BEARING SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT FOR A WIND TURBINE, WIND TURBINE AND METHOD FOR MOUNTING A BEARING SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A bearing support arrangement for a wind turbine includes a support structure and a bearing housing. The bearing housing is arranged within the support structure. The arrangement further includes a bearing radially supported by the bearing housing. A rotor shaft is radially supported by the bearing and a removable wedge is arranged between the support structure and the bearing housing to clamp the bearing between the rotor shaft and the bearing housing. A method for mounting the bearing support arrangement for a wind turbine is also disclosed as is a wind turbine incorporating the bearing support arrangement.

Claims

1. A bearing support arrangement for a wind turbine, the bearing support arrangement comprising: a support structure; a bearing housing arranged within said support structure; a bearing radially supported by said bearing housing; a rotor shaft radially supported by said bearing; and, a wedge being removable and arranged between said support structure and said bearing housing to clamp said bearing between said rotor shaft and said bearing housing.

2. The bearing support arrangement of claim 1, wherein said wedge has an annular configuration and surrounds said bearing.

3. The bearing support arrangement of claim 1, wherein said wedge has a mounting interface for removably fixing said wedge to at least one of said bearing housing and said support structure.

4. The bearing support arrangement of claim 3, wherein said mounting interface includes a radial projection extending to at least one of said bearing housing and said support structure.

5. The bearing support arrangement of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fixing elements for removably fixing said wedge to at least one of said bearing housing and said support structure.

6. The bearing support arrangement of claim 1, wherein said bearing support arrangement defines a longitudinal axis; said support structure has an outer side and an inner side; and, said wedge has a radial thickness decreasing along said longitudinal axis from said outer side of said support structure toward said inner side of said support structure.

7. The bearing support arrangement of claim 1, further comprising: said bearing support arrangement defining a longitudinal axis; said support structure having an outer side and an inner side; a conical ring arranged radially between said bearing housing and said wedge; and, said conical ring having a radial thickness increasing along said longitudinal axis from said outer side of said support structure toward said inner side of said support structure.

8. The bearing support arrangement of claim 1, wherein said bearing support arrangement defines a longitudinal axis; at least one of said bearing housing and said support structure defining a contact surface in contact with said wedge; and, said contact surface being inclined with respect to said longitudinal axis.

9. The bearing support arrangement of claim 1, said bearing being a first bearing and said wedge being a first wedge and said bearing support arrangement further comprising: a second bearing radially supported by said bearing housing; and, a second wedge being removable and being arranged between said support structure and said bearing housing to clamp said second bearing between said rotor shaft and said bearing housing.

10. The bearing support arrangement of claim 9, wherein: said support structure has first and second axial ends lying opposite each other; and, said first bearing and said first wedge are arranged at said first axial end of said support structure and said second bearing and said second wedge are arranged at said second axial end of said support structure.

11. The bearing support arrangement of claim 9, wherein said first wedge is removable along a first axial direction and said second wedge is removable along a second axial direction; and, said first and second directions are opposite to each other.

12. A wind turbine, comprising: a nacelle; and, a bearing support arrangement arranged within said nacelle; said bearing support arrangement including: a support structure; a bearing housing arranged within said support structure; a bearing radially supported by said bearing housing; a rotor shaft radially supported by said bearing; and, a wedge being removable and arranged between said support structure and said bearing housing to clamp said bearing between said rotor shaft and said bearing housing.

13. A method for mounting a bearing support arrangement for a wind turbine, the method comprising: inserting a wedge along an axial direction between a support structure and a bearing housing, and thereby clamping a bearing between a rotor shaft and the bearing housing; and, fixing the wedge to at least one of the support structure and the bearing housing.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising, to remove the rotor shaft: releasing the fixing of the wedge to at least one of the support structure and the bearing housing; removing the wedge along the axial direction; and, removing the rotor shaft out of the support structure along the axial direction.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: tightening and loosening of fixing elements to fix the wedge and to release the fixing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0037] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a wind turbine according to an embodiment;

[0038] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a drive train of the wind turbine according to an embodiment;

[0039] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a bearing support arrangement according to the embodiment of FIG. 2;

[0040] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a bearing support arrangement according to an embodiment;

[0041] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a bearing support arrangement according to an embodiment;

[0042] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a bearing support arrangement according to an embodiment; and,

[0043] FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic views of the bearing support arrangement during dismantling according to embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1 the wind turbine 100 includes a tower 102. The tower 102 is connected to a foundation 104 fixed on the ground. On a top end of the tower 102 opposite to the foundation 104 a nacelle 106 is arranged. The nacelle 106 houses the drive train. Inside the nacelle 106 for example a generator is arranged which is connected via a gearbox and a rotor shaft 205 with a rotor 108. The rotor 108 includes a rotor hub 112 and several rotor blades 110. The rotor blades 110 are mounted on the rotor hub 112. The rotor hub 112 is connected to the rotor shaft 205.

