Bearing unit for a long rotor blade of a wind power installation, wind power installation comprising one such rotor blade bearing arrangement, and method for operating one such wind power installation

A method for operating a wind power system with at least one elongated rotor blade mounted on a hub (3) of a wind turbine by means of a bearing unit (1;

• 1′;
• 52) provided with two connecting elements (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) concentric with one another, one of the connecting elements (13) being rigidly connected to a back end (5) of the at least one elongated rotor blade (2), and the other connecting element (14) being rigidly connected to the rotor hub (3), with the two connecting elements (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) having surface areas (59, 60) facing one another, between which there is a gap, such that the connecting elements (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) turn freely with respect to one another, wherein each of the two connecting elements (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) exhibits an annular configuration, with attachment boreholes (17, 18;
• 57, 58) arranged in the form of a crown, for connection to the hub (3) and to an annular connecting surface (6) at the back end of the rotor blade (2),
• a) the bearing unit (1;
• 1′;
• 52) being provided with at least two races (22, 23;
• 36, 37;
• 63, 64) axially displaced from one another in a gap between the two surface areas (59, 60) facing one another on each connecting element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54), each for a row of rotating rollers (24, 25, 61, 62), each of the rollers adapted to roll between a race (63) of the one connecting element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54), and the race (64) of the other connecting element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54),
• b) the rotating rollers (24, 25;
• 61, 62) running in an annular gap between the two connecting elements (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) in a space sealed off from surroundings;
• c) the at least two races (22, 23;
• 36, 37;
• 63, 64) being axially displaced from one another on each connecting element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54), each race for a row of rotating rollers (24, 25;
• 61, 62), wherein
• d) the bearing unit (1;
• 1′;
• 52) is adapted to mount at least one rotor blade with the rollers (24, 25;
• 61, 62) adapted to run along the two races and provided with a selected one of generally cylindrical, conical, needle-shaped, and barrel-shaped configuration;
• e) wherein the rollers (24, 25;
• 61, 62) of the two races, axially displaced with respect to one another, are aligned such that their axes of rotation (31;
• 69, 70) intersect a longitudinal axis of a rotor blade (2) at an angle of 30°-90°;
• the method comprising the steps of
• f) controlling the at least one elongated rotor blade such that it is turned around its longitudinal axis at least during operation of the wind power system even when a constant wind velocity does not make it necessary to adjust the blade, and
• g) wherein the at least one rotor blade (2) is formed as a lateral surface (4) surrounding an internal cavity, which lateral surface (4) approximates a shape of a lateral cylinder surface at a rearward end (5) of the rotor blade (2) and extends to a planar rearward connection surface (6) with annular disposed bores (7) which coincide with annular distributed through-bores (17, 18;
• 57, 58) in a connection element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) with regard to number, diameter and orientation, such that the bores and through-bores are aligned with each other, whereby a screw or a bolt is adapted to be inserted into the connection element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54), the screw or bolt being anchored in the rotor blade.

Wind power system comprising at least one elongated rotor blade mounted on a hub (3) of a wind turbine by means of a bearing unit (1;

• 1′;
• 52) provided with two connecting elements (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) concentric with one another, one of the connecting elements (13) being rigidly connected to a back end (5) of the at least one elongated rotor blade, the other connecting element (14) being rigidly connected to the rotor hub (3), with the two connecting elements (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) having surface areas (59, 60) facing one another, between which there is a gap, such that the connecting elements (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) turn freely with respect to one another, wherein each of the two connecting elements (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) exhibits an annular configuration, each provided with attachment boreholes (17, 18;
• 57, 58) arranged in the form of a crown, for connection to the hub (3) and to an annular connecting surface (6) at a back end of said rotor blade (2);
• a) wherein at each circumferential region (21, 36) in the gap between the two surface areas (59, 60), an inner surface of the outer connecting element (14) and an outer surface of the radially inward connecting element (13) is provided with at least two races (22, 23;
• 36, 37;
• 63, 64) for rotating rollers (24, 25;
• 61, 62) which roll between the race (63) of the one connecting element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) and the race (64) of the other connecting element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54);
• b) the rotating rollers (24, 25;
• 61, 62) running in an annular gap between the two connecting elements (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) in a space sealed off from surroundings;
• c) the at least two races (22, 23;
• 36, 37;
• 63, 64) being axially displaced from one another on each connecting element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54), each for a row of the rotating rollers (24, 25;
• 61, 62), wherein
• d) the rollers (24, 25;
• 61, 62) of the two races are displaced from one another and are provided with a selected one of a cylindrical, a conical, a needle-shaped, and barrel-shaped configuration;
• wherein
• e) the rollers (24, 25;
• 61, 62) of the two races, axially displaced with respect to one another, are aligned such that their axes of rotation (31;
• 69, 70) intersect a longitudinal axis of said rotor blade (2) at an angle of 30°-90°;
• wherein
• f) there is provided means for controlling said at least one elongated rotor blade such that said blade is constantly or periodically turned around its longitudinal axis, at least during operation of the wind power system, even when a constant wind velocity does not make it necessary to adjust said blade;
• wherein
• g) said at least one rotor blade (2) is formed as a lateral surface (4) surrounding an internal cavity, the lateral surface (4) having a configuration generally constituting a lateral cylinder surface at a rearward end (5) of said rotor blade (2) and extends to a planar rearward connection surface (6) with annular disposed bores (7), which coincide with annular distributed through-bores (17, 18;
• 57, 58) in a connecting element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54) with regard to number, diameter and orientation, such that the bores and through-bores are aligned with each other and permit insertion of a screw or a bolt into the connecting element (13, 14;
• 13′, 14′;
• 53, 54), which screw or bolt is adapted to be screwed into said rotor blade (2) or is otherwise anchored therein,
• h) wherein each of the annular disposed bores (7) in the planar rearward connection surface (6) of said rotor blade (2) leads to a respective anchoring body (8) implanted in said rotor blade (2) and extends into the anchoring body (8) as an internally threaded bore.