REINFORCED BEARING OF A WIND TURBINE

Abstract

A bearing of a wind turbine is provided. The bearing includes an annular stationary raceway rigidly connected to a first component of the wind turbine, and an annular rotating raceway rigidly connected to a second component of the wind turbine. Both raceways are arranged such that their axes of symmetry coincide. Each raceway includes a rear surface which is directed towards the first component of the wind turbine, and a front surface, which is directed to the second component of the wind turbine. The rotating raceway is selectively reinforced by reinforcement means which are attached on the front surface of the rotating raceway and/or on the rear surface of the rotating raceway. The bearing can be a main bearing or a pitch bearing of a wind turbine. A wind turbine for generating electricity including such a bearing is also provided.

Claims

1. A bearing of a wind turbine, comprising: an annular stationary raceway, which is arranged and prepared to be rigidly connected to a first component of the wind turbine); and an annular rotating raceway, which is arranged and prepared to be rigidly connected to a second component of the wind turbine, wherein the annular stationary raceway and the annular rotating raceway are arranged such that axes of symmetry of the annular stationary raceway and the annular rotating raceway coincide; wherein each of the annular stationary raceway and the annular rotating raceway comprises a rear surface, which is directed towards the first component of the wind turbine, and a front surface, which is directed to the second component of the wind turbine, wherein the annular rotating raceway is selectively reinforced by a reinforcement means which are attached on the front surface of the rotating raceway and/or on the rear surface of the annular rotating raceway.

2. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the annular stationary raceway has a smaller diameter than the annular rotating raceway

3. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the annular rotating raceway and the reinforcement means are built as a single piece.

4. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the selective reinforcement of the annular rotating raceway is achieved by a circumferential variation of the reinforcement.

5. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the selective reinforcement of the annular rotating raceway is achieved by a radial variation of the reinforcement.

6. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the reinforcement means is constant in a circumferential and/or a radial direction.

7. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the reinforcement means varies in a circumferential and/or a radial direction.

8. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the annular stationary raceway is selectively reinforced by a further reinforcement means which are attached on the front surface of the annular stationary raceway and/or on the rear surface of the annular stationary raceway.

9. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the bearing is a main bearing of the wind turbine, the first component is a nacelle of the wind turbine, and the second component is a hub of the wind turbine.

10. The bearing according to claim 9, wherein the annular rotating raceway is more reinforced on the front surface in the angular sections where the rotor blades are attached to the hub, compared to the angular sections between two adjacent rotor blades.

11. The bearing according to claim 9, wherein the annular rotating raceway is more reinforced on the rear surface in the angular sections between two adjacent rotor blades, compared to the angular sections where the rotor blades are attached to the hub.

12. The bearing according to claim 9, wherein the annular rotating raceway is arranged and prepared to be separated by the hub by a separator, and the separator selectively reinforces the annular rotating raceway.

13. The bearing according to claim 1, wherein the bearing is a pitch bearing of the wind turbine, the first component is a hub of the wind turbine, and the second component is a rotor blade of the wind turbine.

14. A wind turbine for generating electricity comprising a bearing according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0030] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a wind turbine;

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a bearing according to the state of the art;

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of a bearing;

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the bearing;

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the bearing; and

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the bearing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In FIG. 1, a wind turbine 10 is shown. The wind turbine 10 comprises a nacelle 12 and a tower 11. The nacelle 12 is mounted at the top of the tower 11. The nacelle 12 is mounted rotatable with regard to the tower 11 by means of a yaw bearing. The axis of rotation of the nacelle 12 with regard to the tower 11 is referred to as the yaw axis.

[0038] The wind turbine 10 also comprises a hub 13 with three rotor blades 16 (of which two rotor blades 16 are depicted in FIG. 1). The hub 13 is mounted rotatable with regard to the nacelle 12 by means of a main bearing 30. The hub 13 is mounted rotatable about a rotor axis of rotation 14.

[0039] The wind turbine 10 furthermore comprises a main shaft, which connects the hub 13 with a rotor of a generator 15. The hub 13 is connected directly to the rotor, thus the wind turbine 10 is referred to as a gearless, direct driven wind turbine. As an alternative, the hub 13 may also be connected to the rotor via a gearbox. This type of wind turbine is referred to as a geared wind turbine.

[0040] The generator 15 is accommodated within the nacelle 12. It comprises the rotor and a stator. The generator 15 is arranged and prepared for converting the rotational energy from the rotor into electrical energy.

