Yaw assembly for a rotatable system and method of assembling the same
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorNirmal Kumar Aiyakkannu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A yaw drive assembly for a rotatable system includes an input shaft configured to receive a torque from a yaw drive motor coupled within a body of the rotatable system, wherein the torque facilitates rotating the rotatable system about a yaw axis. The yaw drive assembly includes at least two output shafts configured to receive the torque and transmit a rotational yaw force to the rotatable system, and a differential gear stage operatively coupled to the two output shafts, wherein the differential gear stage includes a differential planetary gear configured to drive a pinion coupled to each of the two output shafts.
Claims20
A yaw drive assembly for a rotatable system, said yaw drive assembly comprising:
- an input shaft configured to receive a torque from a yaw drive motor coupled within a body of said rotatable system, the torque facilitates rotating the rotatable system about a yaw axis;
- at least two output shafts configured to receive the torque and transmit a rotational yaw force to the rotatable system;
- and
- a differential gear stage operatively coupled to said output shafts, said differential gear stage comprising a differential planetary gear configured to drive a pinion coupled to each of said output shafts.
A wind turbine comprising:
- a yaw drive motor;
- at least one yaw drive assembly operatively coupled to said yaw drive motor, said yaw drive assembly comprising:
- an input shaft configured to receive a torque from said yaw drive motor coupled within a body of said wind turbine, the torque facilitates rotating said wind turbine about a yaw axis;
- at least two output shafts configured to receive the torque and transmit a rotational yaw force to said wind turbine;
- and
- a differential gear stage operatively coupled to said output shafts, said differential gear stage comprising a differential planetary gear configured to drive a pinion coupled to each of said output shafts.
A method for assembling a rotatable system, said method comprising:
- coupling a yaw drive assembly to a yaw drive motor via an input shaft, the input shaft configured to receive a torque from a yaw drive motor coupled within a body of the rotatable system, the torque facilitates rotating the rotatable system about a yaw axis;
- extending at least two output shafts from the yaw drive assembly, the output shafts configured to transmit a rotational yaw force to the rotatable system;
- and
- operatively coupling a differential gear stage to the output shafts, the differential gear stage including a differential planetary gear configured to drive a pinion coupled to each of the output shafts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.