IP Library Granted Patent US 11,674,502
Granted Patent B2
US 11,674,502 · App. 17/272,082 · Granted Jun 13, 2023

Bearing assembly of a rotor of a wind turbine

Inventors: Thorsten Rohrmann (Binder, DE); Peter Decker (Hannover, DE); Lutz Winter (Laatzen, DE); Janina Brencher (Hannover, DE)
Assignee: RENK GMBH
F03D80/70F16C17/065F16C17/107F16C33/108F16C33/26F16C43/02F16C2300/14F16C2360/31
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,674,502
App. No.
17/272,082
Granted
Jun 13, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bearing assembly of a rotor of a wind turbine, namely for mounting the rotor in a fixed housing, includes: a plurality of rotor-side axial slide bearing segments, each configured to: engage on the rotor, rotate together with the rotor, and be supported against a sliding surface of the housing; a plurality of housing-side axial slide bearing segments, each configured to: engage on the housing, be fixed together with the housing, and be supported against a first sliding surface of the rotor; and a plurality of housing-side radial slide bearing segments, each configured to: engage on the housing, be fixed together with the housing and be supported against a second sliding surface of the rotor.

Claims (34)

1. A bearing assembly ( 10 ) of a rotor ( 11 ) of a wind turbine, for mounting the rotor ( 11 ) in a fixed housing ( 12 ), comprising:

a plurality of rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ), each configured to:

engage on the rotor ( 11 ), rotate together with the rotor ( 11 ), and

be supported against a sliding surface ( 14 ) of the housing ( 12 );

a plurality of housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 15 ), each axially adjacent to a respective one of the rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ) and configured to:

engage on the housing ( 12 ), be fixed together with the housing ( 12 ), and

be supported against a first sliding surface ( 16 ) of the rotor ( 11 ); and

a plurality of housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 21 ), each arranged radially inside the plurality of housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 15 ) and the plurality of rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ) and configured to:

engage on the housing ( 12 ), be fixed together with the housing ( 12 ), and

be supported against a second sliding surface ( 22 ) of the rotor ( 11 ),

wherein the sliding surface ( 14 ) of the housing ( 12 ) is parallel to the first sliding surface ( 16 ) of the rotor ( 11 ), and

wherein the second sliding surface ( 22 ) of the rotor ( 11 ) is perpendicular to the first sliding surface ( 16 ) of the rotor ( 11 ).

2. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a radial projection ( 17 ) of the rotor ( 11 ) configured as a rotor-side thrust collar secured to a hub or shaft ( 18 ) of the rotor ( 11 ), wherein the rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ) are fastened to the radial projection ( 17 ).

3. The bearing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein with respect to a hub of the rotor:

the plurality of rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ) are arranged axially closest to the hub of the rotor,

the plurality of housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 21 ) are arranged axially furthest from the a hub of the rotor, and

the plurality of housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 15 ) are arranged axially between the plurality of rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ) and the plurality of housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 21 ).

4. A bearing assembly of a rotor ( 11 ) of a wind turbine, for mounting the rotor ( 11 ) in a fixed housing ( 12 ), comprising:

a plurality of rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ), each configured to: engage on the rotor ( 11 ), rotate together with the rotor ( 11 ), and be supported against a sliding surface ( 14 ) of the housing ( 12 );

a plurality of housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 15 ), each configured to: engage on the housing ( 12 ), be fixed together with the housing ( 12 ), and be supported against a first sliding surface ( 16 ) of the rotor ( 11 );

a plurality of housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 21 ), each configured to: engage on the housing ( 12 ), be fixed together with the housing ( 12 ) and be supported against a second sliding surface ( 22 ) of the rotor ( 11 ),

a radial projection ( 17 ) of the rotor ( 11 ) configured as a rotor-side thrust collar secured to a hub or shaft ( 18 ) of the rotor ( 11 ), wherein the rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ) are fastened to the radial projection ( 17 ); and

axial projections ( 23 ) on the radial projection ( 17 ) of the rotor ( 11 ), the axial projections ( 23 ) together with the radial projection ( 17 ) defining receiving pockets ( 24 ) for the rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ).

5. The bearing assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 15 ) are supported against the first sliding surface ( 16 ) of the rotor ( 11 ) provided by the rotor-side thrust collar ( 17 ).

6. The bearing assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 15 ) are supported against the second sliding surface ( 22 ) of the rotor ( 11 ) provided by the hub or shaft of the rotor ( 11 ).

7. The bearing assembly according to claim 6 , further comprising a housing-side segment holder ( 26 ) configured to receive both the housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 15 ) and the housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 21 ), wherein the segment holder ( 26 ) is detachably fastened to the housing ( 11 ).

8. The bearing assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the segment holder ( 26 ) is segmented into a plurality of segments ( 27 ), wherein each segment ( 27 ) of the segment holder ( 26 ) receives at least one housing-side axial slide bearing segment ( 15 ) and at least one housing-side radial slide bearing segment ( 21 ).

9. The bearing assembly according to claim 8 , wherein a number of the housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 15 ) received on the respective segment ( 27 ) of the segment holder ( 26 ) corresponds to a number of the housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 21 ) received on the respective segment ( 27 ) of the segment holder ( 26 ).

10. The bearing assembly according to claim 9 , wherein each segment ( 27 ) of the segment holder ( 27 ) receives a single housing-side axial slide bearing segment ( 15 ) and a single housing-side radial slide bearing segment ( 21 ).

11. The bearing assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the number of the housing-side axial slide bearing segments ( 15 ) received on the respective segment ( 27 ) of the segment holder ( 26 ) deviates from the number of the housing-side radial slide bearing segments ( 21 ) received on the respective segment ( 27 ) of the segment holder ( 26 ).

12. The bearing assembly according to claim 11 ,

wherein, the housing-side axial slide bearing segment ( 15 ) to be removed is mounted on the respective segment ( 27 ) of the segment holder ( 26 ), and is initially demountable from the respective segment ( 27 ) of the segment holder ( 26 ), and

wherein the respective segment ( 27 ) of the segment holder ( 26 ) is demountable from the housing ( 12 ) and removable together with the housing-side axial slide bearing segment ( 15 ).

13. The bearing assembly according to claim 12 , wherein a threading opening ( 30 ) is formed on the housing ( 12 ) for the rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ) such that the rotor-side axial slide bearing segments ( 13 ) are mountable and demountable.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2026
From: RENK GMBH
To: RENK BEARINGS GMBH
Reel/Frame 074967/0521 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 15, 2021
From: RENK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
To: RENK GMBH
Reel/Frame 056865/0504 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2021
From: ROHRMANN, THORSTEN; BECKER, PETER; WINTER, LUTZ; BRENCHER, JANINA
To: RENK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 055533/0535 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2018 120 806.5 · Aug 27, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210348599A1 · Nov 11, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,404,868