[0045] The rotor 108 is driven in operation by an air flow, for example wind. The rotational movement of the rotor 108 is transmitted via the rotor shaft 205 to the generator. The generator converts the energy of the rotor 108 into electrical energy.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2 and in greater detail in FIG. 3, a bearing support arrangement 200 according to an embodiment includes a support structure 201 forming a machine frame realized with a first part surrounding a bearing housing 203 and a second part forming an interface to a yaw bearing 202. The first and the second part for example are formed as a one-piece component. The support structure 201 is screwed to the yaw bearing 202. The yaw bearing 202 is located at the top end of the tower 102 and enables the rotation of the support structure 202 and other components mounted to the support structure 202 with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tower 102. The support structure 201 is configured to hold and support the rotor shaft 205 of the wind turbine 100.

[0047] The support structure 201 surrounds the rotor shaft 205 at least in part. To allow a rotation of the rotor shaft 205 relative to the support structure 201, a bearing 204 is arranged between the rotor shaft 205 and the support structure 201. According to embodiments, two bearings 204 and 240 are provided to allow the rotational movement of the rotor shaft 205.

[0048] The bearing housing 203 surrounds the bearings 204, 240 radially opposite the rotor shaft 205. The bearing housing 203 is arranged between the support structure 201 and the bearings 204, 240. The bearings 204, 240 are arranged between the rotor shaft 205 and the bearing housing 203. To fix the bearings 204, 240 as well as the bearing housing 203 with respect to the support structure 201 wedges 210, 220 are provided.

[0049] The wedges 210, 220 each have a conical shape in a cross section along a longitudinal axis 230. The wedges 210, 220 have a ring like shape around the longitudinal axis 230. The wedges 210, 220 have a shape that allows to provide a clamping force and tensioning force along a radial direction 233 which is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis 230.

[0050] The wedges 210, 220 are comparably structured and configured. For example, the wedges 210, 220 have different diameters to each other. For example, angles of a cone shape of the wedges 210, 220 can be the same or different to each other. The wedges 210, 220 clamp the bearing housing 203 and the bearings 204, 240 against the support structure 201 and against the rotor shaft 205.

[0051] The wedges 210, 220 are arranged between the support structure 201 and the bearing housing 203 along the radial direction 233. Starting from outside, the support structure 201 followed by the wedges 210, 220, the bearing housing 203, the bearings 204, 240 and the rotor shaft 205 are arranged coaxial with respect to the longitudinal axis 230. The functionality of the wedges 210, 220 to radially jam, clamp and hold the bearings 204, 240 is the same on both axial end regions 218, 219 of the support structure 201.

[0052] Features describes in connection with one of the wedges 210, 220 may also apply for the other of the wedges 210, 220.

[0053] In order to clamp the bearing 204 against the rotor shaft 205 the wedge 210 is introduced between the bearing housing 203 and the support structure 201 along a first axial direction 231 at the first axial end region 218 of the support structure 201. The wedge 210 slides along a contact surface 227 of the support structure 201 and along a contact surface 217 of the bearing housing 203. The contact surface 227 is parallel to the longitudinal axis 230. The contact surface 217 is inclined such that a distance between the contact surface 217 and the contact surface 227 becomes smaller along the longitudinal axis 230 from an outer side 207 of the support structure 201 to an inner side 209 of the support structure 201. The shape of the contact surfaces 217 and 227 corresponds to the shape of the wedge 210. Due to the conical shape of the wedge 210 and the inclined contact surface 217 the radial force between the bearing 204 and the support structure 201 is realized.

[0054] According to embodiments, the contact surface 217 is not inclined as illustrated in FIG. 3. Instead, the contact surface 217 is parallel to the longitudinal axis 230. The contact surface 227 is then inclined such that a distance between the contact surface 217 and the contact surface 227 becomes smaller along the longitudinal axis 230 from an outer side 207 of the support structure 201 to an inner side 209 of the support structure 201. The wedge 210 is then shaped accordingly.

[0055] The wedge 210 has a thickness 214 along the radial direction 233. The thickness 214 becomes less along the first axial direction 231. Thus, the cone-like outer contour is achieved. The thickness 214 of the wedge 210 is greater on the side facing the outer side 207 of the support structure 201 than on the side facing the inner side 209 of the support structure 201.

