Mounting of an intermediate shaft in particular of a wind gearbox

Abstract

A mounting of an intermediate shaft of a gearbox includes a gear element disposed between a first shaft end and a second shaft end of the intermediate shaft. A first radial bearing is disposed at the first shaft end of the intermediate shaft, a second radial bearing is disposed at the second shaft end of the intermediate shaft, a first axial bearing is disposed at the first shaft end of the intermediate shaft, and a second axial bearing is disposed at the second shaft end of the intermediate shaft.

Claims

1. A wind gearbox, comprising: a gearbox including an intermediate shaft having a first shaft end and a second shaft end; and a mounting for supporting the intermediate shaft, said mounting comprising a gear element disposed between the first shaft end and the second shaft end of the intermediate shaft, a first radial bearing disposed at the first shaft end of the intermediate shaft, a second radial bearing disposed at the second shaft end of the intermediate shaft, a first axial bearing disposed at the first shaft end of the intermediate shaft, and a second axial bearing disposed at the second shaft end of the intermediate shaft, with at least one of the first and second axial bearings being a reversing axial bearing having a lubrication gap of greater than 0.5 mm.

2. The wind gearbox of claim 1, wherein the intermediate shaft is an intermediate shaft of a two-stage spur gear portion of the wind gearbox.

3. A method for operating a wind gearbox comprising a gearbox which includes an intermediate shaft having a first shaft end and a second shaft end, and a mounting for supporting the intermediate shaft, said mounting comprising a gear element disposed between the first shaft end and the second shaft end of the intermediate shaft, a first radial bearing disposed at the first shaft end of the intermediate shaft, a second radial bearing disposed at the second shaft end of the intermediate shaft, a first axial bearing disposed at the first shaft end of the intermediate shaft, and a second axial bearing disposed at the second shaft end of the intermediate shaft, wherein at least one of the first and second axial bearings is a reversing axial bearing, said method comprising selecting a compression time of the reversing axial bearing to correspond to a frequency of a change in load.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the compression time is selected to be greater than an impact time.

5. The wind gearbox of claim 1, wherein the first radial bearing is a floating bearing.

6. The wind gearbox claim 1, wherein the second radial bearing is a floating bearing.

7. The wind gearbox claim 1, wherein the first axial bearing is fixed in a housing of the gearbox.

8. The wind gearbox claim 7, wherein the second axial bearing is fixed by a cover of the housing.

9. The wind gearbox claim 1, wherein the mounting includes a first oil sump connected to the first axial bearing.

10. The wind gearbox claim 1, wherein the mounting includes a second oil sump connected to the second axial bearing.

11. The wind gearbox claim 1, wherein the first radial bearing has a radial expansion which is smaller than a radial expansion of the first axial bearing.

12. The wind gearbox claim 1, wherein the second radial bearing has a radial expansion which is smaller than a radial expansion of the second axial bearing.

13. The wind gearbox claim 1, wherein the second axial bearing is designed for a number of operating hours which is higher than a number of operating hours of the first axial bearing.

14. The wind gearbox claim 13, wherein the second axial bearing is designed for a number of operating hours which is double a number of operating hours of the first axial bearing.

15. The wind gearbox claim 1, wherein the first axial bearing abuts a first shaft end face and/or the second axial bearing abuts a second shaft end face.

16. The wind gearbox claim 15, wherein at least one of the first and second shaft end faces is adapted by a thrust washer to a corresponding one of the first and second axial bearings.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) By way of example, the invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, wherein similar elements are shown with the same reference characters. The drawings show:

(2) FIG. 1 a first mounting with an intermediate shaft;

