Spacer assembly for a bearing
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsAdam Daniel Minadeo, Biju Nanukuttan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present subject matter is directed to a spacer assembly for a bearing of a wind turbine and/or a bearing assembly for a wind turbine. The bearing assembly includes an outer race, an inner race rotatable relative to the outer race, a plurality of roller elements positioned between the inner and outer race, and a plurality of load-bearing spacers configured between the roller elements. Each of the spacers includes a spacer portion and an extension portion. Thus, each of the spacers is arranged to contact adjacent spacers within the bearing assembly via the extension portion such that the extension portions of the spacers are configured to transfer loads experienced by the bearing assembly rather than the loads passing through the roller elements.
Claims20
A bearing assembly for a wind turbine, comprising;
- an outer race;
- an inner race rotatable relative to the outer race;
- a plurality of roller elements positioned between the inner and outer race;
- and,
- a plurality of load-bearing spacers configured between the roller elements, each of the spacers comprising a spacer portion and at least one extension portion,
- wherein the extension portion is configured to contact adjacent spacers within the bearing assembly so as to transfer loads experienced by the bearing assembly.
A spacer assembly for a roller-element bearing, the spacer assembly configured to maintain separation between adjacent roller elements of the bearing, the spacer assembly comprising:
- a plurality of load-bearing spacers, each of the spacers comprising:
- a spacer portion configured to receive at least a portion of one of the roller elements, and
- at least one extension portion configured to contact adjacent spacers within the roller-element bearing, wherein the extension portions of the spacers are configured to transfer loads experienced by the bearing.
The spacer assembly of claim 12, wherein each of the spacer portions comprises a cylindrical body comprising a pair of concave surfaces such that an adjoining pair of spacers comprises opposed concave surfaces adapted to receive one of the roller elements therebetween.
The bearing assembly of claim 14, wherein the first direction is tangential to the spacer portion.
A load-bearing spacer for a roller-element bearing, the spacer comprising:
- a spacer portion comprising a cylindrical body, the cylindrical body comprising a pair of concave surfaces, the concave surfaces adapted to receive a portion one of the roller elements therebetween;
- and,
- an extension portion configured to contact adjacent spacers within the roller-element bearing, wherein the extension portions are configured to transfer loads experienced by the bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.