Durability-enhanced bearing assemblies, apparatuses, and motor assemblies using the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly may include a plurality of superhard bearing elements distributed circumferentially about an axis. Each of the superhard bearing elements includes a bearing surface. The bearing assembly may further include a support ring structure that carries the plurality of superhard bearing elements. The support ring structure may have a first portion that exhibits a first yield strength and a second portion that exhibits a second yield strength. The first yield strength of the first portion may be greater than the second yield strength of the second portion.

Durability-enhanced bearing assemblies, apparatuses, and motor assemblies using the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly may include a plurality of superhard bearing elements distributed circumferentially about an axis. Each of the superhard bearing elements includes a bearing surface. The bearing assembly may further include a support ring structure that carries the plurality of superhard bearing elements. The support ring structure may have a first portion that exhibits a first yield strength and a second portion that exhibits a second yield strength. The first yield strength of the first portion may be greater than the second yield strength of the second portion.

A method including substituting an atmosphere in a space, in which a sliding surface formed of a metal or a ceramic material, and a slid surface are disposed, with a gas atmosphere containing a hydroxyl group-containing compound and at least one of hydrogen and nitrogen, and relatively sliding the sliding surface against the slid surface by a Hertzian contact stress of 1.0 GPa or more in the space under the gas atmosphere containing the hydroxyl group-containing compound at least one of hydrogen and nitrogen. As a result, it is possible to form, on the sliding surface, a low-friction coating that stably exhibits a significantly low friction coefficient, for example, of 10.sup.4 order (less than 0.001).

A method including substituting an atmosphere in a space, in which a sliding surface formed of a metal or a ceramic material, and a slid surface are disposed, with a gas atmosphere containing a hydroxyl group-containing compound and at least one of hydrogen and nitrogen, and relatively sliding the sliding surface against the slid surface by a Hertzian contact stress of 1.0 GPa or more in the space under the gas atmosphere containing the hydroxyl group-containing compound at least one of hydrogen and nitrogen. As a result, it is possible to form, on the sliding surface, a low-friction coating that stably exhibits a significantly low friction coefficient, for example, of 10.sup.4 order (less than 0.001).

Provided is a torque sensor that includes: a bearing that is provided with an inner ring and an outer ring that are supported so as to be relatively movable only in the direction of rotation about a predetermined axis; a connecting member that is provided with fixing sections that are respectively fixed to the inner ring and the outer ring and a strain generation section that connects between the fixing sections; and a strain sensor that is disposed on the connecting member so as to be capable of detecting a strain at least in the circumferential direction.

A method for producing bearing components includes providing a first bearing component, a second bearing component, a first production line, and a second production line. The first production line has a first grinding machine, a first honing machine, a first measuring unit, and a first conveyor unit. The second production line has a second grinding machine, a second honing machine, and a second conveyor unit. The method also includes grinding and honing the first bearing component, measuring a first dimension of the first bearing component, grinding and honing the second bearing component, and combining the first bearing component and the second bearing component to form a roller bearing or a slide bearing. The first production line and the second production line are operated in a synchronized manner such that the second grinding machine or the second honing machine is operated under closed-loop control using the first dimension.

A low-friction coating includes: an aliphatic hydrocarbon group showing a peak in a region of 2,900 cm.sup.1 to 3000 cm.sup.1 in an infrared absorption spectrum; a carbonyl group showing a peak in a region of 1,650 cm.sup.1 to 1,800 cm.sup.1 in an infrared absorption spectrum; an aromatic component (C.sub.7H.sub.7.sup.+) showing a peak at mass 91.1 in a positive ion spectrum obtained by TOF-SIMS; and a condensed ring based component (C.sub.9H.sub.7.sup.+) showing a peak at mass 115.2 in the positive ion spectrum obtained by TOF-SIMS.

A low-friction coating includes: an aliphatic hydrocarbon group showing a peak in a region of 2,900 cm.sup.1 to 3000 cm.sup.1 in an infrared absorption spectrum; a carbonyl group showing a peak in a region of 1,650 cm.sup.1 to 1,800 cm.sup.1 in an infrared absorption spectrum; an aromatic component (C.sub.7H.sub.7.sup.+) showing a peak at mass 91.1 in a positive ion spectrum obtained by TOF-SIMS; and a condensed ring based component (C.sub.9H.sub.7.sup.+) showing a peak at mass 115.2 in the positive ion spectrum obtained by TOF-SIMS.

A bearing assembly, such as for a wind turbine or a tidal turbine including a tower and a nacelle, includes a lower part that is attachable to the tower, an upper part that is attachable to the nacelle, a bearing that rotatably couples the lower part to the upper part to allow rotation of the nacelle with respect to the tower, and a brake mechanism configured to selectively prevent relative rotation of the upper part and the lower part. The brake mechanism includes a brake disc and a brake caliper.

A wind turbine has a drive train that comprises a rotor shaft and a planetary gear train having a first gear stage, the rotor shaft being connected to the planet carrier of the first gear stage in a fixed and backlash-free manner. The rotor shaft is supported, on the side that faces away from the first gear stage, by means of a toroidal roller bearing, on a first carrying structure. The planet carrier that is connected to the rotor shaft in a fixed and backlash-free manner is supported by means of a moment bearing, as a fixed bearing. The outer ring of the moment bearing is connected to a housing. The combination of the outer ring of the moment bearing and the housing is connected to a second carrying structure via at least three elastic suspension elements arranged in an annular manner around the rotor axis.