# US 11,441,547 B2 · Bearing arrangement for a wind turbine and wind turbine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,547 B2 - Document ID: US11441547B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/931,902 - Filed: 2020-05-14 - Published: 2020-11-19 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-16 - Assignees: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S - Applicants: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S - Inventors: Edom Demissie; Morten Soerensen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441547B2 ## CPC - F03D 80/70: Bearing or lubricating arrangements - F16C 17/03: with tiltably-supported segments, e.g. Michell bearings {(hydrostatic bearings with tiltably supported bearing pads F16C32/0666; made from a plurality of rods F16C33/26; with flexible leaves F16C17/024; hydrodynamic bearings with chambers F16C33/1075)} - F03D 15/00: Transmission of mechanical power - F16C 17/26: Systems consisting of a plurality of sliding-contact bearings - F16C 27/02: Sliding-contact bearings - F16C 33/108: {with a plurality of elements forming the bearing surfaces, e.g. bearing pads} - F05B 2240/50: Bearings - F16C 33/08: Attachment of brasses, bushes or linings to the bearing housing - F16C 2300/14: Large applications, e.g. bearings having an inner diameter exceeding 500 mm - 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 A bearing arrangement for a wind turbine including a bearing housing and a drive shaft, whereby the drive shaft is arranged within the bearing housing in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis of the bearing housing, a downwind bearing and an upwind bearing, whereby the downwind bearing and the upwind bearing are arranged between the bearing housing and the drive shaft, wherein the downwind bearing and/or the upwind bearing is a radial fluid bearing including multiple radial bearing bodies, multiple radial tiltable support structures secured to the multiple radial bearing bodies, whereby each one of a multiple of radial bearing pads is attached to one of the multiple radial tiltable support structures and the multiple radial bearing pads are arranged about the drive shaft is provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A bearing arrangement for a wind turbine comprising: a bearing housing having a cylindrical seat with a circumferential curved inner surface; a drive shaft arranged within the bearing housing in an axial direction along a longitudinal axis of the bearing housing; a downwind bearing; and an upwind bearing, wherein the downwind bearing and the upwind bearing are arranged between the bearing housing and the drive shaft, further wherein the downwind bearing and/or the upwind bearing is a radial fluid bearing comprising multiple radial bearing bodies and multiple radial tiltable support structures secured to the multiple radial bearing bodies, wherein each one of a multiple of radial bearing pads is attached to a corresponding one of the multiple radial tiltable support structures and the multiple radial bearing pads are arranged about the drive shaft; wherein at least one curved interface plate is attached to at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies on a surface of the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies facing the cylindrical seat of the bearing housing and opposite one of the multiple radial bearing pads, wherein the at least one curved interface plate includes a curved outer surface on a side of the at least one curved interface plate facing the cylindrical seat such that the curved outer surface has a curvature which corresponds to a curvature of the circumferential curved inner surface, and the at least one curved interface plate is arranged in contact with the cylindrical seat of the bearing housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a first interface plate side of the at least one curved interface plate is in contact with the cylindrical seat and has a curvature corresponding to a curvature of the cylindrical seat. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The bearing arrangement according to claim 2, wherein a second interface plate side of the at least one curved interface plate is located opposite of the first interface plate side and is predominantly plain or plain. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one curved interface plate comprises at least one interface plate attachment means for attaching the at least one curved interface plate to the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The bearing arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the at least one interface plate attachment means is an interface plate through hole. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies to which the at least one curved interface plate is attached is fixed by means of limit stops attached to the cylindrical seat, further wherein the limit stops are adjacent to the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies in a tangential direction along a circumference of the cylindrical seat. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies to which the at least one curved interface plate is attached is fixed to the cylindrical seat by means of at least one fastening element, further wherein the at least one fastening element at least partially extends through the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The bearing arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the multiple radial tiltable support structures comprises a ball head. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The bearing arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the at least one of the multiple radial bearing bodies securing the at least one of the multiple radial tiltable support structures comprising the ball head comprises a ball socket for the ball head.