PLANETARY GEARBOX, IN PARTICULAR MULTI-PLANETARY GEARBOX, FOR A WIND TURBINE

Abstract

A planetary gearbox for a wind power installation includes a planetary carrier having a first and second carrier cheeks, planetary gears mounted rotatably on the first and second carrier cheeks via bearing pins, respectively, an internal gear meshing with the planetary gears, with an assembly clearance being configured between a cheek external diameter of the first and second carrier cheeks and an internal diameter of the internal gear, and a planetary carrier spider configured to position the first and second carrier cheeks at a defined spacing with respect to one another. The planetary carrier spider has a radially outwardly pointing outer side which extends at a greater spaced-apart relation radially inward from a radially inner tip circle radius of an internal toothing system of the internal gear than the first and second carrier cheeks and which is arranged radially outside with respect to an internal diameter of the planetary gears.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A planetary gearbox configured as a multiple planetary gearbox for a wind power installation, said planetary gearbox comprising: a planetary carrier including a first carrier cheek and a second carrier cheek; planetary gears mounted rotatably on the first carrier cheek and the second carrier cheek via bearing pins, respectively; an internal gear meshing with the planetary gears, with an assembly clearance being configured between a cheek external diameter of both the first carrier cheek and the second carrier cheek and an internal diameter of the internal gear; and a planetary carrier spider configured to position the first carrier cheek and the second carrier cheek at a defined spacing with respect to one another, said planetary carrier spider having a radially outwardly pointing outer side which extends at a greater spaced-apart relation radially inward from a radially inner tip circle radius of an internal toothing system of the internal gear than the first carrier cheek and the second carrier cheek, and which is arranged radially outside with respect to an internal diameter of the planetary gears.

17. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, wherein the radially outwardly pointing outer side of the planetary carrier spider is arranged, at least to a large extent of a circumference of a corresponding one of the planetary gears, radially outside a root circle radius of an external toothing system of the corresponding one of the planetary gears.

18. The planetary gearbox of claim 17, wherein a circumferential angle region of the corresponding one of the planetary gears on the root circle radius of the external toothing system runs radially inside with respect to a maximum radially outer region of the outer side of the planetary carrier spider in a range of 270°≤Δα≤360°, preferably 300°≤Δα≤345° and particularly preferably 315°≤Δα≤330°, wherein Δα is the circumferential angle region, with the planetary carrier spider configured in a common axial region with the internal toothing system of the internal gear.

19. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, wherein the planetary carrier spider includes a first part spider configured in one piece with the first carrier cheek, and a second part spider configured in one piece with the second carrier cheek.

20. The planetary gearbox of claim 19, wherein the first part spider and the second part spider bear against one another in an axial direction.

21. The planetary gearbox of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first part spider and the second part spider merges in an axial spaced-apart relation from the internal gear substantially on the cheek external diameter into at least one of the first carrier cheek and the second carrier cheek.

22. The planetary gearbox of claim 21, wherein the outer side of the planetary carrier spider is provided in a common axial region with the internal space and merges via a curved and/or radius-shaped transition region into the at least one of the first carrier cheek and the second carrier cheek.

23. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, wherein the first carrier cheek and the second carrier cheek have, in a common circumferential region with the planetary carrier spider, a tapered diameter portion to a radius of the radially outwardly pointing outer side of the planetary carrier spider.

24. The planetary gearbox of claim 23, wherein the tapered diameter portion merges via a curved and/or radius-shaped course and/or at an angle which configures a transition edge into a cheek outer diameter of at least one of the first carrier cheek and the second carrier cheek.

25. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, wherein the planetary carrier spider extends radially inward at least as far as an internal diameter of the planetary gear.

26. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, wherein the planetary carrier spider extends radially inward at least as far as a rotational axis of the planetary gear.

27. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, wherein a spacing a of 3.0 mm≤a≤8.0 mm, in particular 4.0 mm≤a≤7.0 mm, preferably 5.0 mm≤a≤6.5 mm and particularly preferably 5.5 mm≤a≤6.0 mm is configured in a common axial region with the internal toothing system of the internal gear between the internal toothing system of the internal gear and the radially outwardly pointing outer side of the planetary carrier spider.

28. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, wherein a gap with a largely constant gap width between the planetary carrier spider and an adjacent one of the planetary gears is configured between the planetary carrier spider and the adjacent one of the planetary gears, with the proviso that 0.01≤s/d.sub.a≤0.5, preferably 0.03≤s/d.sub.a≤0.2, and particularly preferably 0.05≤s/d.sub.a≤0.1, wherein s is the gap width and d.sub.a is an external diameter of the planetary gear.

29. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, wherein at least three, in particular at least six, preferably at least seven and particularly preferably at least eight planetary gears are provided, with one of said planetary carrier spider being provided between each pair of planetary gears which follow one another in a circumferential direction.

30. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first carrier cheek and the second carrier cheek includes a thrust washer for axial running of the planetary gear.

31. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, further comprising a plain bearing arranged between the planetary gear and a corresponding one of the bearing pins.

32. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, wherein the outer side of the planetary carrier spider runs, at least in a part of a circumferential angle region which is assumed by the outer side, at a substantially constant spacing from the tip circle radius of the internal toothing system of the internal gear.

33. The planetary gearbox of claim 16, further comprising: a gearbox housing in which the planetary carrier is mounted; and a lubricant received in the gearbox housing for lubricating the internal gear and the planetary gears, in particular by way of immersion lubrication and/or splash lubrication.

34. A drive train for a wind power installation, said drive train comprising: a rotor shaft connectable to a rotor driven by wind power; a motor shaft of an electric machine operable in generator mode; and a gearbox connecting the rotor shaft to the motor shaft in a torque-transmitting manner for converting a torque and a rotational speed, said gearbox including at least two or at least three planetary gearboxes which are connected in series, each of the planetary gearboxes being configured as set forth in claim 16.

35. A wind power installation for generating energy from wind power, said wind power installation comprising: a stand-alone tower; a nacelle attached to an upper end of the stand-alone tower; a rotor driven by wind power; an electric machine operable in generator mode; and a drive train as set forth in claim 34, said drive train being received by the nacelle for coupling the rotor in a torque-transmitting manner to the electric machine and converting a torque which is introduced by the rotor.

Description

[0029] In the following text, the invention will be explained by way of example on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments with reference to the appended drawings, it being possible for the features which are shown in the following to represent an aspect of the invention both in each case individually and in combination. In the drawings:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic perspective view of a wind power installation,

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic sectional plan view of a part of a planetary gearbox for the wind power installation from FIG. 1,

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic sectional view of the planetary gearbox from FIG. 2,

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic perspective view of a planetary carrier of the planetary gearbox from FIG. 2,

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic perspective detailed view of the planetary carrier from FIG. 4,

[0035] FIG. 6 shows a diagrammatic sectional view of the planetary carrier from FIG. 4,

[0036] FIG. 7 shows a diagrammatic perspective detailed view of an alternative planetary carrier for the planetary gearbox from FIG. 2, and

[0037] FIG. 8 shows a diagrammatic outline illustration of an industrial application.

[0038] The wind power installation 10 which is shown in FIG. 1 can be used for generating electric energy from wind power. To this end, the wind power installation 10 has a rotor 12 which can be set in rotation in a manner which is powered by wind. The rotor 12 is coupled to a drive train 14. To this end, the rotor 12 is connected to a rotor shaft 16 which is coupled within the drive train 14 to a gearbox 18, in order to convert the torque which is introduced via the rotor 12 and the rotor shaft 16. The torque which is converted in the gearbox 18 is fed to an electric machine 20 which is operated in generator mode. The electric energy which is generated by the electric machine 20 can be fed to a rechargeable battery and/or a power network. In the exemplary embodiment which is shown, the drive train 14 is accommodated completely in a nacelle 22 which is attached to an upper free end of a stand-alone tower 24.

[0039] The gearbox 18 has at least one planetary gearbox 26 which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the gearbox 18 having, in particular, a plurality of planetary gearboxes 26 which are connected in series. The planetary gearbox 26 has a sun gear 28 which can be rotated about a rotational axis of the planetary gearbox 26 and meshes with planetary gears 30. In particular, the planetary gearbox 26 is configured as a multiple planetary gearbox which has more than three planetary gears 30 which, in particular, are all arranged behind one another in the circumferential direction on a common radius in relation to the rotational axis of the planetary gearbox 26. The planetary gears 30 in turn mesh by way of their external toothing system 32 with an internal toothing system 34 of an internal gear 36 which is arranged coaxially with respect to the sun gear 28.

[0040] The respective planetary gear 30 is mounted rotatably on a bearing pin 38, the bearing pin 38 being fastened to a first carrier cheek 40 and a second carrier cheek 42 of a planetary carrier 44. In the exemplary embodiment which is shown, the bearing pin 38 is retained captively in a manner which is plugged partially via a through opening 48 of the second carrier cheek 42 into a receiving pocket 46 of the first carrier cheek 40.

