Expertise in Bearing Technology and Service for Wind Turbines the Company
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Expertise in Bearing Technology and Service for Wind Turbines The Company Expertise through knowledge and experience FAG Kugelfischer is the pioneer of the For over 30 years, INA and FAG have Monitoring systems, lubricants, mounting rolling bearing industry. In 1883, Friedrich designed and produced bearing arrange- and maintenance tools. In this way, Fischer designed a ball mill that was the ments for wind turbines. Within Schaeffler Schaeffler Group Industrial helps to historic start of the rolling bearing industry. Group Industrial, the specialists from achieve low operating costs for wind INA began its path to success in 1949 the business unit “Wind power” work turbines. with the development of the needle closely with designers, manufacturers Core skills roller and cage assembly by Dr. Georg and operators of wind turbines. This Schaeffler – a stroke of genius that has resulted in unbeatable know-how: • Wide range of application-specific helped the needle roller bearing to make as early as the concept phase, detailed bearing designs, intensive ongoing its breakthrough in industry. Schaeffler attention is paid to customer require- product development Group Industrial with its two strong ments. Bearing selection and documen- • Soundly-based consultancy by brands, INA and FAG, today has not only tation are backed up by sophisticated experienced engineers a high performance portfolio in rolling calculation methods. Products developed • Optimum application of customer bearings but also, through joint research to a mature technical level are optimally requirements and development activities, products matched to the particular task. The range and services of unsurpassed quality. is intelligently rounded off by Condition • State of the art calculation programs such as Bearinx® for optimum product selection • Comprehensive service for operation including detailed analyses • Condition Monitoring system recognized by Allianz Insurance • General and customer-specific training programs • Worldwide adherence to quality and environmental policy (ISO 9000/ QS 9000, ISO/TS 16949:2002, ISO 14001) 2 From a single source A comprehensive range for wind turbines Rotor shaft: Proven, high The ideal bearing arrangement Extended bearing service life in Wind tracking and blade adjust- performance bearing concepts for any gearbox generators by means of current ment: Bearing arrangements insulation ensure long term mobility (Picture: DeWind GmbH) Remote monitoring and Mounting and maintenance Rolling bearing lubrication – Concentrated knowledge for diagnosis critical for service life expert bearing design 3 Bearing Technology Proven, high performance bearing concepts for rotor shafts In wind turbines, the rotor shaft arrange- Shaft bearing arrangement rolling bearing. The design as a double ment is of central importance. This is The classical, repeatedly proven solution row tapered roller bearing is matched to where all the forces and moments act consists of a locating/floating bearing the operating conditions. This also applies directly that are induced by the wind. arrangement with spherical, cylindrical to the dimensions; large bearings can be The rolling bearings are subjected to or tapered roller bearings. over 400 mm wide and over 3 000 mm in highly dynamic loads and operating outside diameter. conditions. In partnership with customers, Hub bearing arrangement Rotor bearing housings the Schaeffler Group engineers develop The adjusted bearing arrangement the most efficient bearing arrangement contains two tapered roller bearings. Bearing housings calculated using state for each case. Low friction bearings from The alternative locating/floating arrange- of the art methods ensure the best INA and FAG are used in the power trains ment comprises a matched tapered roller possible support of forces and moments of modern turbines throughout the world, bearing and cylindrical roller bearing. with optimum dimensioning. In almost from 220 kW to the latest multi-megawatt all cases, development is undertaken class. Single bearing concepts for specific customer requirements and These designs combine the force and the housings are matched to the bearings moment support functions in a multi-row used. 4 The ideal bearing arrangement for any gearbox Increasing megawatt ratings require INA and FAG bearings used: tapered supplement existing models derived larger and higher capacity gearboxes. The roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings from analogies and measurements. operating conditions for rolling bearings with cage, full complement cylindrical Higher operational safety and cost- in wind turbine gearboxes cannot be roller bearings, deep groove ball bearings efficiency with tapered roller bearing units compared with those for static gearboxes. and four point contact bearings. Highly dynamic forces with extreme peak Ready-to-fit, optimum designs of tapered loads and minimal loads, sudden load New simulation calculations roller bearing units for high speed reversals and widely differing operating Deformation of the gearbox housing can gearbox shafts are be fitted quickly temperatures are some of the challenges place additional load on the bearings. without errors and reduce the logistics facing the bearing arrangements. Bearings Load peaks can also occur as a result of effort required. The internal clearance with high static load safety factor and braking and other influences in turbine is matched using adjusted intermediate secure dynamic design according to control. New simulation calculations rings. Load distribution and friction can international design guidelines such as of the dynamic behavior of the power be optimized by the effect of differing ISO 81 400 are the right solution here. train lead to precise load models and contact angles. X-life. elements and mating track under identical With their optimized characteristics, X-life Higher cost-effectiveness. loads. This means: bearings open up completely new applica- Higher operational reliability. • reduced friction and tion prospects such as downsizing of the X-life represents premium products from the • lower bearing temperatures bearing support. Furthermore, the improved brands INA and FAG and gives completely new • less strain is placed on the lubricant price/performance ratio ultimately increases design opportunities for design engineers. • a higher basic dynamic load rating the overall cost-effectiveness of the bearing • a higher basic rating life. support. The use of state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies has resulted in a better, more Consequently, the operating life of X-life uniform surface over the whole contact face bearings is considerably longer under the between the rolling elements and raceway. same operating conditions. On the other As a result, there is a significant reduction hand, higher loads can be applied while in the stress conditions present on the rolling maintaining the same rating life values. 5 Bearing Technology Longer service life by current insulation A generator operating in the nacelle of a wind turbine is subjected to significantly greater vibration loads than its counter- part on the ground. This additional permanent load has a negative influence on the cages and places a strain on the lubricant. In the design of bearings for a generator, it is not only the speed, size and design that play an important role. Particular attention must be paid to the lubrication and protection against possible current passage. The bearing arrangement of a generator generally contains two deep groove ball bearings or one deep groove ball bearing and one cylindrical roller bearing. Current insulation of generator bearings The passage of current in a wind turbine generator can cause serious damage to the raceways of bearing rings in the form of melt craters and false brinelling, lead- ing to enormous repair costs. It is there- up to 1 000 volts, even in a damp environ- fore appropriate to take precautions at ment. Hybrid bearings with ceramic rolling the planning stage to prevent such elements allow even higher values. In damage and failures, thereby helping to addition, hybrid bearings give longer save costs. In many cases, it is sufficient grease operating life. They are suitable to fit current-insulated bearings. Current- for high speeds and have good emergency insulated bearings are available with running characteristics. The use of coated rolling bearing rings and as hybrid these variants is based on the customer bearings with ceramic rolling elements. The requirements. Conventional bearings current-insulating, highly wear-resistant can be replaced by current-insulated layer consists of oxide ceramic and offers bearings at any time since the external protection against a puncture voltage of dimensions are identical. 6 Wind tracking and blade adjustment Long-term mobility Wind turbines must be aligned optimally mally dimensioning the blade bearings Azimuth drive/pitch drive to the wind in order to prevent extreme and by a maintenance concept specially Wind turbines adjust automatically due loads and to provide the highest possible designed to suit the turbine and the to active systems. Geared motors and energy output. operating conditions. actuators convert the signals from the The blade bearing is also a significant controller. Schaeffler Group Industrial Blade bearing (pitch bearing) component of the safety concept of a offers bearing supports for slewing gears In order to control the power output of the turbine. The blade bearings must ensure for nacelle and blade angle