US 7,828,682 B2Granted

Gearbox for a wind turbine

AssigneeHansen Transmissions International NV

InventorWarren Gregory Smook

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Abstract

A gearbox for a wind turbine includes a ring wheel unit provided in a housing; a driving shaft designed to be coupled to the rotor of the wind turbine and a single main bearing or a pair of main bearings which rotatably support the driving shaft in the housing. The ring wheel unit is formed of a sun wheel, a planet wheel, ring wheel which is fixed to the housing in a non-rotating manner and a planet carrier which is rigidly connected to the driving shaft. An additional bearing rotatably supports the planet carrier or the driving shaft relative to the housing. Between the part of the housing having the main bearing or the main bearings and the part of the housing with the additional bearing and the ring wheel, an elastic part is provided with relative torsional stiffness, yet relatively flexible to loads in the axial and/or radial direction.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A gearbox for a wind turbine, comprising:

a ring wheel unit in a housing;
a driving shaft designed to be coupled to a rotor of the wind turbine and a single main or a pair of main bearings which supports the driving shaft such that it can rotate in the housing,
wherein the ring wheel unit is formed of a sun wheel, a planet wheel, a ring wheel which is fixed to the housing in a non-rotating manner, and a planet carrier which is rigidly connected to the driving shaft,
wherein an additional bearing is provided to support the planet carrier or the driving shaft in a rotating manner in relation to the housing, and
wherein an elastic part connects a first part of the housing in which the main bearing or the main bearings are provided and a second part of the housing in which the additional bearing and the ring wheel are provided, the elastic part having a relative torsional stiffness and being relatively flexible to loads in the axial direction and/or to loads in a radial direction compared to surrounding parts of the housing.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/797,813Filed 8 May 2007
Priority: BE 2006/026811 May 2006
Published: US 2007/0265133 A115 Nov 2007
Granted: 9 Nov 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

F16H 1/48
With gears having orbital motion: special means compensating for misalignment of axes , e.g. for equalising distribution of load on the face width…
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