# US 10,502,194 B2 · Wind turbine bearings > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,194 B2 - Document ID: US10502194B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/166,565 - Filed: 2016-05-27 - Published: 2017-11-30 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-27 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Michael Colan Moscinski; Norman Arnold Turnquist; Daniel Jason Erno; Fulton Jose Lopez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502194B2 ## CPC - F03D 80/70: Bearing or lubricating arrangements - F03D 1/0658: {Arrangements for fixing wind-engaging parts to a hub} - F03D 7/0224: {Adjusting blade pitch} - F03D 9/25: the apparatus being an electrical generator (F03D9/22 takes precedence) - F16C 19/546: {Systems with spaced apart rolling bearings including at least one angular contact bearing} - F16C 35/07: Fixing them on the shaft or housing with interposition of an element - F05B 2260/79: Bearing, support or actuation arrangements therefor - F16C 2360/31: Wind motors - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - F03D: WIND MOTORS - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract In one aspect, a dual pitch bearing configuration for coupling a rotor blade to a hub of a wind turbine. The dual pitch bearing configuration including a first pitch bearing and at least one additional pitch bearing. The first pitch bearing and the and at least one additional pitch bearing are coupled to opposed surfaces of a static shaft. The at least one additional pitch bearing is disposed radially a distance LR and axially a distance LA from the first pitch bearing along the static shaft. The dual pitch bearing is disposed radially within a blade root of the rotor blade. The dual pitch bearing configuration minimizing moment loading on the first pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing. A wind turbine including the dual pitch bearing configuration is further disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dual pitch bearing configuration for a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the dual pitch bearing configuration comprising: a first pitch bearing including an inner bearing race, an outer bearing race and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner bearing race and the outer bearing race; at least one additional pitch bearing including an inner bearing race, an outer bearing race and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner bearing race and the outer bearing race, wherein the first pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing are coupled to opposed surfaces of a static shaft, wherein the inner bearing race of the first pitch bearing and the outer bearing race of the at least one additional pitch bearing are coupled to a bearing sleeve disposed in the rotor blade and rotatable with the rotor blade, and wherein the at least one additional pitch bearing is disposed radially a distance LR from the first pitch bearing and axially a distance LA from the first pitch bearing along the static shaft, thereby minimizing moment loading on the first pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional pitch bearing comprises a second pitch bearing disposed radially by a distance LR from the first pitch bearing and axially a distance LA from the first pitch bearing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 1, wherein the distance LR is equal to at least 5% of an average diameter of the first pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 1, wherein the static shaft is one of straight shaft, a radially inward offset static shaft and a radially outward offset static shaft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 1, wherein the static shaft includes a first end and a second end, and where the first end is radially offset from the second end. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 1, wherein the outer bearing race of the first pitch bearing is coupled to an interior surface of the static shaft and the inner bearing race of the at least one additional pitch bearing is coupled to an exterior surface of the static shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 1, wherein the first pitch bearing is a radial pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing is a thrust pitch bearing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 1, wherein the rotor blade is rotatably coupled to a hub of the wind turbine and wherein the first pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing are disposed within the rotor blade. ### Claim 9 A dual pitch bearing configuration for coupling a rotor blade to a hub of a wind turbine, the dual pitch bearing configuration comprising: a static shaft including a wall thickness defining an interior surface and an exterior surface, the static shaft extending axially from the hub; a first pitch bearing coupled to the interior surface of the static shaft, the first pitch bearing including an inner bearing race, an outer bearing race and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner bearing race and the outer bearing race; a second pitch bearing coupled to the exterior surface of the static shaft, the second pitch bearing including an inner bearing race, an outer bearing race and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner bearing race and the outer bearing race, the second pitch bearing disposed radially a distance LR from the first pitch bearing, where LR is equal to the wall thickness of the static shaft, and axially a distance LA from the first pitch bearing along the static shaft, thereby minimizing moment loading on the first pitch bearing and the second pitch bearing; and the first pitch bearing and the second pitch bearing disposed within a blade root of the rotor blade. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 9, wherein the outer bearing race of the first pitch bearing and the inner bearing race of the second pitch bearing are coupled to the static shaft and the inner bearing race of the first pitch bearing and the outer bearing race of the second pitch bearing are coupled to a bearing sleeve configured rotatable with the rotor blade. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 9, wherein the static shaft is one of straight shaft, a radially inward offset static shaft and a radially outward offset static shaft. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 9, wherein the static shaft includes a first end and a second end, and where the first end is radially offset from the second end. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The dual pitch bearing configuration of claim 9, wherein the first pitch bearing is a radial pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing is a thrust pitch bearing. ### Claim 14 A wind turbine comprising: a tower; a hub; at least one rotor blade rotatably connected to the hub, the at least one rotor blade rotatable in response to wind impinging upon said at least one rotor blade; and a dual pitch bearing configuration coupling the at least one rotor blade to the hub, the dual pitch bearing configuration comprising: a first pitch bearing including an inner bearing race, an outer bearing race and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner bearing race and the outer bearing race; and at least one additional pitch bearing including an inner bearing race, an outer bearing race and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner bearing race and the outer bearing race, wherein the first pitch bearing is coupled to an interior surface of a static shaft and the at least one additional pitch bearing is coupled to an exterior surface of the static shaft, wherein the inner bearing race of the first pitch bearing and the outer bearing race of the at least one additional pitch bearing are coupled to a bearing sleeve disposed in the at least one rotor blade rotor blade and rotatable with the at least one rotor blade rotor blade, and wherein the at least one additional pitch bearing is disposed radially a distance LR from the first pitch bearing and axially a distance LA from the first pitch bearing along the static shaft, thereby minimizing moment loading on the first pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The wind turbine of claim 14, wherein the at least one additional pitch bearing comprises a second pitch bearing disposed radially by a distance LR from the first pitch bearing and axially a distance LA from the first pitch bearing along the static shaft. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The wind turbine of claim 14, wherein the static shaft has a defined shaft wall thickness St and wherein the distance LR is equal to the shaft wall thickness St and a diameter of the plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner bearing races and the outer bearing races of the first pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The wind turbine of claim 14, wherein the static shaft is one of straight shaft, a radially inward offset static shaft and a radially outward offset static shaft. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The wind turbine of claim 14, wherein the static shaft includes a first end and a second end, and where the first end is radially offset from the second end. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The wind turbine of claim 14, wherein the outer bearing race of the first pitch bearing is coupled to the interior surface of the static shaft and the inner bearing race of the at least one additional pitch bearing is coupled to the exterior surface of the static shaft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The wind turbine of claim 14, wherein the first pitch bearing is a radial pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing is a thrust pitch bearing. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The wind turbine of claim 14, wherein the at least one rotor blade is rotatably coupled to the hub of the wind turbine and wherein the first pitch bearing and the at least one additional pitch bearing are disposed within the at least one rotor blade.