Driveline between a rotor and a generator of a wind turbine

A driveline configured to connect a wind turbine rotor and a wind turbine generator, the driveline comprising:

• a planetary gear unit having a planet carrier rotatably supported relative to a housing part by a rolling-element bearing;
• the rolling-element bearing comprising:
• an inner ring and an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring and configured for relative motion therebetween about a rolling-element bearing axis of rotation;
• a plurality of spacer elements each of which is disposed between a separate one of adjacent pairs of the plurality of rolling elements;
• the plurality of spacer elements each having a first running surface and a second running surface for guiding one of the plurality of rolling elements, each of the plurality of spacer elements having lateral rolling surfaces comprising a first running surface and a second running surface for guiding one of the plurality of rolling elements, the lateral rolling surfaces being configured as complementary to a shape of the plurality of rolling elements;
• wherein, apart from the spacer elements and components thereof, a region between the inner ring and the outer ring includes no cage elements such that at least one rolling-element bearing is a non-separable unit;
• and
• the plurality of the spacer elements are each connected to adjacent ones of the plurality of spacer elements by one of the group of a cord and a cable, the one of the group of the cord and the cable being located entirely radially inwardly from a pitch circle diameter of the rolling-element bearing, the pitch circle diameter, as measured from the rolling-element bearing axis of rotation, intersects a lowest point on an outer surface of each of the plurality of rolling elements that intersect a rolling element axis of rotation thereof.