Method for dismantling a wind turbine gearbox from a main shaft and use of the method

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for dismantling a wind turbine gearbox (15) from a main shaft (7) in the nacelle (3) of a wind turbine (1), wherein a first end (11) of the main shaft (7) is connected to the gearbox (15) in a connection cavity (22) of the gearbox (15) and a second end (12) of the main shaft (7) is connected to a rotor (4) of the wind turbine (1). The method comprises the steps of: arranging a hydraulic connection plug (13) in a centre channel (14) of a second end (37) of a gearbox shaft (21) of the gearbox (15), wherein a first end (20) of the gearbox shaft (21) is arranged at the connection cavity (22) on a first side (23) of the gearbox (15) and wherein the second end (37) of the gearbox shaft (21) is arranged at a second side (24) of the gearbox (15) opposite the first side (23), securing the hydraulic connection plug (13) and the gearbox shaft (21) against axial displacement in a direction towards the second side (24) of the gearbox (15), connecting a hydraulic pump (25) to the hydraulic connection plug (13), and pumping liquid into the connection cavity (22) by means of the hydraulic pump (25) to force the main shaft (7) out of the connection cavity (22). Furthermore, use of the method is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for dismantling a wind turbine gearbox from a main shaft in the nacelle of a wind turbine, wherein a first end of said main shaft is connected to said gearbox in a connection cavity of said gearbox and a second end of said main shaft is connected to a rotor of said wind turbine, wherein said method comprises the steps of: arranging a hydraulic connection plug in a centre channel of a second end of a gearbox shaft of said gearbox, wherein a first end of said gearbox shaft is arranged at said connection cavity on a first side of said gearbox and wherein said second end of said gearbox shaft is arranged at a second side of said gearbox opposite said first side, securing said hydraulic connection plug and said gearbox shaft against axial displacement in a direction towards said second side of said gearbox, connecting a hydraulic pump to said hydraulic connection plug, and pumping liquid into said connection cavity by means of said hydraulic pump to force said main shaft out of said connection cavity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure of said liquid being pumped into said connection cavity is gradually increased.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said pressure is gradually increased until displacement between said gearbox and said main shaft is detected.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes arranging a liquid collection container under said connection cavity.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes plugging a hollow centre hole of said main shaft at said second end of said main shaft by means of a blind plug before pumping liquid into said connection cavity.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said method further includes removing cables, wires and/or tubes from said hollow centre of said main shaft before plugging said hollow centre hole of said main shaft.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes removing any mechanical fixture locking said main shaft to said gearbox before pumping liquid into said connection cavity.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes securing said hydraulic connection plug and said gearbox shaft against axial displacement by means of a blocking device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said blocking device is rigidly connected to a housing of said gearbox.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said blocking device is formed by means of a blocking member pressing against said hydraulic connection plug in an axial direction towards said first side of said gearbox.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said blocking member is rigidly connected to a housing of said gearbox by means of at least two connection members located on opposite sides of said hydraulic connection plug.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes disconnecting said gearbox from said nacelle before pumping liquid into said connection cavity.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes lifting said gearbox before pumping liquid into said connection cavity.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes locking said main shaft against vertical displacement before pumping liquid into said connection cavity.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes disconnecting said gearbox from a generator before pumping liquid into said connection cavity.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said liquid is a lubricating liquid.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said lubricating liquid is oil.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein said main shaft is arranged to transfer torque from said rotor to said gearbox.

19. Use of the method according to claim 1 for dismantling a wind turbine gearbox from a main shaft in the nacelle of a wind turbine having a nominal output of at least 1 Megawatt.

