MAIN SHAFT FIXTURE

Abstract

A main shaft fixture for fixing a main shaft on a wind turbine during installation and repair work on heavy parts of the wind turbine nacelle, in the case where the fixture is formed of several sections for mounting on stable structural parts in the nacelle, including the nacelle's bottom frame. The main shaft fixture has adjustable pressure mandrels with tap shoes, which cause the fixture to be usable regardless of the turbine main shaft geometry, such that it can be mounted without fixing the rotor. The main shaft fixture also has facilities for mounting of a lightweight crane and a self-hoisting crane with a ground-based winch, respectively, as well as a rotor lock which, in combination with actuators of the main shaft fixture, enables the main shaft and the main shaft bearing to be sufficiently displaced vertically from its bearing in the nacelle to service or replace the bearing.

Claims

1. A self-hoisting crane comprising: mounting facilities for mounting to a lightweight crane, a winch located on a ground surface near a foot of the wind turbine, and a main shaft fixture for fixation of a main shaft on a wind turbine during execution of installation and repair work on heavy parts of a wind turbine, the fixture being divided up into a number of sections for mounting on stable structural parts in a wind turbine nacelle including a bottom frame of the nacelle, wherein the main shaft fixture comprises at least three independently, radially displaceable pressure mandrels for fixing of cylinder-shaped shafts with different diameters and for the fixing of shafts with conical shapes, the pressure mandrels being substantially symmetrical located around a center axis, first ends of said pressure mandrels, in use, facing the main shaft and being furnished with a tap shoe, wherein said pressure mandrels are displaceable between a passive, withdrawn lockable, position where the tap shoes are configured to be located at a distance from the surface of the main shaft and an advanced lockable position where the tap shoes are configured to be engaged with the main shaft, in use, said tap shoes enabling the main shaft to be fixed in position by the main shaft fixture while being permitted to rotate.

2. The self-hoisting crane according to claim 1, wherein the pressure mandrels (18) are provided with actuators for displacing and retaining the tap shoes (20) in the passive position and the active position, respectively, or in a selectable position between the passive and the active position.

3. The self-hoisting crane according to claim 1, wherein the pressure mandrels (18) are comprised of threaded bolts having opposing free ends that face the main shaft and are furnished with tap shoes (20), and wherein said threaded bolts cooperate with threaded holes in respective sections of the fixture (10).

4. The self-hoisting crane according to claim 1, wherein slide plates (42, 44) are located between the opposing sides of the surface of the main shaft and tap shoes.

5. The self-hoisting crane according to claim 4, wherein the slide plates are configured so that the opposing free ends of the tap shoes (20) facing the main shaft (4) are provided with a one of the slide plates (42) which in an active advanced position is engaged with the main shaft (4).

6. The self-hoisting crane according to claim 5, wherein one of the slide plates is a multi-part slide plate (44) cooperating with the main shaft (4) for mounting on the main shaft (4), where the multi-part slide plate (44) in a mounted position on the main shaft (4) cooperates with the tap shoes (20).

7. The self-hoisting crane according to claim 1, further comprising a rotor lock (24) for fixation of the rotor (8) of the wind turbine.

8. A self-hoisting crane with a main shaft fixture (10) for fixation of a main shaft (4) on a wind turbine during execution of installation and repair work on heavy parts of a wind turbine, where the fixture (10) is divided up into a number of sections for mounting on stable structural parts (2) in a nacelle in a wind turbine, including the bottom frame (2) of the nacelle, wherein the main shaft fixture (10) comprises at least three radially displaceable pressure mandrels (18), substantially symmetrical located around a center axis (11) of the main shaft, first ends of said pressure mandrels (18) face the main shaft (4) and are furnished with a tap shoe (20), and wherein said pressure mandrels (18) are displaceable between a passive, withdrawn lockable position where the tap shoes (20) are configured to be located at a distance from the surface of the main shaft (4) and an advanced lockable position where the tap shoes (20) are configured to be engaged with the main shaft (4), further comprising a rotor lock (24) for fixation of the rotor (8) of the wind turbine, further comprising one of a multi-part needle bearing, roller bearing, or ball bearing (46) comprised of a multi-part inner ring (48) fastened to the main shaft (4), and a therewith cooperating multi-part outer ring (50) comprised of bowed sub-segments (52) corresponding to the number of tap shoes, mounted on the opposing side of the tap shoes (20) facing the inner ring (48), which in the advanced active position of the pressure mandrels form the outer ring (50) at a distance from the outer periphery of the multi-part inner ring (48), and where a plurality of needle rollers, rollers, or balls (54) are arranged between the inner ring (48) and the outer ring (50), and where means are present for retaining the needles, rollers, or balls (54) in position between the inner ring (48) and outer ring (50).

