Supply System, in Particular for Gear Mechanisms and Generators

Abstract

A lubricating system has been disclosed for gear mechanisms or generators, in particular for gear mechanisms of wind power plants, which lubricating system permits a switchover between dry sump lubrication and wet sump lubrication. This takes place by way of a delivery device which increases the pressure in a lubricant tank selectively or in an emergency, for example a power outage, and presses a lubricant back into an oil sump in the gear mechanism, whereupon a lubricant level is increased there and wet sump lubrication is realized. The delivery device can have a compressor. Said compressor can charge a pressure accumulator via a non-return valve or can increase the pressure in the lubricant tank directly. The delivery device can consist of hydraulic, pneumatic or else electrical components. If it is pneumatic, it can be separated from the hydraulic lubricating system via an elbow.

Claims

1. A supply system for coolant and/or lubricant for a machine, comprising: a body that defines a space configured to hold at least one of coolant and lubricant; a tank positioned in a vicinity of the machine; a first delivery device configured to deliver at least one of coolant and lubricant from the tank to cooling and lubrication points of the machine, respectively; a fluid line configured to drain at least one of coolant and lubricant from the space of the body into the tank; and a second delivery device that is positioned and configured to deliver at least one of coolant and lubricant from said tank into the machine, and that includes an energy storage device that enables operation of the second delivery device for at least a certain time independently of an operating power supply.

2. The supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the energy storage device of the second delivery device is a pressure accumulator.

3. The supply system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pressure accumulator is a pneumatic gas accumulator that includes: a pneumatic connecting line extending from the gas accumulator to the tank; and a second valve that is positioned in the pneumatic connecting line, and that is configured to open the pneumatic connecting in response to a failure of the operating power supply.

4. The supply system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pneumatic connecting line has a pipe elbow between the second valve and the tank.

5. The supply system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second delivery device further includes a pneumatic compressor configured to charge the gas accumulator.

6. The supply system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pneumatic connecting line has a restrictor between the gas accumulator and the tank.

7. The supply system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising: a pump configured to deliver at least one of coolant and lubricant from the tank into the machine; a hydraulic motor configured to drive the pump; and a third valve configured to open the pneumatic connecting line in response to a failure of the operating power supply; wherein the pressure accumulator is a hydraulic accumulator that is connected to the hydraulic motor, and to the third valve.

8. The supply system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: a fourth valve configured to feed at least one of coolant and lubricant to the pump from the first delivery device in order to charge the hydraulic accumulator in a reverse mode of the pump and of the hydraulic motor.

9. The supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the energy storage device is an electric energy storage device; and the second delivery device is configured as an electric motor unit or as an electric pump.

10. The supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tank is positioned at a geodetic height below the space of the body.

11. The supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second delivery device further includes a valve that is positioned in the fluid line, and that is configured to shut off the fluid line in response to a failure of the operating power supply.

12. The supply system as claimed in claim 6, wherein: the second delivery device further includes a valve that is positioned in the fluid line, and that is configured to shut off the fluid line in response to a failure of the operating power supply; and the restrictor is between the gas accumulator and the valve.

Description

FIGURES

[0027] A first embodiment according to the invention of the supply system, having a first delivery device for delivering lubricant in a normal mode and having a pneumatic second delivery device, is illustrated in

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the second delivery device in accordance with a second embodiment according to the invention.

[0029] A third embodiment according to the invention, having a second delivery device with a hydraulic accumulator, can be seen in FIG. 3.

[0030] The essential components of the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 are the gear mechanism 1 with its oil sump 14, and a closed lubricant tank 2. In the normal mode, a valve 3 and a valve 8 are powered. The lubricating system is relieved to atmosphere via valve 8, with the result that the lubricant flows into the lubricant tank from the oil sump 14 of the gear mechanism 1 by virtue of a geodetic difference in level H in the illustrative embodiment under consideration. Other ways of achieving this are known. As a result, the gear mechanism 1 switches to dry sump lubrication in a normal mode. In this case, a mechanical pump 4, coupled to the gear mechanism 1, and an electric pump 5 ensure the lubrication of the gear mechanism 1. A filter 6 filters the lubricant before it enters the gear mechanism.

[0031] In order to switch to wet sump lubrication, the lubricant tank 2 can be put under pressure by means of valve 8, using a compressor 11, a valve 9 or a pressure accumulator 10, thereby forcing the lubricant back into the gear mechanism 1. During this process, valve 3 and valve 8 are not powered. A lubricant level in the gear mechanism can also be regulated by way of the operating time of valve 8, if appropriate. Uncontrolled discharge of the pressure accumulator 10 is prevented by a restrictor 12. If the electric energy supply fails, the lubricant is likewise forced back into the gear mechanism 1 by means of the pressure accumulator 10, which is precharged by the compressor 11. Adequate lubrication in the event of a power failure is thus ensured. During these processes, valve 3 prevents unwanted return of the lubricant to the lubricant tank. A pipe elbow 7 separates the hydraulics from the pneumatics. The pressure accumulator 10 can be recharged at any time by the compressor 11 by way of a check valve 13.

[0032] The second embodiment according to the invention uses a simplified second delivery device, which can be seen in FIG. 2. The compressor 11 has been dispensed with. This solution is suitable only for a limited number of occasions of flooding the gear mechanism 1 with lubricant, e.g. only if the power fails. The pressure accumulator 10 or gas cylinder 10 may have to be replaced or refilled in order to restart the gear mechanism 1.

[0033] The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 uses a second delivery device having a hydraulic accumulator 15 and hydraulic motors 16, 17. The hydraulic accumulator 15 is charged via the check valve 25 and valve 26 by virtue of the different displacements of the hydraulic motors 16, 17. In this process, the large hydraulic motor 16 acts as a drive, which is set in motion by the pressure and volume flow of the lubricating circuit. The smaller of the two hydraulic motors 17 charges the hydraulic accumulator 15. Restrictors 18 and 23 ensure adequate lubrication of the gear mechanism during the charging process by distributing the volume flow by means of the backpressure. If the power fails or if the intention is to raise the lubricant level in the gear mechanism 1, none of valves 3, 19, 26 is powered. By means of the energy from the hydraulic accumulator 15, the small hydraulic motor 17 then drives the large hydraulic motor 16, which, in turn, delivers the lubricant from the lubricant tank 2 back into the gear mechanism 1 via a check valve 24. Restrictor 22 controls the speed of the discharge process. The remainder of the structure of the supply system corresponds to the first embodiment according to the invention illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0034] As an option, there is also the possibility of supplementing the hydraulic delivery device by means of an electric motor/pump unit similar to 5. For emergency lubrication in the event of a power failure, this should be provided with an electric accumulator unit.

II LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0035] 1. gear mechanism

[0036] 2 lubricant tank

[0037] 3 valve

[0038] 4 mechanical pump coupled to the gear mechanism

[0039] 5 electric pump

[0040] 6 filter

[0041] 7 pipe elbow

[0042] 8 valve

[0043] 9 valve

[0044] 10 pressure accumulator

[0045] 11 compressor

[0046] 12 restrictor

[0047] 13 check valve

[0048] 14 oil sump of the gear mechanism

[0049] 15 hydraulic accumulator

[0050] 16 large hydraulic motor

[0051] 17 small hydraulic motor

[0052] 18 restrictor

[0053] 22 restrictor

[0054] 23 restrictor

[0055] 24 check valve

[0056] 25 check valve

[0057] 26 valve