Description

FIGURES

(1) An embodiment of the invention will be described, by way of non-limiting example, in the following with reference to the figures in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a large modern wind turbine as known in the art,

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified cross section of a nacelle, as seen from the side,

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a partial cross section of a gearbox and main shaft during normal use, as seen from the side,

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a partial cross section of a gearbox and main shaft during dismantling, as seen from the side, and

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates a partial cross section of a gearbox and main shaft after dismantling, as seen from the side.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 illustrates a large modern wind turbine 1 as known in the art, comprising a tower 2 and a wind turbine nacelle 3 positioned on top of the tower 2. The wind turbine rotor 4 comprises three wind turbine blades 5 mounted on a common hub 6 which is connected to the nacelle 3 through the main shaft extending out of the nacelle 3 front. In another embodiment the wind turbine rotor 4 could comprise another number of blades 5 such as one, two, four, five or more.

(8) FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified cross section of a nacelle 3 of a prior art wind turbine 1, as seen from the side. Nacelles 3 exists in a multitude of variations and configurations but in most cases the drive train in the nacelle 3 almost always comprise one or more of the following components: a gearbox 15, a coupling (not shown), main shaft 7, a main bearing 16 and a generator 17. A nacelle 3 of a modern wind turbine 1 can also include a converter 18 (also called an inverter) and additional peripheral equipment such as further power handling equipment, control cabinets, hydraulic systems, cooling systems and more. However, it is obvious to the skilled person that the drive train inside the nacelle 3 may be designed in a multitude of other ways.

(9) The weight of the entire nacelle 3 including the nacelle components 15, 16, 17, 18 is carried by a nacelle structure 19. The components 15, 16, 17, 18 are usually placed on and/or connected to this common load carrying nacelle structure 19. In this simplified embodiment the load carrying nacelle structure 19 only extends along the bottom of the nacelle 3 e.g. in form of a bed frame to which some or all the components 15, 16, 17, 18 are connected. In another embodiment the load carrying structure 19 could comprise a gear bell which through the main bearing 14 could transfer the load of the rotor 4 to the tower 2, or the load carrying structure 19 could comprise several interconnected parts such as latticework.

(10) FIG. 3 illustrates a partial cross section of a gearbox 15 and main shaft 7 during normal use, as seen from the side.

(11) In this embodiment the main shaft 7 is hollowi.e. it comprises a hollow centre hole 27 extending all the way through the shaft 7 to allow a hydraulic tube 8, power cables 9 and data cables 10 to extend from the rotating rotor 4 and into the nacelle 3 through the hollow centre hole 27 and further through a centre channel 14 of a gearbox shaft 21 of the gearbox 15 and further on to e.g. one or more rotating unions (not shown).

(12) In this embodiment a second end 12 of the main shaft 7 comprises a flange 34 which is connected to the rotor (4not shown in FIG. 3) of the wind turbine 1 and a first end 11 of the main shaft 7 is connected to the gearbox 15 in a connection cavity 22 of the gearbox 15.

(13) In this embodiment the wind turbine 1 also comprises a mechanical fixture 29 in the form of a shrink disc arranged to compress an outer end of the connection cavity 22 around the main shaft 7 to further tighten the connection between the gearbox 15 and the main shaft 7. However, in another embodiment the mechanical fixture 29 could be formed by means of a clamp coupling, locking pins, bolts or other or in another embodiment the connection between the gearbox 15 and the main shaft 7 could be formed without a mechanical fixture 29 or at least without a mechanical fixture 29 that can be released e.g. in the form of interlocking geometry between the main shaft 7 and the gearbox 15e.g. in the form of a spline connection, by forming the main shaft 7 and the connection cavity 22 non-circular or other.

(14) In this embodiment a main bearing 16 is arranged on the main shaft 7 to aid in rotatably carrying the load of the rotor 4. However, in another embodiment the main bearing could be located elsewhere, or it could be integrated in other equipment (such as the gearbox 15) or it could be formed by several bearings placed in different locations.

(15) In this embodiment the connection cavity 22 is arranged on a first side 23 of the gearbox 15 and in this embodiment a first end 20 of the gearbox shaft 21 is arranged at the connection cavity 22 and extending to the second side 24 of the gearbox 15 at which the second end 37 of the gearbox shaft 21 is arranged.

