Dry sump lubrication system with removable oil reservoir for wind turbine gearbox

• US 20050034925A1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International NV (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Hansen Transmissions International NV (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Smook, Warren, Flamang, Peter
• Application Number:
  US10/491,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20050034925A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 184/6.120
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/00 Transmission of mechanical power
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/10 using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/40311 of the epicyclic, planetary or differential type
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/46 Systems consisting of a plurality of gear trains each with orbital gears, i.e. systems having three or more central gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/041 for conveying rotary motion with constant gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0402 Cleaning of lubricants, e.g. filters or magnets
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0434 relating to lubrication supply, e.g. pumps arrangement of pumps F16H57/0441; Pressure control grooves with pumping effect for supplying lubricant F16H57/0428; generation and variation of line pressure for transmission control F16H61/0021
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0482 Gearings with gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A gear unit for use in wind turbine applications has a dry sump and is lubricated from an external reservoir whereby routine oil change may be undertaken by removing an external reservoir containing used oil and replacing it by a reservoir containing fresh oil.

Claims

1. Gear unit for use in wind turbine applications characterised by the fact that the gear unit has a dry sump and is lubricated from an external reservoir

2. Gear unit according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that the gear unit consist of several modules each of which receives fresh oil from the lubrication system and returns the used oil to the external reservoir.

3. Gear unit according to claim 2 characterised by the fact that each return line is equipped with a debris trap device allowing evaluation of each of the modules.

4. Gear unit according to claim 1 characterised by the fact that the regular oil change is carried out by removing the complete external oil reservoir and replacing it with a fresh oil reservoir

5. Gear unit according to claim 3 characterised by the fact that not only the oil reservoir is exchanged at the time of oil change, but also a number of dedicated parts of the oil conditioning system attached to the reservoir.

6. Gear unit according to claim 2 characterised by the fact that the gear unit comprises an integrated wind turbine rotor bearing arrangement that is also lubricated with fresh oil from the same reservoir.

7. Gear unit according to claim 5 characterised by the fact that the gear unit is sealed at a large diameter by a sealing arrangement whose function is based on non contacting sealing principles.