Uptower main bearing replacement
AssigneeInventus Holdings, LLC
InventorsMartin E. Lohan, Per Eske Fenger, Charles Asheim, Miguel A. Gonzalez, Daniel M. Brake
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for performing uptower maintenance of a wind turbine in order to replace the main bearing on the turbine shaft is disclosed. Embodiments of this method to perform maintenance may include installing a rotor lock to resist rotation of the main shaft during maintenance, providing a lifting device in order to elevate the main shaft, removing the main bearing from its main bearing housing, and installing a replacement split main bearing. A crane may also be installed uptower to assist in the maintenance.
Claims19
A method for performing maintenance of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- destructively cutting using one of a saw or a grinder, uptower, a press-fit bearing from a main shaft, while the main shaft is mechanically coupled to one or more blades in the wind turbine, and the press-fit bearing having been previously slid onto the main shaft and then press-fit on the main shaft downtower;
- and
- installing a split main bearing to the main shaft while the main shaft is mechanically coupled to the one or more blades.
A method for performing maintenance of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- removing a circular main bearing wherein the circular main bearing comprises a circular component which has been press-fit on a main shaft in the wind turbine by destroying the circular component by destructively cutting using one of a saw or a grinder, uptower, the circular main bearing in order to remove the circular main bearing from the main shaft while the main shaft is mechanically coupled at a first end to one or more blades in the wind turbine and the main shaft is mechanically coupled at a second end to a gearbox installed in the wind turbine and the circular component having been previously slid onto the main shaft and then press-fit on the main shaft downtower;
- and
- installing a split main bearing comprising a plurality of semi-circular components to the main shaft while the main shaft remains is mechanically coupled to the blades at the first end and to the gearbox at the second end.
A method for performing maintenance of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- removing a circular main bearing comprising a press-fit circular component having a diameter accommodating a main shaft in the wind turbine by destructively cutting using one of a saw or a grinder, uptower, the main bearing from the main shaft while the main shaft is mechanically coupled at a first end to one or more blades in the wind turbine and the main shaft is mechanically coupled at a second end to a gearbox installed in the wind turbine, and the press-fit circular component having been previously slid onto the main shaft and then press-fit on the main shaft downtower;
- and
- installing a split main bearing comprising a plurality of semi-circular components having diameters accommodating to the main shaft to the main shaft while the main shaft remains is mechanically coupled to the blades at the first end and to the gearbox at the second end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.