9. The self-hoisting crane according to claim 8, wherein main shaft fixture (10) is connected by mounting facilities (40) the crane (12).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of parts of a wind turbine nacelle, presenting the nacelle bottom frame, the wind turbine main shaft, and a main shaft fixture according to the invention, with a lightweight crane and a self-hoisting crane mounted,

[0031] FIG. 2 is a more detailed perspective view from another angle of what is shown in FIG. 1, where the main shaft is made transparent, presenting the pressure mandrel with tap shoe belonging to the main shaft fixture according to the invention,

[0032] FIG. 3 is a more detailed perspective view from another angle of what is shown in FIG. 1, presenting the actuators for raising the main shaft, where the main shaft is made transparent,

[0033] FIG. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the main shaft fixture for a wind turbine, where the tap shoes and the main shaft are furnished with slide plates, and

[0034] FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view or the main shaft fixture for a wind turbine, where the slide plates are replaced by a multi-part needle bearing/roller bearing/ball bearing formed of a multi-part inner ring fastened to the main shaft and a therewith cooperating multi-part outer ring consisting of bowed sub-segments of the number of tap shoes mounted on the opposing side of the tap shoes facing the inner ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a bottom frame 2 in a nacelle (not shown) on a wind turbine (not shown), where the main shaft 4 of the turbine, with a gear box 6 and a rotor 8, and where the main shaft fixture 10 according to the invention is shown in the mounted state, bearing a lightweight crane 12 and a self-hoisting crane 14 with a ground-based winch (not shown), respectively. The bottom frame 2 has for reasons of clarity been made transparent.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the main shaft fixture 10 is anchored to the bottom frame 2 near the gear box 6 and near the rotor 8, and comprises a multi-part frame 14, which together with a cross member 16 fastened on it encloses a part of the main shaft 4 between the rotor 8 and the gear box 6. The multi-part frame 14 is anchored on the bottom frame 2.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows what is seen in FIG. 1, but in an end view, seen from the rotor side of the shaft 4, and where the rotor 8 for reasons of clarity has been made transparent. As it appears from FIG. 2, the multi-part frame 14 and cross member 16 comprise in total four pressure mandrels 18 symmetrically placed around the main shaft 2, with tap shoes 20 that are engaged onto the main shaft 4 in order to fix it in place.

[0038] The pressure mandrels 18 may be comprised of hydraulically driven pistons whose free ends comprise the tap shoes 20, but may also be executed in other manners, where they are moved manually between the active position where the tap shoes 20 are engaged with the main shaft 4 and the passive, withdrawn position.

[0039] As it appears from FIG. 3, the main shaft fixture 10 comprises two parallel passing first beams 22, one on each side of the main shaft 4. In first ends of each first beam 22 nearest to the rotor 8, a rotor lock is fastened in the form of a flange element 24, the hole circle geometry 26 of which is similar to the hole circle geometry 28 of the rotor 8 over part of the periphery of the rotor. For locking of the rotor 8, the holes 7 in the rotor 8 and the holes 9 in the flange element 24 are brought to overlap, and subsequently, bolts are inserted through the overlapping holes, which are tightened with nuts, after which the rotor 8 is fixed/locked by the flange element 24.