[0041] Furthermore, FIG. 1 shows a pitch bearing 40, which pivotable connects the rotor blade 16 with the hub 13.

[0042] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bearing 20 of a wind turbine according to the state of the art. For sake of simplicity and a better overview, only the two raceways, namely the inner stationary raceway 21 and the outer rotating raceway 22 are shown. Both raceways 21, 22 are shaped with an annular shape and are arranged coaxially about a common axis of symmetry 25. Within the gap between the stationary raceway 21 and the rotating raceway 22 rolling elements such as balls or cylinders may be present (not shown).

[0043] It can be seen in the prior art bearing shown in FIG. 2 that the front surfaces 212, 222 of the stationary raceway 21 and the rotating raceway 22, respectively, are designed as plane surfaces. As a consequence, load supporting capabilities of the raceways 21, 22 are equal at all angular positions. However, actual loads occurring and applying on the raceways 21, 22 are not equally distributed in angular respect. Thus, a selective reinforcement as proposed in embodiments of the present invention is advantageous.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a first example how this selective reinforcement may be realized in practice. A stationary raceway 21 and a rotating raceway 22 is shown. At the rotating raceway 22 reinforcement means 23 are applied on the front surface 222 of the rotating raceway 22. The bearing 20 shown in FIG. 3 is directed to a wind turbine with three rotor blades. Thus, the exemplary bearing in FIG. 3 represents a main bearing of a wind turbine.

[0045] Note that the reinforcement elements of the rotating raceway are referred to as reinforcement means 23, while the reinforcement elements of the stationary raceway are referred to as reinforcement means 24 or further reinforcement means 24 throughout this application.

[0046] By reinforcing the rotating raceway 22 at precisely these angular sections where the rotor blades are destined to be mounted, the increased loads which are exerted from the main bearing from upwind side at the sections where the rotor blades are present, is favorably met. As a consequence, the thickness of the rotating raceway 22 changes in distances or gaps of sixty degrees. The same applies to the rear surface 223 of the rotating raceway 22. There also reinforcement means 23 are provided. However, as at the rear surface or on the downwind side increased loads typically occur in the regions between the blades, these regions are selectively reinforced.

[0047] The same pattern of providing reinforcement means at regularly placed positions on the front surface and the rear surface is applied to the stationary inner raceway 21. The further reinforcement means 34 are offset by sixty degrees.

[0048] FIGS. 4 to 6 show three embodiments of the invention where the reinforcement is varying in radial respect. An inner stationary raceway 21 and an outer rotating raceway 22 are shown. Both raceways 21, 22 exhibit a front surface 212, 222, respectively. Likewise, both raceways 21, 22 exhibit a rear surface 213, 223, respectively.

[0049] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the front surface 212 of the stationary raceway 21 is reinforced by a triangular-shaped or wedge-shaped element, i.e. reinforcement means 24. For this reinforcement means 24, the thickness is decreasing with decreasing distance to the axis of symmetry or rotational axis of the rotating raceway (not shown). With respect to the rotating raceway 22, no radial variation of the reinforcement means 24 at the front surface 321 and the rear surface 322 has been realized.

[0050] In FIG. 5, another alternative of an advantageous embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The design of the reinforced rotating raceway is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 4. However, the reinforcement means 24 which is attached to the front surface 212 of the stationary raceway 21 has been designed as a step-like reinforcement means 34. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 4, however, the thickness of the reinforcement means 24 is larger for the part which is further away of the rotational axis of the rotating raceway than the part which is closer to the rotational axis of the rotating raceway.

[0051] Finally, FIG. 6 shows yet another embodiment of a bearing according to embodiments of the invention. Again, the radial distribution or variation of the reinforcement means 23 of the rotating raceway 22 is constant. However, the reinforcement means 24 which is attached to the front surface 212 of the stationary raceway 21 is relatively thin at the upper end, i.e. the radially more outward end, of the stationary raceway 21 and is thicker for a bottom part, i.e. a more radially inward part of the stationary raceway (L-shaped). The design as shown in FIG. 6 is thus a further example how to selectively choose the design of the reinforcement means in order to optimally meet the present load distribution which are applying on the bearing.

[0052] The illustration in the drawings is in schematic form. It is noted that in different figures, similar or identical elements are provided with the same reference signs.

[0053] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0054] It should be noted that the use of a or an throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and comprising does not exclude other steps or elements. Also elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined. It should also be noted that reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.