# US 12,180,942 B2 · Wind turbine

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- Number: US 12,180,942 B2
- Document ID: US12180942B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/968,361
- Filed: 2022-10-18
- Published: 2023-02-09
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-04
- Assignees: Nordex Energy Spain, S.A.
- Applicants: Nordex Energy Spain, S.A.
- Inventors: Javier Pascual Resano; Jose Luis Aristegui Lantero; Teresa Arlaban Gabeiras; Jose Miguel Garcia Sayes; Miguel Nunez Polo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180942B2

## CPC

- F03D 80/70: Bearing or lubricating arrangements
- F03D 1/0658: {Arrangements for fixing wind-engaging parts to a hub}
- F03D 1/0691: {of the hub}
- F03D 7/0224: {Adjusting blade pitch}
- F16C 19/522: {related to load on the bearing, e.g. bearings with load sensors or means to protect the bearing against overload}
- F16C 33/586: {outside the space between the races, e.g. end faces or bore of inner ring}
- F05B 2240/50: Bearings
- F05B 2240/54: Radial bearings
- F05B 2260/79: Bearing, support or actuation arrangements therefor
- F16C 19/181: {with angular contact}
- 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 wind turbine includes a hub, at least one blade and at least one pitch bearing to connect the at least one blade to the hub. The at least one pitch bearing has at least an inner ring and an outer ring, and at least a rolling race. The wind turbine further includes at least a tensioning system configured to exert a radial compression force to at least a part of the outer ring of the at least one pitch bearing, thus increasing the resultant stiffness of the at least one pitch bearing.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wind turbine comprising:
a hub;
at least one blade; and
at least one pitch bearing to connect the at least one blade to the hub, the at least one pitch bearing comprising at least an inner ring and an outer ring, and at least two rolling races;
wherein the wind turbine further comprises at least a tensioning system disposed at least partially on the outer ring of the at least one pitch bearing exerting a radial compression force to at least a part of the outer ring of the at least one pitch bearing;
wherein the outer ring comprises a flat surface proximate to the at least one blade and a flat surface proximate to the hub, wherein the tensioning system is located more proximate to the flat surface proximate to the at least one blade than to the flat surface proximate to the hub;
wherein the inner ring of the at least one pitch bearing is joined to the at least one blade;
wherein the outer ring of the at least one pitch bearing is joined to the hub;
wherein the at least two rolling races comprise a first rolling race proximate to the flat surface proximate to the at least one blade and a second rolling race proximate to the flat surface proximate to the hub; and
wherein the radial compression force is exerted in at least a transversal projection of the first rolling race on a perimeter of the outer ring and beyond the transversal projection of the first rolling race on the perimeter of the outer ring, towards the flat surface proximate to the hub without reaching a transversal projection of the second rolling race on the perimeter of the outer ring.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine of claim 1 wherein the radial compression force is exerted beyond the transversal projection of the first rolling race on the perimeter of the outer ring, towards the flat surface proximate to the at least one blade.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine of claim 1 wherein the tensioning system comprises:
at least one tensioning element with two ends, wherein the at least one tensioning element is disposed at least partially on the outer ring of the at least one pitch bearing;
at least one anchoring element receiving at least one of the two ends of said at least one tensioning element; and
at least one fixing element attaching the at least one of the two ends of the at least one tensioning element to the at least one anchoring element in a fixed position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The wind turbine of claim 3 wherein the tensioning system comprises at least two tensioning elements.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The wind turbine of claim 4 wherein the at least two tensioning elements are a first tensioning element and a second tensioning element, wherein the first tensioning element covers a first sector of the perimeter of the outer ring in the circumferential direction and the second tensioning element covers a second sector of the perimeter of the outer ring in the circumferential direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The wind turbine of claim 3 wherein the at least one tensioning element comprises several layers of strands, at least one of the layers of strands placed on top of other layer of strands.

### Claim 7

A wind turbine comprising:
a hub;
at least one blade; and
at least one pitch bearing to connect the at least one blade to the hub, the at least one pitch bearing comprising at least an inner ring and an outer ring, and at least two rolling races;
wherein the wind turbine further comprises at least a tensioning system disposed at least partially on the outer ring of the at least one pitch bearing exerting a radial compression force to at least a part of the outer ring of the at least one pitch bearing;
wherein the outer ring comprises a flat surface proximate to the at least one blade and a flat surface proximate to the hub, wherein the tensioning system is located more proximate to the flat surface proximate to the at least one blade than to the flat surface proximate to the hub;
wherein the inner ring of the at least one pitch bearing is joined to the at least one blade;
wherein the outer ring of the at least one pitch bearing is joined to the hub;
wherein the at least two rolling races comprise a first rolling race proximate to the flat surface proximate to the at least one blade and a second rolling race proximate to the flat surface proximate to the hub; and
wherein the tensioning system covers a transversal projection of the first rolling race on a perimeter of the outer ring; and
wherein the tensioning system surpasses the transversal projection of the first rolling race on the perimeter of the outer ring, towards the flat surface proximate to the hub without reaching a transversal projection of the second rolling race on the perimeter of the outer ring.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The wind turbine of claim 7 wherein the tensioning system completely covers the transversal projection of the first rolling race on the perimeter of the outer ring.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The wind turbine of claim 7 wherein the tensioning system surpasses the transversal projection of the first rolling race on the perimeter of the outer ring, towards the flat surface proximate to the at least one blade.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The wind turbine of claim 7 wherein the tensioning system comprises:
at least one tensioning element with two ends, wherein the at least one tensioning element is disposed at least partially on the outer ring of the at least one pitch bearing;
at least one anchoring element receiving at least one of the two ends of said at least one tensioning element; and
at least one fixing element attaching the at least one of the two ends of the at least one tensioning element to the at least one anchoring element in a fixed position.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The wind turbine of claim 10 wherein the tensioning system comprises at least two tensioning elements.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The wind turbine of claim 11 wherein the at least two tensioning elements are a first tensioning element and a second tensioning element, wherein the first tensioning element covers a first sector of the perimeter of the outer ring in the circumferential direction and the second tensioning element covers a second sector of the perimeter of the outer ring in the circumferential direction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The wind turbine of claim 10 wherein the at least one tensioning element comprises several layers of strands, at least one of the layers of strands placed on top of other layer of strands.