PLANETARY CARRIER ARRANGEMENT, PLANETARY GEAR, DRIVE TRAIN, WIND TURBINE AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

Abstract

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.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A planetary carrier arrangement, comprising: a planetary carrier; and a lubricant dispensing unit designed to dispense lubricant into the planetary carrier, said lubricant dispensing unit comprising an axially elastically movable thrust ring designed to compensate an axial offset of the planetary carrier, said thrust ring having a side in facing relationship to the planetary carrier, said side designed to include a lubricant pocket thereon.

17. The planetary carrier arrangement of claim 16, wherein the lubricant dispensing unit comprises a stator, and further comprising a spring element arranged between the thrust ring and the stator of the lubricant dispensing unit.

18. The planetary carrier arrangement of claim 17, wherein the spring element is designed as a member selected from the group consisting of helical spring, cup spring, annular spring, volute spring and elastomer body.

19. The planetary carrier arrangement of claim 16, further comprising a fastener designed to secure the thrust ring against rotation.

20. The planetary carrier arrangement of claim 17, further comprising a fastener designed to secure the thrust ring against rotation with respect to the stator.

21. The planetary carrier arrangement of claim 17, further comprising a sealing element arranged between a radial outer face of the thrust ring and the stator.

22. The planetary carrier arrangement of claim 16, further comprising a sealing ring attached to the planetary carrier and designed to receive lubricant from the thrust ring.

23. The planetary carrier arrangement of claim 16, further comprising a housing having sides, said planetary carrier being received in the housing in a bearing-free manner at least on one of the sides of the housing.

24. The planetary carrier arrangement of claim 16, wherein the planetary carrier comprises a hub, said thrust ring being arranged so as to lie opposite the hub of the planetary carrier.

25. The planetary carrier arrangement of claim 16, wherein the thrust ring has a clear interior diameter of at least 150 mm.

26. A planetary transmission, comprising: a planetary stage; and a planetary carrier arrangement arranged in the planetary stage and comprising a planetary carrier, and a lubricant dispensing unit designed to dispense lubricant into the planetary carrier, said lubricant dispensing unit comprising an axially elastically movable thrust ring designed to compensate an axial offset of the planetary carrier, said thrust ring having a side in facing relationship to the planetary carrier, said side designed to include a lubricant pocket thereon.

27. The planetary transmission of claim 26, further comprising at least three of said planetary stage.

28. The planetary transmission of claim 26, further comprising at least three planetary gears received rotatably in the planetary carrier of the planetary carrier arrangement.

29. A drive train for a wind power plant, said drive train comprising: a rotor shaft; a transmission connectable in a torque-transmitting manner to the rotor shaft, said transmission designed as set forth in claim 26; and a generator connected in a torque-transmitting manner to the transmission.

30. A wind power plant, comprising: a nacelle; a drive designed as set forth in claim 29; and a multiple blade rotor attached rotatably to the nacelle and connected in a torque-transmitting manner to the drive train.

31. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising commands which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to simulate an operating behavior of a planetary carrier arrangement as set forth in claim 16.

Description

[0026] The invention will be explained in greater detail in the following text in figures on the basis of individual embodiments. The figures are to be interpreted in mutual combination in such a way that identical designations in different figures have the same technical meaning. The features of the individual embodiments can also be combined among one another. Furthermore, the embodiments which are shown in the figures can be combined with the features outlined above. In the figures, in detail:

[0027] FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a first embodiment of the claimed planetary carrier arrangement in a longitudinal section,

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the first embodiment in a further longitudinal section,

[0029] FIG. 3 shows the first embodiment in yet another longitudinal section,

[0030] FIG. 4 diagrammatically shows an oblique view of one embodiment of an axially elastically movable thrust ring, and

[0031] FIG. 5 diagrammatically shows the construction of one embodiment of the claimed wind power plant in a sectional oblique view.

