A planetary carrier arrangement includes a planetary carrier, and a lubricant dispensing unit designed to dispense lubricant into the planetary carrier. The lubricant dispensing unit includes an axially elastically movable thrust ring designed to compensate an axial offset of the planetary carrier. The thrust ring has a side in facing relationship to the planetary carrier, with the side designed to include a lubricant pocket thereon.

The present disclosure relates to and envisages a jetstream power generating system. Producing electric power from jetstream force presents specific, daunting, physics-based challenges, because jetstream forces are 30 to 50 times stronger than wind on the ground. The system is configured to harness the energy of these jetstream forces in farms as power generating infrastructure. The system comprises an airborne element configured to be subjected to lift forces while flying in a jetstream, a capstan drum, a tether coupled between the airborne element and the capstan drum, an arcuate guide track, a kite tracker displaceably mounted on the guide track, a conversion unit coupled to the capstan drum, a plurality of accumulators configured to fluidly communicate with the conversion unit, and a generator. The kite tracker is configured to securely guide the tether to rotate the capstan drum in a first direction with a force equivalent to the lift force to facilitate payout of said tether, and to rotate said capstan drum in a second direction when said tether is reeled in. The conversion unit is configured to be driven by the capstan drum, when the capstan drum is rotated in the first direction, to pressurize hydraulic fluid passing there through. Each accumulator is configured to receive, store and release the pressurized hydraulic fluid therein. The generator is configured to receive the pressurized hydraulic fluid to facilitate generation of electric power.

A drive arrangement for a wind turbine includes a main shaft, a housing, and a nacelle-mounted support structure. The main shaft of the drive arrangement for the wind turbine is completely supported in the housing. The housing of the drive arrangement for the wind turbine is at least partially resiliently mounted in the support structure.

A planetary carrier arrangement Includes a planetary carrier, and a lubricant dispensing unit designed to dispense lubricant into the planetary carrier. The lubricant dispensing unit includes an axially elastically movable thrust ring designed to compensate an axial offset of the planetary carrier. The thrust ring has a side in facing relationship to the planetary carrier, with the side designed to include a lubricant pocket thereon.

A planetary carrier, including an input flange, a first web plate connected to the input flange, a second web plate arranged opposite the first web plate, a first support plate connected to a side of the first web plate that faces the second web plate and parallel to the first web plate, and a second support plate connected to a side of the second web plate that faces the first web plate and parallel to the second web plate, the first and second support plates being arranged opposite each other. The side of the first support plate includes a plurality of first support portions. A number of first support portions is the same as that of planetary gear shafts. The side of the second support plate includes second support portions corresponding to the first support portions. Each first support portion and respective second support portion support one planetary gear shaft.

The present disclosure relates to and envisages a jetstream power generating system. Producing electric power from jetstream force presents specific, daunting, physics-based challenges, because jetstream forces are 30 to 50 times stronger than wind on the ground. The system is configured to harness the energy of these jetstream forces in farms as power generating infrastructure. The system comprises an airborne element configured to be subjected to lift forces while flying in a jetstream, a capstan drum, a tether coupled between the airborne element and the capstan drum, an arcuate guide track, a kite tracker displaceably mounted on the guide track, a conversion unit coupled to the capstan drum, a plurality of accumulators configured to fluidly communicate with the conversion unit, and a generator. The kite tracker is configured to securely guide the tether to rotate the capstan drum in a first direction with a force equivalent to the lift force to facilitate payout of said tether, and to rotate said capstan drum in a second direction when said tether is reeled in. The conversion unit is configured to be driven by the capstan drum, when the capstan drum is rotated in the first direction, to pressurize hydraulic fluid passing there through. Each accumulator is configured to receive, store and release the pressurized hydraulic fluid therein. The generator is configured to receive the pressurized hydraulic fluid to facilitate generation of electric power.

A planetary carrier, including an input flange, a first web plate connected to the input flange, a second web plate arranged opposite the first web plate, a first support plate connected to a side of the first web plate that faces the second web plate and parallel to the first web plate, and a second support plate connected to a side of the second web plate that faces the first web plate and parallel to the second web plate, the first and second support plates being arranged opposite each other. The side of the first support plate includes a plurality of first support portions. A number of first support portions is the same as that of planetary gear shafts. The side of the second support plate includes second support portions corresponding to the first support portions. Each first support portion and respective second support portion support one planetary gear shaft.

The invention relates to a wind energy converter (WEC) comprising one or more epicyclic blade rotors having one or more blades and a gear mean, and rotatably supported by a carrier. The gear mean can mesh with a circumferential drive mean and/or with a sun drive mean. The wind energy converter can be characterised in that the gear mean drive an electricity generating mean. The WEC can comprise a ring gear, a belt and/or chain drive and it can be vertically mounted. The WEC can be fabricated of different materials, it can be provided in an array and couplable or coupled with mechano- and/or electrocomponents. The invention further relates to a wind energy providing method using the proposed wind energy converter.

A wind turbine planet gear shaft has a shaft body with an outer surface, a segment of the outer surface being a slide bearing surface configured to form a radial slide bearing with an inner opening of a planet gear. The slide bearing surface has a first portion configured as a non-load-bearing zone and a second portion configured as a load-bearing zone and exactly one axially elongate oil pocket in the slide bearing surface, that oil pocket being located in the non-load-bearing zone. An oil supply channel in the shaft body has a first end in communication with the oil pocket, and first and second oil return channels in the slide bearing surface each have a first end at a longitudinal end of the oil pocket and a second end open to ambient air.

A method for tracking a gear tooth meshing angle of a gearbox of a wind turbine is disclosed. An initial reference virtual gear tooth meshing angle of the gearbox is selected, and an angular position of a high speed shaft and/or a low speed shaft of the gearbox is monitored. A virtual gear tooth meshing angle relative to the reference virtual gear tooth meshing angle is estimated, based on the monitored angular position of the high speed shaft and/or the low speed shaft and on information regarding topology of the gearbox. A number of full rotations of the high speed shaft and/or the low speed shaft which corresponds to an integer number of full periods of gear meshing of the gearbox is calculated, and the reference virtual gear tooth meshing angle is reset each time the high speed shaft and/or the low speed shaft has performed the calculated number of full rotations. The estimated virtual gear tooth meshing angle is applied to a periodic noise signal of the wind turbine.