Gear set, wind turbine incorporating such a gear set and method of servicing a wind turbine

• US 8,696,314 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mashue, Aaron John, Moore, Bradley Graham, Goodwin, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hargitt, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US12/815,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20110142617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 415/122.1, 415/229, 416/170.R, 298/891, 475/344, 475/180, 743/84, 743/85, 744/20, 744/21.R, 744/60, 744/68
• US Class Current: 416/170.R
• 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 7/0224 Adjusting blade pitch
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/4031 as in toothed gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/76 the adjusting mechanism using auxiliary power sources
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/79 Bearing, support or actuation arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2202/04 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/31 Wind motors in general F03D
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/581 integral with other parts, e.g. with housings or machine elements such as shafts or gear wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2057/02078 for wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2057/0235 specially adapted to allow easy accessibility and repair using repair kits F16H2057/0068
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/023 Mounting or installation of gears or shafts in the gearboxes, e.g. methods or means for assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49318 Repairing or disassembling

Abstract

A gear set is disclosed. The gear set includes a bearing including an inner race and an outer race, one of the inner race and the outer race being a ring gear including a plurality of first teeth having a first hardness; and a pinion meshable with the ring gear, and including a plurality of second teeth having a second hardness. The second hardness is no greater than the first hardness. A wind turbine incorporating such a gear set and a method of servicing a wind turbine are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A gear set comprising:

a bearing comprising an inner race and an outer race, one of the inner race and the outer race being a ring gear comprising a plurality of first teeth having a first hardness; and

a pinion meshable with the ring gear, and comprising a plurality of second teeth having a second hardness,

wherein the second hardness is no greater than the first hardness.

2. The gear set of claim 1, wherein the first teeth or the second teeth comprise an alloy.

3. The gear set of claim 2, wherein the alloy comprises 17CrNiMo6 or 42CrMo4QT.

4. The gear set of claim 1, wherein the first hardness is in the range from 28 HRC to 58 HRC.

5. The gear set of claim 1, wherein the second hardness is substantially the same as the first hardness.

6. A wind turbine comprising:

a first component;

a second component;

a bearing comprising an inner race and an outer race, one of the inner race and the outer race being a ring gear connected to one of the first component and the second component, the ring gear comprising a plurality of first teeth having a first hardness, the other of the inner race and the outer race being connected to the other of the first component and the second component; and

a drive unit stationarily disposed relative to the other of the first component and the second component, the drive unit comprising a drive gear meshing with the ring gear, and comprising a plurality of second teeth having a second hardness,

wherein the second hardness is no greater than the first hardness.

7. The wind turbine of claim 6, wherein the first teeth or the second teeth comprise an alloy.

8. The wind turbine of claim 7, wherein the alloy comprises Cr or Mo.

9. The wind turbine of claim 6, wherein the first hardness is in the range from 28 HRC to 58 HRC.

10. The wind turbine of claim 9, wherein the first hardness is in the range from 28 HRC to 34 HRC or from 48 HRC to 58 HRC.

11. The wind turbine of claim 6, wherein the drive unit further comprises a gearbox comprising a shaft which is coaxial with the drive gear.

12. The wind turbine of claim 11, wherein the drive gear and the shaft are manufactured as two separate pieces.

13. The wind turbine of claim 11, wherein the drive gear and the shaft are manufactured as a one-piece element.

14. The wind turbine of claim 6, wherein the first component is a hub of the wind turbine, the second component is a blade of the wind turbine, and the drive unit further comprises a motor supported by the hub and drivingly connected to the drive gear.

15. The wind turbine of claim 6, wherein the first component is a tower of the wind turbine, and the second component is a nacelle of the wind turbine, and the drive unit further comprises a motor supported by the nacelle and drivingly connected to the drive gear.

16. The wind turbine of claim 6, wherein the second hardness is substantially the same as the first hardness.

17. A method of servicing a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a first component;

a second component;

a bearing comprising an inner race and an outer race, one of the inner race and the outer race being a ring gear connected to one of the first component and the second component and comprising a plurality of first teeth having a first hardness, the other of the inner race and the outer race being connected to the other of the first component and the second component; and

a drive unit stationarily disposed relative to the other of the first component and the second component, the drive unit comprising a drive gear meshing with the ring gear, and comprising a plurality of second teeth having a second hardness greater than the first hardness, the method comprising;

replacing the drive gear with a replacement drive gear comprising third teeth having a third hardness no greater than the first hardness when the first teeth of the ring gear reach a predetermined percent of their expected operational life.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first teeth of the ring gear reach the predetermined percent when the first teeth lose approximately 50 percent of their material.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first hardness is in the range from 28 HRC to 58 HRC.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the third hardness is substantially the same as the first hardness.