A main bearing assembly of a wind turbine includes at least one main bearing with a rotation axis and at least one bearing row in which a rotor shaft of the wind turbine is mounted. The main bearing assembly has at least one stationary bearing ring, a circulating bearing ring and rolling elements. A method of extending the service life or servicing the main bearing assembly includes rotating the stationary bearing ring about the rotation axis of the main bearing assembly. Alternatively, only a new stationary bearing ring, preferably with at least two bearing ring segments is installed instead of a damaged outer ring, in particular without further important bearing components such as the inner ring being exchanged.
F16C 19/38 - Bearings with rolling contact, for exclusively rotary movement with bearing rollers essentially of the same size in one or more circular rows, e.g. needle bearings for both radial and axial load with two or more rows of rollers
F16C 19/52 - Bearings with rolling contact, for exclusively rotary movement with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions
F16C 23/08 - Ball or roller bearings self-adjusting
The invention relates to a method for applying a bearing preload to a bearing unit, and to a bearing unit of this type, which is, in particular, a main bearing unit of a wind turbine. The bearing unit extends along an axis of rotation in an axial direction and has a bearing ring, which, for the application of the bearing preload, can be moved in the axial direction along a ring carrier. The ring carrier is, in particular, in the form of a shaft. The ring carrier has a screw thread. For the application of the bearing preload, a loading ring, which, in particular, is in the form of a shaft nut, can be screwed against the bearing ring. One of two components, selected from the loading ring and the bearing ring, is first axially shifted so that, in a first step, an axial clearance is first set between the bearing ring and the loading ring or a threaded element. In an additional step, provided an axial clearance is formed between the bearing ring and the loading ring, the loading ring is subsequently preferably screwed against the bearing ring without load. The bearing preload is set by means of an auxiliary loading element. Preferably, the loading ring is shifted in the axial direction and transmits an axial force, for setting the bearing preload, to the bearing ring without rotating the loading ring.
F16C 19/36 - Bearings with rolling contact, for exclusively rotary movement with bearing rollers essentially of the same size in one or more circular rows, e.g. needle bearings for both radial and axial load with a single row of rollers
F16C 19/54 - Systems consisting of a plurality of bearings with rolling friction
3.
METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING AND MONITORING A STRUCTURAL CHANGE OF STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF WIND TURBINES
TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE NÜRNBERG GEORG SIMON OHM (Germany)
Inventor
Engelbrecht, Rainer
Losert, Wolfgang
Luber, Michael
Pick, Mathias
Vinogradov, Juri
Ziemann, Olaf
Abstract
The method serves to detect and monitor a structural change of structural components of wind turbines, specifically to monitor a structural component for a material crack or to monitor a distance between two structural components, with at least one optical waveguide being positioned in the region of the surface of the at least one structural component and being guided along a region of the structural component to be monitored, in such a way that a structural change leads to a change in length of the optical waveguide, a measuring signal furthermore being guided through the optical waveguide, said measuring signal being evaluated in view of the change in length of the optical waveguide and conclusions being drawn about the structural change.
The invention relates to a method for extending the service life of a main bearing assembly (1) of a wind turbine (4), comprising at least one main bearing (10) with a rotation axis (13) with at least one bearing row (2), in which main bearing a rotor shaft (3) of the wind turbine (4) is mounted, wherein the main bearing assembly (1) has at least one stationary bearing ring (7), a circulating bearing ring (8) and rolling elements (9). According to the invention the stationary bearing ring (7) is rotated about the rotation axis (13) of the main bearing assembly (1) to extend the service life or for servicing. Alternatively, only a new stationary bearing ring (7), preferably with at least two bearing ring segments (14) is installed instead of the damaged outer ring (7), in particular without further essential bearing components such as the inner ring being exchanged.
F16C 19/38 - Bearings with rolling contact, for exclusively rotary movement with bearing rollers essentially of the same size in one or more circular rows, e.g. needle bearings for both radial and axial load with two or more rows of rollers
5.
METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REPLACING A USED BEARING, IN PARTICULAR FOR REPLACING A MAIN BEARING OF A WIND TURBINE, AND BEARING ARRANGEMENT, IN PARTICULAR OF A WIND TURBINE
For replacing in particular a used main bearing (4) of a wind turbine, a bearing housing (34) is first removed axially from the main bearing (4) along a rotor shaft (6). The used main bearing (4) is then split and dismantled. A new main bearing (4) is mounted onto the rotor shaft and the original bearing housing (4) is again moved axially onto the main bearing (4). During replacement of the main bearing (4), the rotor shaft (6) is supported on a machine carrier (18) by means of a retaining device (22), the retaining device (22) being at least partially arranged in the region between a bearing seat (56) and a hub-side end region of the rotor shaft (6).
To facilitate adjusting a bearing arrangement, particularly in a wind turbine, for different operating situations, the bearing arrangement has an adjusting device with which the bearing preload can be adjusted starting from a base preload. This can allow, for example signs of wear to be compensated, manufacturing tolerances or design inaccuracies to be corrected and in particular current loading states to be addressed. This design avoids the otherwise usual overdimensioning of the bearing arrangement, thereby increasing the efficiency of the wind turbine as well as the service life of the bearing arrangement.
F16C 19/38 - Bearings with rolling contact, for exclusively rotary movement with bearing rollers essentially of the same size in one or more circular rows, e.g. needle bearings for both radial and axial load with two or more rows of rollers
F16C 19/54 - Systems consisting of a plurality of bearings with rolling friction
F16C 19/36 - Bearings with rolling contact, for exclusively rotary movement with bearing rollers essentially of the same size in one or more circular rows, e.g. needle bearings for both radial and axial load with a single row of rollers
7.
BEARING ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING THE PRELOAD OF A BEARING ARRANGEMENT
In order, in particular in a wind turbine, to be able to adjust a bearing arrangement (2) in a simple manner for different operating situations, the bearing arrangement (2) has an adjusting device by which the bearing preload can be adjusted starting from a base preload. In this manner for example signs of wear can be adjusted, manufacturing tolerances or design inaccuracies can be corrected and in particular it is also possible to react to current loading states. As a result an otherwise conventional overdimensioning of the bearing arrangement (2) is avoided, and the efficiency of the wind turbine and the service life of the bearing arrangement (2) are increased.
The invention relates to a bearing unit (2) for a rotor of a wind turbine extending in a longitudinal direction (4) along a rotational axis (R) from a front rotor side (6) to a rear tower side (8), comprising a stator unit (16) and a rotor unit (14), which are supported against one another by way of a bearing (18A) on the rotor side and a bearing (18B) on the tower side and form a bearing housing and a bearing journal. The stator unit (16) is provided with a stator flange (36) for fastening the bearing unit (2) to a mainframe (12) of the wind turbine, and the rotor unit (14) is provided with a rotor flange (38) for fastening the rotor hub (10) to the bearing unit (2)of the wind turbine. The two bearings (18A, 18B) are arranged at a distance from one another in the opposing end areas of the stator or rotor unit (14, 16), each comprising two bearing rings, i.e. an inner ring (46) and an outer ring (48). For three of the bearing rings (46, 48), a fixed end stop is formed on both the rotor unit (14) and the stator unit (16), such that a pretensioning circle (32) is formed via the two bearings (18A, 18B), the rotor unit (14), and the stator unit (16), by means of which circle a defined pretension can be generated during the installation of the bearing unit (2).
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