(16) FIG. 4 illustrates a partial cross section of a gearbox 15 and main shaft 7 during dismantling, as seen from the side.

(17) In this embodiment the hydraulic tube 8, power cables 9 and data cables 10 have first been removed by disconnecting them from the union (not shown) and pulling them out of the gearbox shaft 21 and the main shaft 7 and into the rotor 4. However, in another embodiment wire and tube connection between the rotor 4 and the nacelle 3 could be formed in another way and this step would therefore not be performed.

(18) Since the main shaft 7 in this embodiment is hollow, a blind plug 28 is mounted in the hollow centre hole 27 of the main shaft 7 at the second end 12 of the main shaft 7 to prevent liquid from escaping when being pumped into the connection cavity 22. However, in another embodiment the main shaft 7 could be solid or the centre hole 27 does not extend all the way through the main shaft 7 and this step would therefore not be performed.

(19) In this embodiment a hydraulic connection plug 13 is arranged in the centre channel 14 of the gearbox shaft 21 at the second end 37 of the gearbox shaft 21. The hydraulic connection plug 13 comprises an internal channel 35 through which liquid may pass into the centre channel 14 of the gearbox shaft 21, wherein the centre channel 14 extends all the way through the gearbox shaft 21.

(20) Once the hydraulic connection plug 13 is in place, the hydraulic connection plug 13 and the gearbox shaft 21 is secured against axial displacement in the direction towards the second side 24 of the gearbox 15. In this embodiment the hydraulic connection plug 13 and the gearbox shaft 21 is secured against axial displacement by means of a blocking device 30 which in this embodiment comprises a blocking member 32 pressing against the hydraulic connection plug 13 in an axial direction towards the first side 23 of the gearbox 15, in that the blocking member 32 in this embodiment is rigidly connected to the housing 31 of the gearbox 15 by means of two connection members 33 located on opposite sides of the hydraulic connection plug 13. In this embodiment each of the connection members 33 are formed by a threaded rod being screwed into a threaded hole in the gearbox housing 31 and extending through a hole or slit in the blocking member 32. Once in place a nut is screwed onto the threaded rod and tightened so that the blocking member 32 presses against the hydraulic connection plug 13 and in turn the gearbox shaft 21 in an axial direction towards the first side 23 of the gearbox 15.

(21) However, in another embodiment the blocking member 32 could be connected to or formed integrally with the hydraulic connection plug 13 and/or in another embodiment the blocking device 30 could comprise more than two connection members 33such as three, four, six or moreor the connection members 33 could be formed as bolts, clamping devices, hooks or other connected to the housing 31 of the gearbox 15. Or in another embodiment the blocking device 30 would not be connected to the gearbox housing 31 but would instead be connected to the nacelle 3, the generator 17 or another nacelle componentparticularly if the gearbox 15 is not displaced during the dismantling process. Or in another embodiment the hydraulic connection plug 13 and the gearbox shaft 21 is secured against axial displacement in a direction towards the second side 24 by means of one or more wedges being wedged in between e.g. the connection plug 13 and a slit in the gearbox housing 31 or by means of one or more expanding elements being arranged to expand between e.g. the hydraulic connection plug 13 and an enclosing wall of the gearbox housing 31 to fix the position of the hydraulic connection plug 13. Many other ways ofand many other means forsecuring the hydraulic connection plug 13 and the gearbox shaft 21 against axial displacement in the direction towards the second side 24 of the gearbox 15 are possible including any combination of the previously described.