[0056] The wedge 210 is held in position by a fixing element 213. The fixing element 213, for example, includes a multitude of screws that are aligned along the longitudinal axis 230. The fixing element 213 effects a holding force along the longitudinal axis 230.

[0057] The wedge 210 includes a mounting interface 211 that interacts with the fixing element 213. For example, the mounting interface is arranged outside the support structure 201. For example, the wedge 210 includes a radial projecting part 212. The radial projecting part 212 projects along the radial direction 233 to reach over the bearing housing 203. The radial projecting part 212 may be a flange or may be a multitude of spaced-apart projecting noses.

[0058] The fixing element 213 reaches through the mounting interface 211 to the bearing housing 203 to axially hold the wedge 210 in position.

[0059] The second bearing 240 is clamped between the bearing housing 203 and the rotor shaft 205 in a corresponding way. The second wedge 220 is pushed between the bearing housing 203 and the support structure 201 along a second axial direction 232. The first axial direction 231 and the second axial direction 232 are aligned opposite to each other. Due to the conical shape of the wedge 220 and the shape of the contact surface of the bearing housing 203 and the support structure 201, the wedge 220 effects a radial force between the support structure 201, the bearing housing 203 and the second bearing 240. The second wedge 220 is held in place by fixing elements 232 that reach through a radial projecting part 222 of a mounting interface 221 of the wedge 220. The fixing elements 223 connect the second wedge 220 to the bearing housing 203. The fixing elements 223 hold the second wedge 220 along the longitudinal axis 230.

[0060] The second wedge 220 has a thickness 224 along the radial direction 233. The thickness 224 becomes less along the second axial direction 232. Thus, the cone-like outer contour is achieved. The thickness 224 of the second wedge 220 is greater on the side facing the outer side 208 of the support structure 201 than on the side facing the inner side 209 of the support structure 201.

[0061] The bearing housing includes shoulders 234, 235 that function as alignment elements for the respective bearings 204, 240 along the longitudinal axis 230.

[0062] The fixing of the wedges 210, 220 can be realized in different ways. According to the embodiment of FIG. 4, which corresponds basically to the bearing support arrangements as described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3, the wedge 210 for clamping the bearing 204 is fixed to the support structure 201. The corresponding fixing element 213 reaches through the projecting part 212 into the support structure 201. Therefore, the projecting part 212 projects outwardly along the radial direction 233.

[0063] The second wedge 220 is fixed to the bearing housing 203 as explained in connection with FIG. 3. Therefore the projecting part 222 projects inwardly along the radial direction 233.

[0064] Different combinations of the fixing of the two wedges 210, 220 are possible. Both wedges 210, 220 can include inward projecting parts 212, 222 and can be fixed to the bearing housing 203 as shown in FIG. 3. Both wedges 210, 220 can include outward projecting parts 212, 222 and are both fixed to the support structure 201. According to further embodiments one of the wedges 210, 220 can be fixed to the support structure 201 and the other to the bearing housing 203, as shown in FIG. 4. It is also possible that the second wedge 220 for clamping the second bearing 240 is fixed to the support structure 201 via an outward projecting part 222 and the wedge 210 for clamping the first bearing 204 is fixed to the bearing housing 203 via an inward projecting part 212. It is also possible that one or both of the wedges are fixed to both the support structure 201 and the bearing housing 203.

[0065] FIG. 5 shows the bearing support arrangement 200 according to a further embodiment. The bearing support arrangement 200 according to FIG. 5 corresponds basically to the bearing support arrangements as described above. In contrast the bearing support arrangement 200 according to the embodiment of FIG. 5 includes an additional cone ring 215.

[0066] The cone ring 215 is arranged between the wedges 210, 220 and the bearing housing 203 along the radial direction 233. The cone ring 215 has a radial thickness 216 along the radial direction 233. The radial thickness 216 increases from the outer side 207 in the direction to the inner side 209 along the longitudinal axis 230. From the inner side 209 to the outer side 207 the radial thickness 216 of the cone ring 215 decreases. The radial thickness 216 is smaller at the two axial ends of the cone ring 215 and is greater at the middle part of the cone ring 215. Thus, the cone ring 215 provides an inclined surface that interacts with the wedges 210, 220 to clamp the bearing 240. The inclined surfaces are not provided at the bearing housing 203 but at the extra component cone ring 215. This allows to use a conventional bearing housing 203 and to provide the clamping functionality via the wedges 210, 220 and the cone ring 215.