[0032] FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows the construction of a first embodiment of the claimed planetary carrier arrangement 30 which is arranged in a housing 23 of a planetary transmission 20. The planetary carrier arrangement 30 is arranged in a first planetary stage 11 which lies on a rotor side 27 of the planetary transmission 20. A second planetary stage 21 is positioned further in the direction of a generator side 29 of the planetary transmission 20, which second planetary stage 21 interacts with the first planetary stage 11. The planetary carrier arrangement 30 comprises a planetary carrier 10 which can be rotated about a main rotational axis 15. A plurality of planetary gear pins 12, on which planetary gears 14 can rotate via plain bearings 13, are received in the planetary carrier 10. A torque 25 can be transmitted via a rotor shaft 62 (not shown in greater detail) to the planetary carrier 10, by way of which torque 25 a generator 64 (not shown in greater detail) can be driven via the planetary transmission 20. The planetary carrier arrangement 30 also comprises a lubricant dispensing unit 40 which is connected to a housing 23 of the planetary transmission 20. The lubricant dispensing unit 40 comprises a stator 41 which is connected to a wall 26 of the housing 23 and remains stationary during operation. A lubricant 45 which is to be conducted to the planetary carrier 10 is conveyed to the stator 41 through channels (not shown in greater detail) through the wall 26 of the housing 23.

[0033] The lubricant dispensing unit 40 also comprises an axially elastically movable thrust ring 42 which is arranged in a radially inner region of the stator 41. A radially inner and radially outer direction relate in FIG. 1 to the main rotational axis 15 and are symbolized by the arrows 33 and 35. At least one spring element 44 is arranged between the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42 and the stator 41, by way of which spring element 44 a restoring force 36 is exerted on the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42. Sealing elements 22 which are arranged axially adjacently with respect to a feed groove 46 in the region of the stator 41 are arranged on a radial outer face 47 of the axially elastically movable thrust ring 41. During operation of the planetary carrier arrangement 30, lubricant 45 can be conducted out of the stator 41 into the feed groove 46. From there, the lubricant 45 can be conducted into the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42. By way of the latter, the lubricant 45 can in turn be conducted substantially in the axial direction 31 via at least one lubricant dispensing opening 54 into a sealing ring 18 and the planetary carrier 10.

[0034] As a result of the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42, it is pressed onto the sealing ring 18 which is arranged rotationally movably on the planetary carrier 10. The sealing ring 18 is produced from a sliding material, in particular a copper alloy, and forms a sliding sealing face 28 with an end face 24, which faces the stator 41, and an end face 48, facing away from the stator 41, of the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42. The sliding sealing face 28 is of circumferential configuration and permits the planetary carrier 10 to have a radial offset 37, without impairing the sealing action between the sealing ring 18 and the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42. By virtue of the fact that the thrust ring 42 is elastically movable in the axial direction 31, it is suitable to follow an axial offset 39 of the planetary carrier 10 during operation, and therefore to compensate for the axial offset 39. Accordingly, a reliable supply of lubricant to the plain bearings 13 is ensured even in the case of an increased axial offset 39 of the planetary carrier 10. The planetary carrier 10 can be received in the housing 22 in a bearing-free manner at least on the side which faces the lubricant dispensing unit 40, in particular on the hub 19 there. In contrast, a bearing 32 of this type is provided in the second planetary stage 21, which bearing 32 can be dispensed with for the planetary carrier 10 of the claimed planetary carrier arrangement 30. The planetary carrier 10 has a clear internal diameter 34 of at least 130 mm. Correspondingly, the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42 has a clear internal diameter 43 of at least 150 mm. This allows the sun gear 16 and/or the sun shaft 17 which connects the first planetary stage 11 to the second planetary stage 21 to be configured with correspondingly increased external diameters. The planetary carrier 10 is suitable to be aligned by forces and torques which prevail during operation and, as a result, to set a homogeneous load distribution to the planetary gears 14. As a result, at least three planetary gears 14 can be operated reliably in the planetary carrier 10. The planetary carrier arrangement 30 is modeled in a computer program product 80 which is configured to simulate the operating behavior of the planetary carrier arrangement 30.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows the first embodiment of the claimed planetary carrier arrangement 30 in a different sectional plane in longitudinal section. At least one recess 49 is configured in the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42, in which recess 49 the at least one spring element 44 is received at least partially. The spring element 44 is configured as a helical spring which exerts a restoring force 36 on the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42, by way of which restoring force 36 the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42 is pressed against the sealing ring 18. Almost the entire axial width 38 of the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42 can be utilized for the recess 49. The deeper the configuration of the recess 49 in the axial direction 31, the more precisely the spring element 44 can be guided. The planetary gear arrangement 30 according to FIG. 2 therefore permits the use of enlarged spring elements 44 which are readily available as standardized components. As a consequence, the use of spring elements 44 which are compact and at the same time particularly rigid or resilient can be dispensed with.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a further longitudinal section through the first embodiment of the claimed planetary carrier arrangement 30 according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. At least one holding opening 51 is configured in the elastically movable thrust ring 42, in which holding opening 51 a fastening means 52 is received which is configured as a bolt. The fastening means 52 holds the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42 on the stator 41 and limits its axial movement in the direction of the restoring force 36 which is exerted by the at least one spring element 44. A rotation of the axially elastically movable thrust ring 42 in the circumferential direction is limited by way of the fastening means 52. Here, the circumferential direction is to be understood in relation to the main rotational axis 15. This ensures that it is always possible for lubricant 45 to pass into the planetary carrier 10. The embodiment according to FIG. 3 can be preassembled, with the result that a blind mounting operation is avoided during final assembly.

