The present invention relates to an installation tool for assembling a main rotor shaft unit and an assembly method thereof. The installation tool comprises a first element for supporting the generator end of the rotor shaft and a rotatable support plate is coupled to a second element of the installation tool via engaging coupling elements. The rotor shaft is rotated by a single crane unit via lifting elements mounted to the generator end, and then lifted out of the installation tool and placed on a floor. The bearing units are then mounted to the outer surface of the rotor shaft. The rotor shaft is afterwards lifted onto the installation tool so that the coupling element is brought into engagement and the rotor shaft is rotated on to the first element. This provides an installation tool that eliminates the need for two crane units to rotate the rotor shaft and reduces the amount of man-hours needed to assemble the rotor shaft unit by up to six hours. The installation tool also provides a stable tool for the workers since the center of gravity is located between the first element and the rotation point.

The disclosure provides an improved split bearing cartridge assembly and split bearing housed bearing assembly. The split bearing cartridge assembly comprises a split inner race fixedly securable to a shaft, a plurality of rolling elements retained within a cage, a split outer race rotatably securable to the rolling elements, a split bearing container for substantially encapsulating the split inner race, split outer race, rolling elements and cage, and first and second sealing means for sealing between the split inner race and first and second openings, respectively, of the bearing container. The split bearing cartridge assembly may be combined with a split housing resulting in an improved split housed bearing assembly.

A bearing assembly including a housing, a bearing, and a shaft in the bearing. The assembly includes a seal mounted in the housing and around the shaft. The seal has an inner surface having a tapered portion spaced from the shaft by a clearance gap having a predetermined axially varying width. The width of the gap decreases from a bearing side toward an opening side. The inner surface includes an axially extending sealing portion having an inner diameter corresponding to the shaft and forming a sealing interface. The interface supports tribological film lubrication when the shaft rotates relative to the housing to reduce shaft wear and contacts the shaft when the shaft is stationary relative to the housing to prevent contaminants from entering the interior cavity of the housing through the interface.

A bearing arrangement is provided having a bearing mounted in a housing, wherein a grease lubricant is present within the housing for lubricating the bearing. The arrangement further provides a support frame made of an electrically insulating material, arranged in a space within the housing between the bearing and a housing seal. The support frame is provided with at least one electrode pair having first and second electrodes arranged such that a portion of the grease lubricant is located between the first and second electrodes. A capacitance meter is provided for measuring a capacitance between the first and second electrodes. The first and second electrodes of the at least one electrode pair are provided on a radially oriented surface of the support frame, which surface is arranged such that the grease is able to move in an axial direction over the surface.

A bearing system includes a bearing housing configured to house a bearing, the bearing housing enclosing a free volume for receiving lubricant, a quantity of the lubricant in the free volume, a sensor configured to measure at least one parameter affecting a degradation rate at which the lubricant will degrade and to produce at least one output signal indicative of the measured at least one parameter, a pump for pumping lubricant into the bearing housing, and a controller configured to receive the at least one output signal from the sensor and to control the pump based a function of the received at least one output signal.

A shaft assembly may include two or more Poka-Yoke bearing caps, each Poka-Yoke bearing cap having a pair of reference bores offset from a central axis of the bearing cap by differing offset distances, and each bearing cap defining a semi-circular recess that is positioned so as to align in use a central axis of the semi-cylindrical recess in the bearing cap with an axis of rotation of a shaft rotatably supported by the bearing cap. The differing offsets of the reference bores prevent the bearing cap from being assembled in a reversed orientation. To ensure that each bearing cap can only be fitted in one position, a centre spacing between the first and second reference bores of each bearing cap is different to the centre spacing used for other bearing caps used to support a single shaft.

A method of lubricating a main bearing of a wind turbine, the method comprising providing the main bearing. The main bearing comprises a main bearing housing having one or more pre-existing lubrication ports, an outer race, an inner race radially disposed inwardly from the outer race, and a first row of roller bearings and a second row of roller bearings. The first and second rows of roller bearings are radially disposed between the inner race and the outer race. The first row of roller bearings is axially disposed on the upwind side of the second row of roller bearings. The method includes forming one or more alternate lubrication ports in the main bearing housing. The alternate lubrication ports are configured to deliver a lubricant between the first row of roller bearings and the second row of roller bearings. The method includes supplying the lubricant to the alternate lubrication ports.

An adjustable anti-vibration rubber assembly for the cardan shaft. The assembly includes radial bases (4) and tightening plates (5) that adjust the functionality of a metal frame (3) of an assembly.

A pillow block assembly is for supporting a shaft for rotating about an axis of rotation, the pillow block assembly including a bearing housing, having an interior accommodating a shaft bearing, and a seal assembly. The bearing housing is split along a first plane accommodating the axis of rotation into a first bearing housing half and a second bearing housing half. The seal assembly includes at least one radial shaft seal with at least one seal lip, preferably having a spring adapted to bias the seal lip, and a spacer adapted to be fitted around the shaft and adapted to rotate with the shaft, the spacer having a radially outwardly directed first sealing surface. The seal assembly further includes a cover at least partially surrounding the first sealing surface of the spacer, the cover being reversibly secured to the housing. The radial shaft seal is arranged to seal between the cover and the first sealing surface of the spacer.