[0040] The other end of the parallel passing first beams 22 (that nearest to the gear box 6) are pivotally anchored on horizontally oriented bearing bolt 30, on a bracket 32, which is fastened to the bottom frame 2. The parallel passing first beams 22 are mutually connected with second cross members 34, on which bracket facilities 23 are seen for a self-hoisting crane 14 with a ground-based winch (not shown).

[0041] As it appears in FIGS. 1 & 3, an actuator 36 is located between the bottom frame 2 and the parallel passing first beams 22. Activation of the actuator 36 will result in a change of the distance between the bottom frame 2 and the first beams 22, in which the flange element 24 is suspended, which will cause the flange element 24 and the rotor 8 and thereby the main shaft 4 to be raised, which will result in the possibility to replace the main shaft's bearing 38 without the necessity of hoisting the main shaft 4 down to the ground, which is quite time-saving when the main shaft bearing 38 has to be repaired or replaced.

[0042] In FIG. 1, it is moreover shown how the main shaft fixture 10 comprises mounting facilities 40 for the lightweight crane 12.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the main shaft fixture according to the invention, which is specially suited for use for fixing the wind turbine main shaft 4 in position on the nacelle, but where rotation of the main shaft 4 is possible, in the active position of the pressure mandrels/tap shoes (18, 20), engaged with the main shaft.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, a slideway 42, 44 is located between the opposing sides of the tap shoes 20 facing the surface of the main shaft 4.

[0045] The slideway may be comprised of slide plates 42 that are fastened to the opposing free ends of the tap shoes 20 facing the main shaft 4, which in their active advanced position are engaged with the main shaft 4, but which alternatively may comprise a multi-part slide plate 44 cooperative working with the main shaft 4, for mounting on the main shaft 4, said multi-part slide plate 44 in its mounted state on the main shaft 4 cooperates with the tap shoes 20. It must be stated that the presence of the multi-part slide plate 44 on the main shaft 4 does not necessarily exclude the presence of the slide plates 42 and the tap shoes 20.

[0046] In a further embodiment, the main shaft fixture 10 is comprised of a multi-part needle bearing/roller bearing/ball bearing 46, formed of a multi-part inner ring 48 fastened on the main shaft as well as, a cooperating multi-part outer ring 50 formed of bowed sub-segments 52 equal to the number of tap shoes mounted on the opposing side of the tap shoes 20 facing the inner ring 48, which in the advanced position of the pressure mandrels form the outer ring 50 at a distance from the outer periphery of the multi-part inner ring 48, and where an appropriate number of needle rollers, rollers, or balls 54 (in the shown embodiment rollers 54) are arranged between the inner ring 48 and the outer ring 50, and where means (not shown) are present for retaining the needles/rollers or balls (54) in position between the inner ring 48 and outer ring 50.

[0047] The means mentioned for fastening of needle rollers/rollers/balls 54 may be formed of cooperating edge delineators in opposing sides of the inner ring 48 and the outer ring 50, alternatively as a means for holding between which the needle rollers/rollers/balls 54 are fastened.

[0048] The presence of the slide plates 42, 44, alternatively the multi-part needle bearing, roller bearing, ball bearing 46, involves the main shaft 4 being permitted to rotate simultaneously with it being fixed in its position during servicing of the wind turbine, which can serve a purpose namely for larger wind turbines.

[0049] The inventor has recognized that the main shaft fixture 10 can assume other embodiments than disclosed in the preceding and shown in the figures, however such do not change the inventive aspect that is comprised of specifying a main shaft fixture 10 of the given type that comprises adjustable pressure mandrels 18 with tap shoes 20, which causes the fixture 10 to be usable regardless of the geometry of the main shaft 4 on a wind turbine, and thus that such can be mounted without fixing the rotor 8 in place, and furthermore of combining the main shaft fixture with facilities 40 for mounting of a lightweight crane 12 and a self-hoisting crane 14 with a ground-based winch, respectively, as well as a rotor lock 24 and finally of furnishing the main shaft fixture 10 with actuators 36, enabling the main shaft 4 and the main shaft bearing 38 to be raised sufficiently from its bearing in the nacelle that it can be serviced or replaced.