[0067] The bearings 204, 240 are held in place along the longitudinal axis 230 by a distance ring 236. The distance ring 236 is arranged between the bearing housing 203 and the rotor shaft 205 along the radial direction 233 and between the bearings 204 and 240 along the longitudinal axis 230. This makes it possible to provide the bearing housing 203 without the alignment shoulders 234, 235.

[0068] FIG. 6 schematically shows an embodiment of the bearing support arrangement 200 which corresponds to the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 and 3. The bearing housing 203 is provided with shoulders 234 and 235 and the inclined contact surface 217. The wedges 210, 220 are spaced apart and are each clamped between the support structure 201 and the bearing housing 203.

[0069] A combination of the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6 is possible. For example, the cone ring 215 is provided to interact with the wedges 210, 220 for the clamping force. The bearing housing 203 includes two shoulders 234, 235 to provide an axial alignment of the bearings 204, 240.

[0070] FIGS. 7A and 7B show a way of demounting the rotor shaft 205 from the support structure 201. The rotor shaft 205 is fixed to the generator or a gearbox or another element in between the rotor shaft 205 and the generator by fixing elements 206. These fixing elements are removed. Also fixing elements 213 and 223 holding the wedges 210, 220 are removed.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 7B wedge 210 is moved away from its operating position along the second axial direction 232. Thus, the wedge 210 is no longer between the support structure 201 and the bearing 204.

[0072] Correspondingly, the second wedge 220 is moved away from its operating position along the first axial direction 231. Thus, the second wedge 220 is no longer between the support structure 201 and the second bearing 240.

[0073] By removing the wedges 210, 220 the radial clamping force between the support structure 201, the bearing housing 203, the bearings 204, 240 and the rotor shaft 205 is reduced and loosened. This allows the rotor shaft 205 to be pulled out of the support structure 201. For example, the rotor shaft 205 includes an access point 237. For example, a crane can engage at the access point 237 and lift out the rotor shaft 205.

[0074] The wedges 210, 220 each include tapered shapes. The bearing housing 203 includes at least two seats for the bearings 204, 240. The bearing housing 203 and the seats can be manufactured precisely in one clamping. The bearing housing 203 together with the wedges 210, 220 is therefore capable of aligning the two main bearings 204, 240 to each other in an ideal tolerance position. Thus, a cone clamping connection is realized. In addition to transmit torque the bearing support arrangement 200 primarily compensates for radial mounting play or radial manufacturing tolerance.

[0075] The bearing support arrangement 200 offers interchangeability, as the taper clamping connection can be loosened by means of screws. The bearing support arrangement 200 can be assembled, transported and exchanged in compact configuration and as a pre-assembly unit. In the case of a rotor lock in a closed support structure 201, the drive train, in particular the rotor shaft 205, is reliably positioned by the taper clamping connection of the bearing support arrangement 200. The bearing support arrangement 200 realizes a mechanical bracing of the bearings 204, 240 to the support structure 201. The bearing support arrangement 200 allows larger manufacturing tolerances in the support structure 201. The bearing support arrangement 200 ensures the functional tolerance chain in the drive train by centering the rotor shaft 205 to the support structure 201. The bearing support arrangement 200 allows a division into modules with permissible transport masses. The bearing support arrangement 200 can be dismantled in case of damage, for example a damage to the bearings 204, 240.

[0076] It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0077] 100 wind turbine [0078] 102 tower [0079] 104 foundation [0080] 106 nacelle [0081] 108 rotor [0082] 110 rotor blade [0083] 112 rotor hub [0084] 200 bearing support arrangement [0085] 201 support structure [0086] 202 yaw bearing [0087] 203 bearing housing [0088] 204 bearing [0089] 205 rotor shaft [0090] 206 fixing element [0091] 207, 208 outer side of the support structure [0092] 209 inner side of the support structure [0093] 210, 220 wedge [0094] 211, 221 mounting interface [0095] 212, 222 radial projecting part [0096] 213, 223 fixing elements [0097] 214, 224 radial thickness of the wedge [0098] 215 cone ring [0099] 216 radial thickness of the cone ring [0100] 217 contact surface of the bearing housing [0101] 218 first axial end region of the support structure [0102] 219 second axial end region of the support structure [0103] 227 contact surface of the support structure [0104] 230 longitudinal axis [0105] 231 first axial direction [0106] 232 second axial direction [0107] 233 radial direction [0108] 234, 235 shoulder [0109] 236 distance ring [0110] 237 access point [0111] 240 second bearing