BEARING UNIT FOR A ROTOR UNIT OF A WIND TURBINE AND WIND TURBINE

Abstract

Provided is a bearing unit for a rotor unit of a wind turbine, including a first bearing ring, a second bearing ring, a plurality of rolling elements and a sealing member including a sealing member base portion, a first sealing member tip portion and a second sealing member tip portion, wherein the first sealing member tip portion abuts a first wall of the first bearing ring and the second sealing member tip portion abuts a second wall of the bearing unit, wherein the sealing member is configured and arranged such that a first contact pressure between the first sealing member tip portion) and the first wall is transmitted through the sealing member to the second sealing member tip portion to increase a second contact pressure between the second sealing member tip portion and the second wall. Also provided is a wind turbine.

Claims

1. A bearing unit for a rotor unit of a wind turbine, comprising: a first bearing ring for being mounted to a first rotor unit component of the rotor unit; a second bearing ring for being mounted to a second rotor unit component of the rotor unit; a plurality of rolling elements being located within a free space between the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring for supporting a relative rotating action between the first bearing ring and the second bearing ring around a rotational axis of the bearing unit; and a sealing member for sealing one side of the free space towards an environment of the bearing unit, wherein the sealing member comprises a sealing member base portion and a first sealing member tip portion protruding from the sealing member base portion in the direction of the first bearing ring, wherein the sealing member comprises a second sealing member tip portion protruding from the sealing member base portion, the first sealing member tip portion abuts a first wall of the first bearing ring and the second sealing member tip portion abuts a second wall of the bearing unit, the second wall facing the first wall; wherein the sealing member is configured and arranged such that a first contact pressure between the first sealing member tip portion and the first wall is transmitted through the sealing member to the second sealing member tip portion to increase a second contact pressure between the second sealing member tip portion and the second wall.

2. The bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member base portion is clamped to the second bearing ring by a clamping plate.

3. The bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing member tip portion and the second sealing member tip portion are protruding into a first groove of the first bearing ring and the sealing member base portion is fixedly attached to the second bearing ring, further wherein the first wall is a first side wall of the first groove and the second wall is a second side wall of the first groove.

4. The bearing unit according to claim 2, wherein the second wall is provided by the clamping plate.

5. The bearing unit according to claim 4, wherein at a gap between the clamping plate and the first bearing ring, a lip seal is provided for sealing the gap.

6. The bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein the first bearing ring is an inner ring of the bearing unit and the second bearing ring is an outer ring of the bearing unit.

7. The bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing member tip portion comprises a first tip main section, starting adjacent to the sealing member base portion and ending at a first tip end section, and the first tip end section has a greater width and/or comprises a less flexible material than the adjacent part of the first tip main section.

8. The bearing unit according to claim 7, wherein the first wall comprises a first shaped section, the first tip end section being in contact with the first shaped section and/or the second wall comprises a second shaped section, wherein a second tip end section is in contact with the second shaped section.

9. The bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein, the sealing member comprises an integrated spring member, the integrated spring member extending from the first sealing member tip portion to the second sealing member tip portion.

10. A wind turbine comprising: a rotor unit with at least two rotor blades and a rotor shaft; a generator unit for generating electricity from a movement of the rotor unit; and a bearing unit according to claim 1, arranged at the rotor shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0029] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional side view of a conventional bearing unit;

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional side view of a bearing unit according to a first d embodiment of the invention;

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional side view of a bearing unit according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a schematic sectional side view of a sealing unit according to embodiments of the invention; and

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a schematic side view of a wind turbine according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In FIG. 1, a bearing unit 1 according to the conventional art is shown in a schematic sectional side view. The bearing unit 1 comprises a first bearing ring 4 configured as an inner ring of the bearing unit 1, a second bearing ring 6 configured as an outer ring of the bearing unit 1 and a plurality of rolling elements 8 located within a free space 9 between the first bearing ring 4 and the second bearing ring 6. The bearing unit 1 further comprises a sealing member 11, clamped to a mounting unit 30 by a clamping plate 17. The mounting unit 30 is fixed to the second bearing ring 6 and the clamping plate 17 is fixed to the mounting unit 30 by screws.