[0037] FIG. 4 shows an oblique view of one embodiment of an axially elastically movable thrust ring 42 which can be used in different embodiments of the claimed planetary carrier arrangement 30. A circumferential feed groove 46 is configured on the radial outside of the thrust ring 42, through which feed groove 46 lubricant 45 can be fed from a stator 41 (not shown in greater detail). The feed groove 46 is connected hydraulically to a plurality of lubricant dispensing openings 54 which open on an end face 48 in a rotor side 27 which, in the mounted state, lies opposite a sealing ring 18 or planetary carrier 19. The lubricant dispensing openings 54 are configured on the end face 48 spaced apart regularly in the circumferential direction 55. Furthermore, a lubricant pocket 56 which serves as a buffer during the transfer of the lubricant 45 is configured in each case in the region of the lubricant dispensing openings 54 on the end face 48. As a result, a homogeneous and reliable supply of lubricant to the planetary carrier 10 is ensured. A holding opening 51 is configured in each case between the lubricant pockets 56, in which holding openings 51 a fastening means 52 can be received in each case. The thrust ring 42 is secured during operation against rotation along the circumferential direction 55 by way of the fastening means 52. Furthermore, spring elements 44 can be inserted on a side, lying opposite the end face 48, into the thrust ring 42 which is not shown in greater detail in FIG. 4. The insertion of the spring elements 44 from a generator side 29 is symbolized in FIG. 4 merely by way of arrows. As a result of the spring elements 44, the thrust ring 42 can be moved elastically along an axial direction 31 parallel to a main rotational axis 15 of the planetary carrier arrangement 30. This permits a compensation of an axial offset 39 of the planetary carrier 10, with which the thrust ring 42 interacts in the mounted state.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows one embodiment of a claimed wind power plant. The wind power plant 70 comprises a multiple blade rotor 72 which is attached rotatably to a nacelle 73. The multiple blade rotor 72 is connected to a rotor shaft 71 which is in turn connected in a torque-transmitting manner to a drive train 60. The drive train 60 has a transmission 62 which is coupled to a generator 64. The transmission 62 is configured as a planetary transmission 20 which has at least one planetary carrier arrangement 30. Here, the planetary carrier arrangement 30 is configured in accordance with one of the embodiments outlined above. Furthermore, the planetary carrier arrangement 30 is modeled in a computer program product 80, with the result that its operating behavior, in particular during operation of the wind power plant 70, can be simulated.