A joint bushing that accommodates the dithering and sliding in multi segment wind turbines. The joint bushing includes a self-lubricating liner that is a composite system incorporating woven Polytetrafluoroethylene fibers intermixed with structural reinforcement fibers in a composite matrix. The composite system provides sufficient life without requiring re-lubrication.

A bearing assembly for stabilizing rotation of a rotatable element includes a gas bearing acting as a bearing for the rotatable element. An ultrasonic vibration pump is coupled to the gas bearing for providing pressurized gas to the gas bearing, and a sealed housing encloses the gas bearing and the ultrasonic vibration pump. Also described is a reaction wheel assembly for a spacecraft. The reaction wheel assembly includes a reaction wheel and the bearing assembly for stabilizing rotation of the reaction wheel.

The invention relates to an umbilical termination assembly for terminating a cable or umbilical. The termination assembly comprises a plurality of umbilical elements extending from an umbilical and which pass through a bulkhead plate. The seated ball element has a spherical body through which an umbilical element passes. The ball element is seated in a cup member which allows the ball element to rotate through a large range of angles allowing it to be aligned with the umbilical element without the umbilical element needing to be manipulated or forced into position. The umbilical element can then be attached to the ball element which is supported by the cup member on the bulkhead. This allows the axial tension in the umbilical element to be transferred to the bulkhead.

The present invention achieves a high mechanical load capacity of a rod end by means of a component loop that passes around a bearing, where the component may be made of continuous-fiber reinforced composite material with thermoplastic matrix and where the continuous-fiber reinforced composite material with thermoplastic matrix may extend into a threaded stem of the rod end, and the component made of continuous-fiber reinforced composite material with thermoplastic matrix may be enclosed by short-fiber reinforced, long-fiber reinforced, or unreinforced thermoplastic. The threaded stem can be implemented with an external or an internal thread.

The invention relates to a sliding bearing (9) comprising: an inner ring element (13); an outer ring element (14); at least one sliding bearing element (15), which is arranged between the inner ring element (13) and the outer ring element (14).

The sliding bearing element (15) has multiple sliding bearing pads (20), wherein the individual sliding bearing pads (20) each have a bearing surface (26), which is designed in the shape of a spherical cap.

A spherical bearing includes an inner member that has an exterior surface extending a first width between axial ends thereof and having a first central plane located equidistant between the axial ends. The spherical bearing includes an outer member with a inner surface having a maximum inside diameter at an apex plane and extending a second width between opposing ends thereof and having second central plane located equidistant between the ends thereof. The inner member is disposed in an interior area of the outer member. The first central plane is coplanar with the apex plane and is axially offset from the second central plane. One of the opposing axial ends of the inner member is located entirely in the interior area and axially inward from ends of the outer member when the inner member is angularly misaligned relative to the outer member at non-zero angles up to 7 degrees.

A hydrodynamic journal bearing assembly for a drivetrain of a wind turbine includes a shaft and a semispherical convex surface provided on an outer surface of the shaft, the convex surface extending circumferentially around the shaft and having a convex cross-sectional profile oriented along a longitudinal axis of the shaft. A bearing housing is arranged circumferentially around the semispherical convex surface, the bearing housing having s a reservoir in a bottom portion thereof for a bearing fluid. A static semispherical concave bearing surface in the bearing housing defines a bearing interface with the semispherical convex surface on the shaft, wherein a layer of the fluid is provided in the bearing interface as the shaft and rotates through the reservoir.

A pivot bearing (1), includes a metallic first bearing element (2) made of steel, which is at least partially coated by means of a coating (5), a metallic second bearing element (3) made of steel, which is coated with a PTFE-containing sliding lining (6), wherein the coating (5) and the sliding lining (6) are in sliding contact, and wherein the coating (5) comprises at least one first layer (9) deposited on the first bearing element (2) by means of a PVD, CVD, or PECVD method, wherein the coating (5) also comprises at least one further layer which is arranged on the at least one first layer (9) and faces away from the first bearing element (2).

A contact layer is formed by a deposition method on an inner surface of a first metal element by a centrifuging process, and preferably includes an inner layer of copper alloy and an outer layer of tin alloy. Such a contact layer is used in an articulation joint including a first metal element having a surface provided with the contact layer, and a second metal element with a second surface. The first and second elements are relatively movable such that first and second surfaces slide against each other.

A pivot bearing (1), includes a metallic first bearing element (2) made of steel, which is at least partially coated by means of a coating (5), a metallic second bearing element (3) made of steel, which is coated with a PTFE-containing sliding lining (6), wherein the coating (5) and the sliding lining (6) are in sliding contact, and wherein the coating (5) comprises at least one first layer (9) deposited on the first bearing element (2) by means of a PVD, CVD, or PECVD method, wherein the coating (5) also comprises at least one further layer which is arranged on the at least one first layer (9) and faces away from the first bearing element (2).