechanism with a rotating ring gear, fixed planet carrier, sun gear, and inner planet gears. Power enters via the input planet carrier and exits through the sun gear. The rotating ring gear acts as the sun gear for the inner planetary transmission. This composite structure allows higher transmission ratios while reducing axial size compared to cascading planetaries.

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A planetary gear train for wind turbine generators that provides stable meshing and positioning of the gears. The planetary gear train has a thrust mechanism to prevent axial misalignment between the sun gear, planet gears, and ring gear. The thrust mechanism uses washers, snap rings, or protrusions to contact the gears at specific locations. This prevents axial movement and ensures proper meshing even as the gears wear.

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Large megawatt wind power gearbox with compact size and high torque density for wind turbine generators. The gearbox uses a unique four-stage transmission configuration with three planetary stages and a final parallel stage. This allows high speed ratio and compactness compared to traditional multi-stage gearboxes. The planetary stages are sequentially nested in the box body with the planet carriers connected between stages. The final parallel stage connects to the input and output. This configuration reduces axial length and weight while increasing torque density.

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A wind turbine gearbox design that improves reliability and efficiency compared to conventional designs. The gearbox has a unique configuration that reduces oil leakage and allows higher motor loads. The gearbox has two planetary stages instead of just one. The first stage is a direct drive between the motor and output shaft. The second stage has a separate sun gear, ring gear, planet carrier, and planet gears. This provides power splitting between the output shafts. The key difference is that the first stage planet carrier is connected to the motor, whereas the second stage planet carrier is separate. This prevents radial displacement of the first stage carrier which reduces oil leakage.

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Wind power generation gearbox with load balancing to improve reliability and lifespan by distributing forces evenly in the planetary gear train. The gearbox has a two-stage planetary gear setup with symmetric load sharing devices. The low-speed and medium-speed planetary trains have identical structures. They both have a sun gear as a load balancing component with external floating teeth. This allows the forces to be symmetrically distributed as the planets revolve around the sun gears. This prevents unbalanced loads on the planets that can damage the gearbox.

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Compact and lightweight wind turbine gearbox design that reduces production costs by eliminating separate oil feeds to primary and secondary planet carriers. The gearbox has a unique oil flow configuration with a stepped sleeve connecting the primary and secondary carriers in the middle box. This allows oil to flow through the stepped sleeve between the carriers instead of needing separate oil feed rings. The stepped sleeve connects to flanges at each end, with oil guide holes in the flanges, box, and carriers. The stepped sleeve and flanges direct oil flow to the primary and secondary carriers via interconnected guide holes.

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Integrated wind turbine gearbox design that reduces costs and increases efficiency compared to traditional separate gearbox systems. The integrated gearbox has a main bearing connected to the wind turbine rotor and a planetary transmission directly connected to it. This eliminates the need for separate bearings and housing for the planet carrier. The planetary gears accelerate the power from the wind turbine rotor and output it.

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Planetary gear assembly for wind turbine gearboxes that reduces weight, size, and cost compared to traditional designs. The assembly uses single-piece radial bushings coaxially mounted on the planet shaft instead of tapered bushings. This eliminates the need for separate tapered bushings and housings, simplifying assembly and reducing complexity. The radial bushings are formed as one piece unitary body with an annular abutment at one end. The assembly also allows using thinner planet shaft diameters while maintaining load capacity.

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A compact high-ratio transmission system for large wind turbines that reduces axial size compared to cascaded planetary stages. The system uses a composite outer and inner planetary gearset with multiple outer and inner planet gears. Power enters from the input carrier and exits the sun gear. This allows maintaining high ratio without axial cascading. The larger outer ring gear reduces radial size versus cascaded stages.

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A planetary carrier for a wind turbine gearbox that allows flexible mounting of the planetary axle to compensate for deformation of the gearbox and maintain proper meshing of the gears. The carrier has a sleeve between the planetary axle and gear that allows the axle to slide radially. This prevents tooth contact issues due to gearbox deformation. The sliding sleeve reduces the required installation space compared to a rigid mount.

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Compact, lighter wind power gearbox with reduced costs by eliminating the need for separate oil separator rings. The gearbox uses a stepped sleeve between the first and second planet carriers that guides oil from the first carrier to the second carrier. Oil enters the gearbox through a hole in the middle box and flows through interconnected guide holes in the stepped sleeve, flange, and second carrier. This compact oil routing eliminates the need for separate oil separator rings between the carriers.

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A wind turbine gearbox design that enables higher power output by allowing multiple generators to be driven independently. The gearbox has a planetary stage and a parallel stage. The planetary stage transfers power from the main shaft to a planet carrier. The parallel stage has multiple output shafts engaged with a central gear. Each output shaft drives a separate generator. This allows multiple generators to be connected and operate simultaneously, increasing power extraction compared to a single output shaft.

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A wind turbine gearbox design that improves reliability by reducing eccentric loads and vibrations in multi-stage planetary gear trains. The gearbox has an annular inner cavity and N-stage planetary gear trains distributed around it. Adjacent stages connect in a unique way to provide two-point support for the flange of the outer stage. One end attaches to the inner stage sun gear and the other to the outer stage ring gear. This improves flange positioning, reduces swing, and improves meshing between inner ring and planet gears.

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A gearbox design for wind turbines that provides high load capacity, reliability and adaptability for large diameter blades and high power units. The gearbox has a main bearing with three rows of cylindrical rollers that supports the main shaft and carries the impeller load. The bearing is integrated into the gearbox housing. The bearing, gears and oil share a common lubrication. The bearing is connected to the planet carrier of the first stage planetary gear train. This allows direct mounting and balancing of the gearbox with the wind turbine frame. The bearing location also helps balance torsional loads. The housing, carrier, sealing plate and transition flange form an independent sealed cavity for the bearing and gears.

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Wind turbine drive system that can balance loads across multiple pitch and yaw drive units to prolong their life. The system uses load sensors on each drive unit to detect the load on the ring gear. A controller then adjusts the braking force of each drive unit to equalize the loads. This reduces the variation in load applied to each drive unit and prevents overloading of any one unit.

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