IP Library Granted Patent US 8,545,186
Granted Patent B2
US 8,545,186 · App. 12/682,118 · Granted Oct 1, 2013

Bearing arrangement of a rotor hub for a wind power plant, and method for mounting the same

Inventors: Tim Loeschner (Wuerzburg, DE); Rudolf Zeidlhack (Werneck, DE)
Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,545,186
App. No.
12/682,118
Granted
Oct 1, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bearing arrangement of a rotor for a wind power plant. The bearing arrangement includes a rotor hub with at least one rotor blade, and a rolling bearing, by which the rotor hub is mounted in a gondola of the wind power plant so as to be rotatable relative to a machine support. The rolling bearing has an external ring and an internal ring, between which rolling elements are arranged. In order to make it easier to mount and dismount the bearing arrangement, the rolling bearing is coaxially disposed in a cylindrical opening of the rotor hub, which is externally open in an axial direction, and the external ring of the rolling bearing is connected to the rotor hub in a rotationally fixed and releasable manner.

Claims (21)

1. A bearing arrangement of a rotor of a wind power plant, comprising:

a rotor hub with at least one rotor blade; and

a roller bearing by means of which the rotor hub is mounted so as to be rotatable with respect to a machine carrier in a gondola of the wind power plant,

wherein the roller bearing has an external ring and an internal ring, between which roller bodies are arranged,

wherein the roller bearing is arranged coaxially in an axially externally open cylindrical opening in the rotor hub, the cylindrical opening being open at least on a side of the rotor hub directed away from the gondola of the wind plant, and

wherein the external ring of the roller bearing is directly connected to the rotor hub in a rotationally fixed and releasable fashion.

2. The bearing arrangement of claim 1 ,

wherein the rotor hub has, at an axially inner end of the cylindrical opening, a radially inwardly protruding flange with an axially outer end side, and in that an axially inner end side of the external ring bears against the axially outer end side of the flange and can be connected thereto in a frictionally locking fashion.

3. The bearing arrangement of claim 2 ,

wherein a plurality of bores are made to extend axially through the radially inwardly protruding flange and are aligned with bores which are made to extend axially through the external ring, and

wherein screw bolts for producing a frictionally locking connection of the external ring to the rotor hub can be made to extend axially through the bores in the radially inward protruding flange and through the bores in the external ring.

4. The bearing arrangement of claim 1 ,

wherein an external casing of the rotor hub opens into a radially outwardly directed rim which has a plurality of axial bores which are aligned with bores in the machine carrier, and

wherein the machine carrier is arranged axially and radially on the outside of the gondola of the wind power plant.

5. The bearing arrangement of claim 4 ,

wherein screw bolts can be made to extend through the axial bores in the rim and through the bores in the machine carrier, and by means of the screw bolts the rotor hub can be connected in a frictionally locking fashion to the machine carrier.

6. A method for replacing a bearing arrangement of a wind power plant having a rotor bearing arrangement comprising a rotor hub with at least one rotor blade, a roller bearing by which the rotor hub is mounted so as to be rotatable with respect to a machine carrier in a gondola of the wind power plant, wherein the roller bearing has an external ring and is arranged coaxially in an axially externally open cylindrical opening in the rotor hub, and wherein the external ring of the roller bearing is connected to the rotor hub in a rotational fixed and releasable fashion, the method having the following steps:

attaching the rotor hub to a machine carrier which is arranged radially and axially on the outside of a gondola;

releasing a connection of the rotor hub and bearing external ring;

detaching the roller bearing forward out of a cylindrical opening of the rotor hub; and

inserting another roller bearing in a reverse sequence.

Assignments (5)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PROPERTY NUMBERS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 037732 FRAME 0347. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE APP. NO. 14/553248 SHOULD BE APP. NO. 14/553258. Recorded Oct 11, 2016
From: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
To: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 040404/0530 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 5, 2016
From: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG; SCHAEFFLER VERWALTUNGS 5 GMBH
To: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 037732/0228 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 5, 2016
From: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
To: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 037732/0347 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 11, 2012
From: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
To: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 028533/0036 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 6, 2010
From: LOESCHNER, TIM; ZEIDLHACK, RUDOLF
To: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 024803/0143 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2007 048 377 · Oct 9, 2007 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100296763A1 · Nov 25, 2010