WIND TURBINE WITH TWO-STAGE STAR COMPOUND GEAR TRAIN
A wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine comprises a blade; a shaft which rotates in response to the rotation of said blade; a generator; and a star compound gear train disposed between said shaft and said generator.
1 . A wind turbine, comprising:
a blade;
a shaft which rotates in response to the rotation of said blade;
a generator; and
a star compound gear train disposed between said shaft and said generator.
2 . The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein said at least one blade includes a plurality of blades.
3 . The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein said gear train comprises:
a cross-roller bearing;
a bull gear supported on said cross-roller bearing; and
a drive gear which meshes with the bull gear via a first mesh.
4 . The wind turbine of claim 3 , wherein said gear train further comprises:
a star compound 2-plane gear amplifier.
5 . The wind turbine of claim 4 , wherein said gear train further comprises:
an input pinion; and
an output star gear which meshes with said input pinion via a second mesh.
6 . The wind turbine of claim 5 , wherein said gear train further comprises:
an output pinion; and
a star gear which meshes with said output pinion via a third mesh.
7 . The wind turbine of claim 6 , wherein said gear train further comprises:
first, second and third planes of gears with fourth, fifth and sixth respective associated meshes.
8 . The wind turbine of claim 7 , wherein said gear train further comprises an input shaft, and wherein said fourth and fifth meshes are connected to said input shaft by way of a clutch.
9 . The wind turbine of claim 8 , wherein said fourth mesh involves a pinion gear and a star gear.
10 . The wind turbine of claim 8 , wherein said fifth mesh involves a pinion gear and a star gear.
11 . The wind turbine of claim 8 , wherein said sixth mesh involves three star gears and an output pinion.
12 . The wind turbine of claim 7 , wherein said gear train further comprises:
fourth, fifth and sixth planes of gears with seventh, eighth and ninth respective associated meshes.
13 . The wind turbine of claim 12 , further comprising a clutch disposed between the fourth and fifth planes of gears.
14 . The wind turbine of claim 13 , wherein the seventh mesh involves an input pinion and a star gear.
15 . The wind turbine of claim 13 , wherein the eighth mesh provides an amplification ratio.
16 . The wind turbine of claim 13 , wherein the ninth mesh involves a single plane star compound amplifier with star gears and a pinion gear.