(22) A hydraulic pump 25 is in this embodiment connected to the internal channel 35 of the hydraulic connection plug 13 and a liquid is pumped into the connection cavity 22 by means of the hydraulic pump 25 via the internal channel 35 and the centre channel 14 of the gearbox shaft 21. In the connection cavity 22 the liquid will press against all surfaces in the connection cavity 22 and thereby force the gearbox 15 and the main shaft 7 apart. The liquid will also press against the first end 20 of the gearbox shaft 21 and force it in an axial direction towards the second side 24 of the gearbox 15. But by securing the hydraulic connection plug 13 and the gearbox shaft 21 against axial displacement in the direction towards the second side 24 of the gearbox 15in this case by means of the blocking device 30the axial position of the gearbox shaft 21 is fixed and damage to the gearbox shaft 21 or other parts of the gearbox 15 is hereby avoided.

(23) In this embodiment the liquid is hydraulic oil but in another embodiment the liquid could be water, liquid soap, grease or other.

(24) In this embodiment the gearbox 15 is disconnected from the nacelle 3 before liquid is pumped into the connection cavity 22 and the gearbox 15 is lifted slightly by means of an external crane (not shown) so that the gearbox 15 is displaced during the dismantling process while the main shaft 7 remains in its place. However, in another embodiment the gearbox 15 could remain fixed while the main shaft 7 is displaced during the dismantling process or the gearbox 15 could be lifted by means of an internal overhead crane or by another lifting method.

(25) As explained the gearbox 15 is displaced during the dismantling process in this embodiment and to secure the main shaft 7 against being tilted by the weight of the rotor 4 once free of the connection cavity 22, the method does in this embodiment include locking the main shaft 7 against vertical displacement before pumping liquid into said connection cavity 22. In this embodiment this is done by means of a bracing device 36 extending around the main shaft 7 and being connected to the nacelle structure 19. However, in another embodiment the main shaft 7 could be locked against vertical displacement by means of clamps, counterweights, a dedicated fixture or other or a bracing device 36 would not be necessary e.g. if the main shaft 7 was fixed by more than one main bearing 16.

(26) In this embodiment a liquid collection container 27 is placed under to connection cavity 22 to collect any liquid leaking from the connection cavity 22 during and particularly after the dismantling process.

(27) In this embodiment the pressure of the liquid being pumped into the connection cavity 22 is gradually increased by means of the hydraulic pump 25 until displacement between the gearbox 15 and the main shaft 7 is detected. Once displacement between the gearbox 15 and the main shaft 7 is detected the liquid pressure is maintained constant as long as displacement is detected. If the displacement stops again before the main shaft 7 is fully separated from the connection cavity 22 the pressure can be increased again.

(28) In this embodiment the gearbox shaft 21 is the main centre shaft extending all the way through the gearbox 15 but in another embodiment the gearbox shaft 21 could be a shaft of a planetary gear, or a shaft of displaced gear or another shaft of the gearbox 15.

(29) FIG. 5 illustrates a partial cross section of a gearbox 15 and main shaft 7 after dismantling, as seen from the side.

(30) Once the main shaft 7 is fully separated from the connection cavity 22, the pump 25 is stopped and the blocking device 30, the blind plug 28 and the hydraulic connection plug 13 are removed again.

(31) The invention has been exemplified above with reference to specific examples of wind turbines 1, main shafts 7, gearboxes 15 and other. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular examples described above but may be designed and altered in a multitude of varieties within the scope of the invention as specified in the claims.

LIST

(32) 1. Wind turbine 2. Tower 3. Nacelle 4. Rotor 5. Blade 6. Hub 7. Main shaft 8. Hydraulic tube 9. Power cable 10. Data cable 11. First end of main shaft 12. Second end of main shaft 13. Hydraulic connection plug 14. Centre channel 15. Gearbox 16. Main bearing 17. Generator 18. Converter 19. Nacelle structure 20. First end of Gearbox shaft 21. Gearbox shaft 22. Connection cavity 23. First side of gearbox 24. Second side of gearbox 25. Hydraulic pump 26. Liquid collection container 27. Hollow centre hole of main shaft 28. Blind plug 29. Mechanical fixture 30. Blocking device 31. Housing of gearbox 32. Blocking member 33. Connection members 34. Flange 35. Internal channel 36. Bracing device 37. Second end of gearbox shaft