Yaw bearings for a wind turbine
AssigneeGeneral Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.
InventorsSantiago Claramunt Estecha, Javier Garcia Cervilla
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gliding yaw bearing system for use in a wind turbine includes a first bearing assembly configured for being attached to a tower of the wind turbine, a second beating assembly configured for being attached to a nacelle of the wind turbine. An upwind section of the second bearing assembly is different from a downwind section of the second bearing assembly. A wind turbine utilizing the gliding yaw bearing system is also encompassed herein.
Claims13
A gliding yaw bearing system for use in a wind turbine comprising:
- a first bearing part configured to attach to a tower of the wind turbine, the first bearing part being an annular disk with gear teeth on a radial facing surface;
- a second bearing part configured to attach to a nacelle of the wind turbine;
- the second bearing part comprising an upwind section having a first configuration for supporting a first bending load in a first direction and a downwind section opposite the upwind section having a second configuration for supporting a second bending load in a second direction different from the first direction,
- the second bearing part comprising calipers that engage with the annular disk, the calipers comprising a first plurality of calipers in the upwind section and a second plurality of calipers in the downwind section,
- wherein a number of the first plurality of calipers per unit length along a circumference of the first configuration is less than a number of the second plurality of calipers per the unit length along a circumference of the second configuration and/or wherein each of the first plurality of calipers have a cross-sectional area taken along an axial-radial plane that is less than a cross-sectional area taken along an axial-radial plane of each of the second plurality of calipers.
A wind turbine comprising a tower, a nacelle rotatably mounted on the tower, and a gliding yaw bearing system, wherein the gliding yaw system further comprises:
- a first bearing part configured to attach to the tower, the first bearing part being an annular disk with gear teeth on a radial facing surface;
- a second bearing part configured to attach to the nacelle;
- the second bearing part comprising an upwind section having a first configuration for supporting a first bending load in a first direction and a downwind section opposite the upwind section having a second configuration for supporting a second bending load in a second direction different from the first direction,
- the second bearing part comprising calipers that engage with the annular disk, the calipers comprising a first plurality of calipers in the upwind section and a second plurality of calipers in the downwind section,
- wherein a number of the first plurality of calipers per unit length along a circumference of the first configuration is less than a number of the second plurality of calipers per the unit length along a circumference of the second configuration and/or wherein each of the first plurality of calipers have a cross-sectional area taken along an axial-radial plane that is less than a cross-sectional area taken along an axial-radial plane of each of the second plurality of calipers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.