(3) FIG. 2 a second mounting with an intermediate shaft, and

(4) FIG. 3 a torque profile for a gearbox of a wind power plant as a function of the rotational speed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) The representation according to FIG. 1 shows, in sectional form, a first wind gearbox 1, which has a mounting 3 and a gearbox housing 28. The mounting 3 has a floating bearing 10 and a fixed bearing unit with steel adapter 11. The floating bearing 10 is for example a radial slide bearing. The fixed bearing unit 11 has a steel adapter, a left-hand axial mounting 13 and a right-hand axial mounting 14, as well as a radial mounting 12. An intermediate shaft 5 of the gearbox 1 is mounted by means of the mounting 3. The intermediate shaft 5 has a first shaft end 6, that is a first shaft end area 6. A first shaft end face 8 is located at the first shaft end 6. The floating bearing 10 is located in the area of the first shaft end 6. A second shaft end face 9 is located on the second shaft end 7. The fixed bearing unit 11 is located in the area of the second shaft end 7. This fixed bearing unit is accessible via a gearbox housing cover 29. Gear elements are located between the first shaft end 6 and the second shaft end 7. A first gear element is toothing 19 integrated into the intermediate shaft 5. A second gear element is a first gear wheel 20 on the intermediate shaft 5. A second gear wheel 21 engages in the toothing 19. The first gear wheel 20 is provided for the transmission of forces to a connection shaft 31.

(6) Thus according to FIG. 1 an intermediate shaft 5 of a two-stage spur gear portion of a wind gearbox 1, with steel bodies to accommodate the large axial slide bearings 13 and 14 in the fixed bearing unit, is shown on the right. The fixed bearing unit can be optimized to the effect that existing gearbox components are used as a counter running surface. Thus on the intermediate shaft 5 the gear wheel can be used as a counter running surface. However this is not possible in the case of all shafts in the spur gear unit, as the toothings do not always enable this due to their size (reason: excessively small pinion teeth).

(7) The required installation space of axial slide bearings in combination with a radial slide bearing (fixed bearing unit 11 with a radial bearing and two axial slide bearings) is very large as a result of the arrangement, as the internal diameter of the axial bearing is greater than the radial bearing diameter. The result is that the radial bearings with their low design height do not lead to the desired installation space advantages. This means that corresponding intermediate bodies must be employed to accommodate the bearing components, which must be fixed in the housing-bearing block. The aim is to manage without the intermediate bodies and to use the minimal installation space, which the radial slide bearings alone require, for the housing structure and its optimization. The optimization of the linkage of the radial bearings is successful if these can be accommodated directly in the housing structure. The fixed bearing unit can also be improved to the effect that existing gearbox components are used as a counter running surface. Thus on the intermediate shaft 5 the gear wheel 20 can be used as a counter running surface.

(8) The representation according to FIG. 2 shows, in sectional form, a further wind gearbox 2, wherein the principle of an axial slide bearing on the shaft ends with oil sump is shown. An intermediate shaft 5 which has a first bearing block 17 for a first radial bearing 15 on the first shaft end 6 is shown. On the second shaft end 7 is a second bearing block 18 for a second radial bearing 16. A first axial bearing 22 with a first thrust washer 24 is located at the first shaft end face 8. A first oil sump 32 for lubrication of the first axial bearing 22 is located in a first oil sump compartment 26. A second axial bearing 23 with a radial expansion 34 is located at the second shaft end face 9. A second thrust washer 25 is located between the second axial bearing 23 and the second shaft end face 9. A second oil sump 33 for lubrication of the second axial bearing 23 is located in a second oil sump compartment 27. The second axial bearing 23 is fixed by the gearbox housing cover 30. The mounting 4 according to FIG. 2 has the first radial bearing 15 and the first axial bearing 22 at or on the first shaft end 6. The mounting 4 has the second radial bearing 16 and the second axial bearing 23 at or on the second shaft end 7.

(9) The representation according to FIG. 3 shows a torque profile for a gearbox of a wind power plant depending on the rotational speed in particular the progress of rotational speed and torque of an emergency stop of a wind power plant. The figure shows how with an emergency stop the torque value (Torque) 35 fluctuates around a value of zero. This fluctuation places a stress on the mounting of the gearbox employed, wherein in particular the thickness of a lubrication gap and the lubricant located therein is to be designed to be such that the lubrication gap does not disappear as a result of the fluctuation or oscillation around the value of zero, so that lubrication with the lubricant can take place at all times. As well as the actual torque value 35, the actual rotational speed value (Rot. Speed) 37 is shown too. The nominal rotational speed value (Rot. Speed (Nom)) 38 and the nominal torque value (Torque (Nom)) 36 are shown in addition.