# US 12,180,943 B2 · Plain bearing arrangement and nacelle equipped with a plain 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 12,180,943 B2 - Document ID: US12180943B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/029,711 - Filed: 2021-10-05 - Published: 2023-07-20 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-10-07 - Assignees: Miba Gleitlager Austria GmbH - Applicants: Miba Gleitlager Austria GmbH - Inventors: Johannes Sebastian Hoelzl; Albert Waldl; Patrick Laubichler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180943B2 ## CPC - F03D 80/70: Bearing or lubricating arrangements - F16C 17/10: for both radial and axial load - F03D 1/0691: {of the hub} - F16C 17/02: for radial load only - F16C 23/043: {with spherical surfaces, e.g. spherical plain bearings} - F16C 33/046: {divided or split, e.g. half-bearings or rolled sleeves} - F16C 33/26: made from wire coils; made from a number of discs, rings, rods, or other members - F16C 35/02: in the case of sliding-contact bearings - F05B 2240/53: Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic bearings - F05B 2240/57: Seals - F05B 2260/98: Lubrication - F16C 2237/00: Repair or replacement - 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 sliding bearing includes an inner ring element; an outer ring element; and at least one sliding bearing element, which is arranged between the inner ring element and the outer ring element, wherein the sliding bearing element includes at least two sliding bearing pads, wherein the individual sliding bearing pads each have a bearing surface, which has the basic shape of a spherical cap. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sliding bearing comprising: an inner ring element; an outer ring element; at least one sliding bearing element, which is arranged between the inner ring element and the outer ring element, wherein the sliding bearing element comprises at least two sliding bearing pads, wherein the individual sliding bearing pads each have a bearing surface, which has the basic shape of a spherical cap, wherein the bearing surface cooperates with the outer ring element, and a counterface to the bearing surface is formed in the outer ring element, and the outer ring element is configured as a bearing block which comprises a bearing block base and a bearing block cover, wherein at least individual ones of the sliding bearing pads are coupled to the inner ring element by fastening screws, wherein threaded holes are arranged in the inner ring element and wherein through holes are formed in the sliding bearing pads through which the fastening screws engage in the threaded holes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sliding bearing according to claim 1, wherein the inner ring element has a shaped element, wherein the sliding bearing pads have a mating shaped element corresponding to the shaped element, such that the shaped element serves as an axial securing means for the sliding bearing pads. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sliding bearing according to claim 2, wherein the shaped element arranged on the inner ring element is configured in the form of a circumferential bead with a rectangular cross-section, wherein the sliding bearing pads comprise a corresponding groove extending in the circumferential direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sliding bearing according to claim 1, wherein at least individual ones of the sliding bearing pads are coupled to one another by a connecting element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The sliding bearing according to claim 4, wherein the connecting element is arranged on a circumferential side of the sliding bearing pads. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The sliding bearing according to claim 4, wherein the connecting element comprises at least one fastening wedge, wherein a fastening groove corresponding to the fastening wedge is formed in the sliding bearing pad. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The sliding bearing according to claim 4, wherein the connecting element comprises an adjusting means, such that the distance to one another of two sliding bearing pads coupled to one another by the connecting element may be adjusted. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sliding bearing according to claim 1, wherein the bearing surface has a spherical cap formed in such a way that the bearing surface has a first diameter in the region of a first end face of the sliding bearing pad and that the bearing surface has a second diameter in the region of a second end face of the sliding bearing pad, wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter and wherein the second diameter forms the largest diameter on the bearing surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sliding bearing according to claim 8, wherein an axial bearing ring is formed which is coupled to the outer ring element, wherein an axial sliding surface is formed on the sliding bearing pads, wherein an axial counter-sliding surface, which corresponds to the axial sliding surface, is formed on the axial bearing ring. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The sliding bearing according to claim 9, wherein a first labyrinth seal is formed in the axial bearing ring and/or wherein a second labyrinth seal is formed in a sealing ring. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The sliding bearing according to claim 1, wherein the outer ring element comprises a recess and/or a stiffening which serves to change the position of a shear center of the outer ring element. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The sliding bearing according to claim 1, wherein the counterface of the outer ring element and/or the bearing surfaces of the sliding bearing pads have a shape deviating from an ideal spherical cap by between 0.001 mm and 10 mm, which shape is configured such that load-induced deformations of the inner ring element and/or the outer ring element and/or the sliding bearing pad are compensated and, in the loaded state, the bearing surfaces of the sliding bearing pads lie flat against the counterface of the outer ring element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The sliding bearing according to claim 1, wherein at least one driving recess for conveying lubricating oil is formed on the bearing surface of at least one of the sliding bearing pads. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A nacelle for a wind turbine, the nacelle comprising: a nacelle housing; a rotor shaft; a rotor hub which is arranged on the rotor shaft; a rotor bearing for bearing the rotor shaft on the nacelle housing, wherein the rotor bearing comprises the sliding bearing according to claim 1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The nacelle according to claim 14, wherein the rotor shaft forms the inner ring element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The nacelle according to claim 14, wherein the bearing surface is configured in the form of a spherical cap in such a way that the bearing surface has a first diameter in the region of a first end face of the sliding bearing pad and that the bearing surface has a second diameter in the region of a second end face of the sliding bearing pad, wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter and wherein the second diameter forms the largest diameter on the bearing surface, wherein the second end face faces a rotor hub. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A wind turbine having a nacelle, the nacelle comprising: a nacelle housing; a rotor hub with rotor blades arranged thereon; a rotor bearing for bearing the rotor hub on the nacelle housing, wherein the rotor bearing comprises the sliding bearing according to claim 1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The wind turbine according to claim 17, wherein the outer ring element has a shear center, wherein the sliding bearing pad has a first end face and a second end face, wherein the sliding bearing pad acts on the outer ring element in a main direction of force, wherein the main direction of force acts closer to the second end face of the sliding bearing pad than where the shear center is formed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The sliding bearing according to claim 1, wherein the sliding bearing is formed as a hydrodynamic sliding bearing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The sliding bearing according to claim 19, wherein the bearing block base and the bearing block cover are divided such that a separation gap between the bearing block base and the bearing block cover is arranged at a distance from a load transfer zone. ### Claim 21 A sliding bearing comprising: an inner ring element; an outer ring element; at least one sliding bearing element, which is arranged between the inner ring element and the outer ring element, wherein the sliding bearing element comprises at least two sliding bearing pads, wherein the individual sliding bearing pads each have a bearing surface, which has the basic shape of a spherical cap, wherein at least individual ones of the sliding bearing pads are coupled to the inner ring element by fastening screws, wherein threaded holes are arranged in the inner ring element and wherein through holes are formed in the sliding bearing pads through which the fastening screws engage in the threaded holes. ### Claim 22 A sliding bearing comprising: an inner ring element; an outer ring element; at least one sliding bearing element, which is arranged between the inner ring element and the outer ring element, wherein the sliding bearing element comprises at least two sliding bearing pads, wherein the individual sliding bearing pads each have a bearing surface, which has the basic shape of a spherical cap, wherein the bearing surface cooperates with the outer ring element, and a counterface to the bearing surface is formed in the outer ring element, and the outer ring element is configured as a bearing block which comprises a bearing block base and a bearing block cover, wherein the bearing block base and the bearing block cover are divided such that a separation gap between the bearing block base and the bearing block cover is arranged at a distance from a load transfer zone such that the counterface in the region of the load transfer zone does not have a gap. ### Claim 23 A sliding bearing comprising: an inner ring element; an outer ring element; at least one sliding bearing element, which is arranged between the inner ring element and the outer ring element, wherein the sliding bearing element comprises at least two sliding bearing pads, wherein the individual sliding bearing pads each have a bearing surface, which has the basic shape of a spherical cap, wherein the bearing surface cooperates with the outer ring element, and a counterface to the bearing surface is formed in the outer ring element, and the outer ring element is configured as a bearing block which comprises a bearing block base and a bearing block cover, wherein the counterface is integrated in the bearing block base and the bearing block cover and is divided by a separation gap between the bearing block base and the bearing block cover.