US 7,410,442 B2Granted

Transmission containing helical gearing and bearing arrangement therefor

AssigneeThe Timken Company

InventorGerald P. Fox

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Abstract

A transmission for a wind turbine includes a housing (20) in which two shafts (26, 28) rotate, each being supported on a locating bearing (50, 60) which transmits thrust loads to the housing as well as radial loads and on a nonlocating bearing (48, 58) which transmits only radial loads to the housing. The shafts carry helical gears (52, 52, 62) which induce thrust loads in the shafts when the shafts transmit torque. The locating bearings are unitized single row tapered roller bearings which are oriented to transmit thrust loads in the primary direction through their raceways (132, 138) and in the secondary direction through ribs (134, 144) at the ends of their rollers (146). The nonlocating bearings take the form of a single row cylindrical roller bearings which accommodate differential thermal expansion and contraction between the shafts and housing.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In a wind turbine having a wind-driven rotor and an electrical generator, a transmission located between the rotor and the generator for transferring power between them, said transmission comprising:

a housing;
a shaft in the housing;
a helical gear on the shaft and meshing with another helical gear such that torque applied to the gears imparts a thrust load to the shaft, with the direction of the thrust depending on the direction of rotation, one direction of rotation normally resulting in a greater thrust than the other direction of rotation;
a first bearing supporting the shaft in the housing and being capable of transferring radial loads between the shaft and the housing;
a second bearing supporting the shaft in the housing and being capable of transferring both radial loads and thrust loads in both axial directions between the shaft and the housing, the second bearing including:
a cone located around the shaft and having a tapered raceway presented outwardly away from the shaft;
a cup located in the housing and having a tapered raceway presented inwardly toward the raceway on the cone;
a small rib at the small end of the tapered raceway on the cone;
a large rib at the large end of the tapered raceway on the cup;
and
tapered rollers located in a single row between the raceways and between the ribs and having their tapered side faces against the raceways and their large and small end faces along the large and small ribs, respectively;
whereby thrust loads in one direction are applied to the rollers at the raceways and in the other direction are applied to the rollers at the ribs, the bearing being oriented such that the normally greater thrust loads are applied to the rollers at the raceways.

9 more elements

A transmission for a wind turbine having a rotor and a generator, said transmission comprising:

a housing;
a planetary set in the housing and being connected to the rotor;
a drive shaft also connected to the planetary set such that it rotates at an angular velocity greater than the velocity of the rotor;
a helical bull gear on the drive shaft;
an intermediate shaft in the housing;
locating and nonlocating antifriction bearings supporting the intermediate shaft in the housing;
a helical gear and a helical pinion carried by the intermediate shaft, with the pinion meshing with the bull gear;
an output shaft in the housing and being connected to the generator;
locating and nonlocating antifriction bearings supporting the output shaft in the housing;
and
a pinion carried by the output shaft and meshing with the helical gear on the intermediate shaft;
wherein the nonlocating bearings transfer only radial loads between their shafts and the housing;
wherein the locating bearings transfer radial loads and thrust loads in both axial directions between their shafts and the housing, with each shaft normally experiencing thrust in one direction of a magnitude greater than in the other direction, each locating bearing comprising:
a cone on the shaft supported by the bearing and having a tapered raceway that is presented away from the shaft;
a cup in the housing and having a tapered raceway that is presented toward the raceway on the cone,
a small rib at the small end of the raceway on the cone;
a large rib at the large end of the raceway on the cup;
tapered rollers arranged in a single row between the raceways on the cone and cup and between the ribs, with the tapered side faces of the rollers being against the raceways and the small and large end faces of the rollers being along the small and large ribs, respectively, whereby each locating bearing can transfer thrust in both axial directions;
and
wherein the locating bearings are oriented such that the greatest thrust loads are transferred through the rollers at the raceways of the bearings.

17 more elements

A transmission for wind turbine having a rotor and a generator, said transmission comprising:

a housing;
a drive shaft in the housing where it rotates at an angular velocity greater than the velocity of the rotor;
a helical bull gear on the drive shaft;
an intermediate shaft in the housing;
locating and nonlocating antifriction bearings supporting the intermediate shaft in the housing;
a helical gear and a helical pinion carried by the intermediate shaft, with the pinion meshing with the bull gear;
an output shaft in the housing and being connected to the generator;
locating and nonlocating antifriction bearings supporting the output shaft in the housing;
and
a helical pinion carried by the output shaft and meshing with the helical gear on the intermediate shaft;
wherein the nonlocating bearings transfer only radial loads between their shafts and the housing;
wherein the locating bearings transfer radial loads and thrust loads in both axial directions between their shafts and the housing, with each shaft normally experiencing thrust in one direction of a magnitude greater than in the other direction, each locating bearing comprising:
a cone on the shaft supported by the bearing and having a tapered raceway that is presented away from the shaft;
a cup in the housing and having a tapered raceway that is presented toward the raceway on the cone;
a small rib at the small end of the raceway on the cone;
a large rib at the large end of the raceway on the cup;
tapered rollers arranged in a single row between the raceways on the cone and cup and between the ribs, with the tapered side faces of the rollers being against the raceways and the small and large end faces of the rollers being along the small and large ribs, respectively, whereby each locating bearing can transfer thrust in both axial directions;
and
wherein the locating bearings are oriented such that the greatest thrust loads are transferred through the rollers at the raceways of the bearings.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/561,032Filed 30 Jun 2004 · us provisional application
Priority: 2 Jul 2003
Published: US 2007/0099745 A13 May 2007
Granted: 12 Aug 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

F16C 19/364
With a single row of rollers: with tapered rollers, i.e. rollers having essentially the shape of a truncated cone
F03D 15/00
Transmission of mechanical power
F03D 15/10
Transmission of mechanical power: using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
F03D 80/70
Details, components or accessories not provided for in groups F03D1/00 - F03D17/00: bearing or lubricating arrangements