DEVICE FOR LUBRICATING A TRANSMISSION AND A BEARING

• US 20130336764A1
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: H Y D A C Filtertechnik GmbH
• Original Assignee: H Y D A C Filtertechnik GmbH
• Inventors: Schmidt, Armin
• Granted Patent: US 9,982,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/110
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/00 Heating, cooling, or controlling temperature of lubricant arrangement of lubricant coolers in engine cooling system F01P11/08; Lubrication means facilitating engine starting
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/20 Heat transfer, e.g. cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/243 related to temperature and heat, e.g. for preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/525 related to temperature and heat, e.g. insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/31 Wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for lubricating a transmission (1) and a bearing (1′), in particular a rotor bearing in a wind turbine. The transmission (1) and the bearing (1′) are each associated with at least one lubrication circuit (3, 5) of the device. and a lubricating medium flows in each circuit during the operation of the device. The device has a heat exchanging device (7, 59, 61) for transferring heat between the lubrication circuit (3) of the transmission (1) and the lubrication circuit (5) of the bearing (1′), and the beat exchanging device (7, 59, 61) at least partially compensates for a difference between the temperature of the lubricating medium in the lubrication circuit (3) of the transmission (1) and the temperature of the lubricating medium in the lubrication circuit (5) of the bearing (1′) by means of heat compensation during the operation of the device.

Claims

1. A device for lubricating a transmission (1) as well as a bearing (1′

), in particular a rotor bearing in a wind turbine, wherein the transmission (1) and the bearing (1′

) are each associated with at least one lubrication circuit (3, 5) of the device, in each of which circuit a lubricating medium flows during the operation of the device, characterized in that the device has a heat exchanging device (7, 59, 61) for heat transfer between the lubrication circuit (3) of the transmission (1) and the lubrication circuit (5) of the bearing (1′

), and that during the operation of the device, the heat exchanging device (7, 59, 61) a difference between the temperature of the lubricating medium in the lubrication circuit (3) of the transmission (1) and the temperature of the lubricating medium in the lubrication circuit (5) of the bearing (1′

) are at least partially compensated for through heat equalization.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat exchanging device has a heat exchanger (59, 61) with a separator (15), preferably a partition for separating a first region (11) of the heat exchanger (59, 61) disposed on a first side (17) of the separator (15) from a second region (13) of the heat exchanger (59, 61) disposed on a second side (19) of the separator (15), in that the separator (15) provides thermal coupling between the first region (11) and the second region (13), and in that one of the lubricating media can be passed through in the first region (11), and comes into contact with the separator (15) on its first side (17) for the purpose of heat transfer.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the other lubricating medium can be passed through in the second region (13) and comes into contact with the separator (15) on its second side (19) for the purpose of heat transfer, so that there is a heat transfer from the separator (15) to the other lubricating medium and a heat transmission through the separator (15) is established.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the other lubricating medium that comes into contact with the second side (19) of the separator (15) of the heat exchanger (59, 61) is connected to the associated lubrication circuit (5) so that fluid is conducted, in particular in that the other lubricating medium flowing in the associated lubrication circuit (5) is conducted completely through the heat exchanger (59, 61).

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the separator (15) of the heat exchanger (59, 61) comes into contact with a heat transfer medium from the second side, in particular a water-glycol mixture, so that there is a heat transfer from the separator (15) to the heat transfer medium and a heat transmission through the separator (15) is established.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the heat transfer device has a further heat exchanger (59, 61), which comes into contact with the heat transfer medium on a first side of its separator (15), and which comes into contact with the other lubricating medium as a further heat transfer fluid on a second side (19) of its separator (15), so that the heat transfer medium makes a heat transfer between the two lubricating media possible, but is separated from these media in a fluid-tight manner.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat transfer device has a pump (21) for the forced passage of one of the lubricating media or of the heat transfer medium through the heat exchanger (59, 61).

8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat exchanger (59, 61) is designed as a plate bundle exchanger or tube bundle exchanger.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the heat transfer between the lubrication circuit (3) associated with the transmission (1) and the lubrication circuit (5) associated with the rotor bearing (1′

) is improved by a locally close proximity of the two lubrication circuits (3, 5) and/or by a high thermal conductivity of a housing (71) of the wind turbine that accommodates the device.