[0041] A plain bearing sleeve 54 is plugged on the bearing pin 38, with the result that a plain bearing is configured between the planetary gear 30. As an alternative, instead of the plain bearing, an anti-friction bearing can be provided. On their axial sides which point toward the planetary gear 30, the first carrier cheek 40 and the second carrier cheek 42 in each case have a thrust washer 56, against which the planetary gear 30 can run axially during operation. The planetary carrier 44 can be mounted in a relatively rotatable manner on a gearbox housing 66 via an anti-friction bearing 64, the internal gear 36 being connected fixedly for conjoint rotation to the gearbox housing 66 via a radius region which is configured as a fastening flange in the exemplary embodiment which is shown. The gearbox housing 66 can be fixed such that it cannot move or can be mounted rotatably.

[0042] In the case of the planetary carrier 44 which is shown separately in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the first carrier cheek 40 and the second carrier cheek 42 are positioned at a defined spacing from one another via a planetary carrier spider 68. To this end, the planetary carrier spider 68 has a first part spider 70, which is configured in one piece with the first carrier cheek 40, and a second part spider 72, which is configured with the second carrier cheek 42, which part spiders 70, 72 bear against one another, for example, on their axial sides which point toward one another. The part spiders 70, 72 merge on the outer radius of the carrier cheeks 40, 42 into the respective carrier cheek 40, 42, the planetary carrier spider 68 running, however, in a somewhat radially inwardly curved manner, with the result that, in a common axial region with the internal toothing 34 of the internal gear 36, a particularly small spacing a is configured between an outer side 74 of the planetary carrier spider 68 and the internal toothing system 34. In particular, the planetary carrier spider 68 to a large extent fills an intermeshing region 76 which results between the planetary gears 30 which follow one another and the internal gear 36. In particular, an inner side 78 which points toward the respective planetary gear 30 can follow the external radius of the associated planetary gear 30, and can configure a gap 80 with a substantially constant gap width between the planetary gear spider 68 and the planetary gear 30.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 6, in its middle region in the axial direction which is positioned radially inside of the tip circle radius of the internal toothing system 34 of the internal gear 36, a diameter d of the outer side 74 of the planetary carrier spider 68 can be offset radially inward with respect to a cheek external diameter D of the carrier cheeks 40, 42 to such an extent that the outer sides 74 cannot come into contact with the internal gear 36 and are positioned radially outside an internal diameter of the planetary gear 30, in particular radially outside a root circle radius of the external toothing system 32 of the planetary gear 30. In addition, the outer side 74 merges via a radius R and at an angle α which configures a transition edge 82 on the cheek external diameter D into the respective carrier cheek 40, 42 without a significant stress concentrator action.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, as an alternative to that configuration of the planetary carrier 44 which is shown in FIG. 6, the carrier cheeks 40, 42 can have a tapered diameter portion 84 to the diameter d of the outer side 74 of the planetary carrier spider 68 in the circumferential region of the planetary carrier spider 68. In this case, the tapered diameter portion 84 can merge in the circumferential direction into the external diameter D of the carrier cheeks 40, 42, in an analogous manner with respect to the transition shown in FIG. 6 between the outer side 74 of the planetary carrier spider 68 and the carrier cheeks 40, 42.

[0045] The gearbox 18 which is explained using the example of a wind power installation 10 with the at least one planetary gearbox 26 can also be used in another industrial application 86, as shown in FIG. 8. The industrial application 86 has a drive means 88 which is configured, for example, as an electric machine, an internal combustion engine or a hydraulic motor. The drive means 88 is coupled in a torque-transmitting manner to the gearbox 18 which transmits the converted torque to a mechanical application 90. The drive means 88 is configured to output a drive power which is fed to the gearbox 18 via a first shaft 92 and is fed from the gearbox 18 via a second shaft 94 to the mechanical application 90. In particular, the rotational speed of the first shaft 92 is greater than the rotational speed of the second shaft 94. The mechanical application 90 is, for example, a mill, a vertical mill, a sugarcane mill, a cement mill, a rock crusher, a conveyor belt, a pump, a roller press, a slat conveyor, a tube mill, a rotary kiln, a slewing gear, a stirring unit, a lifting apparatus, a compactor, a car crusher, a commuter for recyclable materials, possibly previously separated and/or sorted waste materials or the like.