PLANETARY GEAR MECHANISM FOR A WIND POWER PLANT

• US 20120108380A1
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flender GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Winergy AG (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: DINTER, RALF MARTIN, Klein-Hitpass, Arno, Meyer, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,591,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 475/159
• 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: F16C 17/02 for radial load only
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/04 for axial load only
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/26 Systems consisting of a plurality of sliding-contact bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/31 Wind motors in general F03D
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2361/61 Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts in general F16H57/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/0659 of pockets or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 32/0685 for radial load only
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/1055 from radial inside, e.g. via a passage through the shaft and/or inner sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2057/085 Bearings for orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0479 Gears or bearings on planet carriers
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0486 with fixed gear ratio differentials F16H57/0483
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/082 Planet carriers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A planetary gear mechanism for a wind power plant includes a sun gear, an internal gear and a planetary carrier with planetary gears supported by radial and axial slide bearings. The radial slide bearings include a sleeve made of a slide bearing material and attached as an inner ring to a planetary gear shaft or mounted as an outer ring in a bore in a planetary gear. An outer bearing ring cooperating with the inner ring is formed by the bore in the planetary gear, or an inner bearing ring cooperating with the outer ring is formed by the planetary gear shaft. A slide bearing material of a first bearing element of the axial slide bearings is applied between a planetary carrier cheek and an end side of a planetary gear. The end side of the planetary gear or the planetary carrier cheek forms a corresponding cooperating second bearing element.

Claims

1. A planetary gear mechanism for a wind power plant, comprising:

at least one sun gear, an internal gear and a planetary carrier,

a plurality of planetary gears comprising planetary gear shafts supported in the planetary carrier,

a plurality of radial slide bearings supporting the planetary gears, each radial slide bearing including a sleeve made of a slide bearing material, said sleeve being either attached as an inner ring to a planetary gear shaft or being mounted as an outer ring in a bore of a planetary gear, wherein an outer bearing ring cooperating with the inner ring is formed by the bore in the planetary gear or an inner bearing ring cooperating with the outer ring is formed by the planetary gear shaft, respectively, and

a plurality of axial slide bearings supporting the planetary gears, each axial slide bearing including a first bearing element made of a slide bearing material, said slide bearing material being applied to a contact face disposed between a planetary carrier cheek and an end face of a planetary gear either on the planetary carrier cheek or on the end face of the planetary gear, wherein a cooperating second bearing element is formed either by the end face of the planetary gear or by the planetary carrier cheek, respectively.

2. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

an oil distributor ring which radially surrounds a shaft of the sun gear and comprises a connection to an oil supply duct in a transmission housing for pressure lubrication of the axial slide bearings or the radial slide bearings, or both, and

at least one oil distribution duct disposed in the planetary carrier and connected to the oil distributor ring and terminating at a lubrication point for a planetary gear bearing.

3. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 2, wherein each planetary gear shaft comprises two radially extending bores which start from an oil distribution duct section which is parallel to the planetary gear shaft, and wherein each sleeve has two lubricant collecting devices and a circumferential lubricant supply groove arranged between the two lubricant collecting devices.

4. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein each of the planetary gear shafts comprises a first bore for splash lubrication of the axial slide bearings or radial slide bearings, or both, said first bore forming an oil reservoir constructed to be filled by dipping the respective planetary gear shaft into an oil sump.

5. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 4, wherein each of the planetary gear shafts comprises a radially extending second bore which starts from the oil reservoir and ends at the sleeve.

6. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 5, further comprising a lubricant collecting device disposed in a region the sleeve where the oil reservoir ends.

7. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 6, wherein the lubricant collecting device is formed by a recess on the sleeve.

8. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 4, wherein the planetary gear shafts comprise a collecting edge disposed on an end side of the planetary gear shaft and at least partially reducing a diameter of the first bore.

9. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein the planetary gears comprise a collecting edge disposed on an end side of the planetary gear for providing a lubricating film in a respective radial slide bearing.

10. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 9, wherein the collecting edge is integrally formed on a planetary gear in a region of the first bore or in a circumferential direction on the planetary gear shaft.

11. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein the sleeves are connected to a respective planetary gear shaft or a respective planetary gear by a friction lock, a positive lock or a material lock.

12. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein the sleeves are formed from a coating of a slide bearing material, which coating is materially joined with the respective planetary gear shaft or the respective planetary gear.

13. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 12, wherein the slide bearing material for the axial slide bearings or the radial slide bearings, or both, comprises a lead-free alloy.

14. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 13, wherein at least one of a tooth arrangement of the gears, the radial slide bearings and the axial slide bearings are lubricated with an oil having a viscosity grade of at least 320.

15. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 13, wherein at least one of a tooth arrangement of the gears, the radial slide bearings and the axial slide bearings are lubricated with an oil having an extra-pressure-additive.

16. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein at least one of axial slide bearings and the radial slide bearings is constructed of copper-zinc alloys having a zinc fraction between 6% and 40%.

17. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 16, wherein the copper-zinc alloys further comprise at least one additional alloy element selected from Al, Ni, Mn, Si and Fe.

18. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein at least one of the axial slide bearings and the radial slide bearings is constructed of copper-tin alloys having a tin fraction between 4% and 12%.

19. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 18, wherein the copper-tin alloys further comprise at least one additional alloy element selected from Ni and Zn.

20. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein at least one of the axial slide bearings and the radial slide bearings is constructed of aluminum-tin alloys having a tin fraction between 6% and 40%.

21. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein the slide bearing material of the radial slide bearings or the axial slide bearings, or both, is roll-bonded onto a steel supporting body.

22. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein the axial slide bearings or radial slide bearings, or both, have a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coating.

23. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein the axial slide bearings or the radial slide bearings, or both, have a top coating comprising a synthetic or galvanic running-in layer.

24. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein the axial slide bearings or the radial slide bearings, or both, assume a corrected geometric shape produced by a deformation of adjoining components.

25. The planetary gear mechanism of claim 1, wherein the corrected geometric shape comprises a profile akin to a pitched-roof-structure or a rotationally symmetric structure.