[0036] The sealing member 11 comprises a sealing member base portion 12, which is clamped between the mounting unit 30 and the clamping plate 17, a first sealing member tip portion 13 and a lip seal 19. The first sealing member tip portion 13 is pressed against the first bearing ring 4 by a garter spring 29. The lip seal 19 is in contact with the first bearing ring 4. The first sealing member tip portion 13 is located in between the rolling elements 8 and the lip seal 19.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a bearing unit 1 according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention in a schematic sectional side view. The bearing unit 1 comprises a first bearing ring 4 configured as an inner ring of the bearing unit 1, a second bearing ring 6 configured as an outer ring of the bearing unit 1 and a plurality of rolling elements 8 located within a free space 9 between the first bearing ring 4 and the second bearing ring 6. The bearing unit 1 further comprises a sealing member 11, clamped to the second bearing ring 6 by a clamping plate 17. The clamping plate 17 is fixed to the second bearing ring 6 by screws.

[0038] The sealing member 11 comprises a sealing member base portion 12, a first sealing member tip portion 13 with a first tip end section 21 and a second sealing member tip portion 14 with a second tip end section 24. The first tip end section 21 is in contact with a first wall 15 of a first groove 18 of the first bearing ring 4. The second tip end section 24 is in contact with a second wall 16 of the first groove 18, wherein the second wall 16 is facing the first wall 15. Thus, the first sealing member tip portion 13 and the second sealing member tip portion 14 are bent towards each other.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a bearing unit 1 according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention in a schematic sectional side view. The bearing unit 1 comprises a first bearing ring 4 configured as an outer ring of the bearing unit 1, a second bearing ring 6 configured as an inner ring of the bearing unit 1 and a plurality of rolling elements 8 located within a free space 9 between the first bearing ring 4 and the second bearing ring 6. The bearing unit 1 further comprises a sealing member 11, clamped to the second bearing ring 6 by a clamping plate 17. The clamping plate 17 is fixed to the second bearing ring 6 by screws.

[0040] The sealing member 11 comprises a sealing member base portion 12, a first sealing member tip portion 13 with a first tip end section 21 and a second sealing member tip portion 14 with a second tip end section 24. The first tip end section 21 is in contact with a first shaped section 22 of a first wall 15 of a recess of the first bearing ring 4. The second tip end section 24 is in contact with a second shaped section 23 of a second wall 16 of the clamping plate 17, wherein the second wall 16 is facing the first wall 15. Thus, the first sealing member tip portion 13 and the second sealing member tip portion 14 are bent towards each other.

[0041] In FIG. 4, a sealing member 11 according to the invention is shown in a schematic sectional side view. The sealing member 11 can be the same sealing member 11 as shown with respect to the preferred embodiments of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The sealing member 11 comprises a u-shaped spring member 25, extending from a section of the first sealing member tip portion 13 near the first tip end section 21 through the sealing member base portion 12 to a section of the second sealing member tip portion 14 near the second tip end section 24. In the illustrated state, the spring member 25 is in an unstressed condition. By the spring member 25 a force introduced to the first tip end section 21 is transmitted to the second tip end section 24.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows a wind turbine 3 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in a schematic side view. The wind turbine 3 comprises a tower 32, based on a foundation 33. On the tower 32, a housing 34 of the wind turbine 3 is pivotable arranged for rotation about a vertical axis. Within the housing 34, a rotor unit 2 of the wind turbine 3 with a rotatable first rotor unit component 5, configured as rotor shaft 27, a second rotor unit component 7 fixed to the housing 34 and a bearing unit 1 according to the invention to pivot the first rotor unit component 5 at the second rotor unit component 7 about a rotational axis 10. Rotor blades 26 of the wind turbine 3 are attached to the first rotor unit component 5. For transforming low rotational speed of the first rotor unit component 5 into high rotational speed, the wind turbine 3 comprises a gear unit 31. For generating electricity, the wind turbine 3 further comprises a generator unit 28.

[0043] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0044] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.