Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Waukesha Bearings Corporation

Nigel Henry New

Michael K Swann

Kim Thomsen

Jason Stege

Pierre-Antoine Guerenbourg

Guy Pethybridge

A wind turbine main bearing realized to bear a shaft of a wind turbine, which shaft is caused to rotate by a number of blades connected to the shaft is disclosed. The wind turbine main bearing includes a fluid bearing with a plurality of bearing pads arranged about the shaft. Also disclosed is a wind turbine with a number of blades connected to a shaft and realized to rotate the shaft, which wind turbine includes as main bearing a wind turbine main bearing. Further described is a method of performing maintenance on a wind turbine, including the steps of halting a rotation of the shaft, operating a lifting arrangement to raise the shaft, and removing a bearing pad of the wind turbine main bearing from the bearing housing of the wind turbine main bearing.

Wind turbine main bearing

A tilting pad bearing comprises a piston carrier ring that may include a plurality of voids spaced around the piston carrier ring, wherein a channel may be formed in a surface of the piston carrier ring opposite the plurality of voids. A carrier end plate may be positioned in the channel and secured to the piston carrier ring, wherein a recess may be formed in a top surface of the carrier end plate. A piston may be positioned in each void, wherein a bottom face of each piston is positioned adjacent the recess. The pistons may be substantially secured in the voids using a plurality of membranes, wherein one membrane corresponds to one piston and one void. Alternatively, the pistons may be formed in two pieces secured via a membrane. Each piston may be engaged with a bearing pad and/or interface member in a bearing pad carrier ring.

Tilting pad bearing

A sliding radial bearing assembly for use on a rotating shaft in machinery where a fluid lubricant passes through the assembly to provide a lubricant film between stationary and rotating parts of the assembly. Any gaseous phase is allowed readily to escape from the assembly by providing a lubricant passage which exits close to the shaft, while a substantially non-gaseous film of liquid lubricant is maintained at the bearing interface.

Sliding radial bearing

A tilting pad thrust bearing is described including a substantially solid flat carrier body, a plurality of bearing pads, and an intermediate component which is disposed in the assembled bearing between the bearing pads and the carrier body, the intermediate component providing a plurality of fulcrum means corresponding in number to the bearing pads and being angularly orientated such that the fulcrum means are disposed beneath the bearing pads. The arrangement is designed such that the intermediate component includes at least one of an annular hub portion and an annular rim portion from which a plurality of ribs project outwardly or inwardly thereof and on which individual bearing pads are arranged to be seated to pivot thereon, the ribs thus providing the fulcrum means, and in that a locating component is provided which also includes at least one of a hub portion and a rim portion.

Tilting pad thrust bearing

A tilting pad journal bearing, an annular housing for an array of arcuate bearing pads resiliently mounted by spring means which biases the pads against heads of restraining bosses that limit radial displacement and cause the bearing pads to define a shaft space. The pads have associated therewith support pegs secured to housing or pad at one end and movable relative to the pad or housing at the other, and the spring means comprises stacks of individually deflectable elements mounted between relatively moving pad, housing or peg and pre-loaded by adjusting the effective gap with the pads against the bosses. Relative movement between springs provide friction damping. The restraining bosses may be displaceable together to eliminate the shaft space clearance if the magnetic suspension fails or shows signs of failing.

Journal bearing arrangement

A tilting pad journal bearing, an annular housing for an array of arcuate bearing pads resiliently mounted by spring means which biases the pads against heads of restraining bosses that limit radial displacement and cause the bearing pads to define a shaft space. The pads have associated therewith support pegs () secured to housing or pad at one end and movable relative to the pad or housing at the other, and the spring means comprises stacks of individually deflectable elements mounted between relatively moving pad, housing or peg and pre-loaded by adjusting the effective gap with the pads against the bosses. Relative movement between springs provide friction damping. The restraining bosses may be displaceable together to eliminate the shaft space clearance if the magnetic suspension fails or shows signs of failing.

A tilting pad bearing assembly consists of an array of bearing pads each supported on a rigid carrier by way of an intervening pivot ridge extending from the pad or carrier. The individual pad surfaces are able to tilt or rock to a limited extent about a pivot or fulcrum ridge. A pad hole depth permits a pin to be inserted via a carrier hole such that with the pad supported on the carrier the pin head is spaced slightly from a shoulder and the pad able to tilt. The assembly permits simplified manufacture by supporting the pads on their bearing surfaces, overlaying the carrier to effect contact at the pivot ridge and forcing the pins into the pads to the limits of the blind holes that gives the correct clearance with respect to the carrier.

Tilting pad bearing assembly

A tilting pad bearing arrangement ( ) (FIG. ( )) includes an array of bearing pads ( ) supported on a carrier ( ). For each pad, the carrier pad surfaces have cylindrically concave recesses ( ), respectively formed therein with their axis orthogonal to each other. Linkng means ( ) has opposite faces of cylindrically convex form conforming to the recesses to make sliding contact therewith, load is transmitted by way of an area, rather than line or point contact, reducing stress on components, while avoiding the high levels of friction associated with spherical seating of similar curvature and being cheaper to manufacture. The linking means may be manufactured from an assembly of plano-convex parts and shims to define thickness.

Tilting pad bearing arrangement

A tilting pad thrust bearing arrangement ( FIG. ( )) consists of an annular backing ring ( ) providing an axially facing supporting surface ( ) on which an array of bearing pads ( ) is carried. Each pad has a flat supported surface ( ) clamped to a thin mounting ring ( ) of resilient steel by a headed fastener ( ) which bears on the supporting surface. The mounting ring is supported clear of the supporting surface at mounting points ( ) each side of each bearing pad which define a stand-off distance between ring and supporting surface of less than the height of each fastener head so that the ring is biased and each pad is lifted at the clamping position with its edges clear of the ring, thereby permitting it to pivot about the fulcrum formed by the fastener head. The supporting surface may be an intervening resilient ring (FIGS. and ).

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Middlesex, United Kingdom

Nigel Henry New