General Electric Company

Priyangu Chunilal Patel

Adam Daniel Minadeo

James Henry Madge

Fulton Jose Lopez

Stephen Bertram Johnson

Edward Lee McGrath

Rong Li

Raed Zuhair Hasan

James Edward Cencula

Lawrence Keith Taliaferro, Jr

Daniel Jason Erno

Patrick Lee Jansen

Jacob Johannes Nies

Eric Steven Buskirk

Murtuza Lokhandwalla

Gregory Clarence Thomas

John Thomas Murphy

Gary Randall Barnes

Wei Jun Zheng

John Paul Davis

Blake Weldon Wilson

Jonathan Paul Signore

Aaron Wertz

Michael Garry

Edwin Hidding

Souvik Porel

Kevin Vandevoorde

Ganesh Raut

Tingyu Zhang

Farong Zhu

Hayden McgarityBashiri

A method for manufacturing a gear assembly of a gearbox in a wind turbine includes providing a pin shaft of the gear assembly. The method also includes depositing material onto an exterior surface of the pin shaft of the gear assembly via an additive manufacturing process driven by a computer numerical control (CNC) device to form a bearing that circumferentially surrounds and adheres to the pin shaft. Further, the method includes providing a gear circumferentially around the bearing to form the gear assembly.

Additively manufactured journal bearing for a wind turbine gearbox

The present disclosure is directed to a system for monitoring wear on a gearbox of a wind turbine. A controller of the system is configured to determine a torque exerted on a rotor shaft of the wind turbine or a generator shaft of the wind turbine based on measurement signals received from a first sensor of the system. The controller is also configured to determine an accumulated wear value for the gearbox based on the torque.

System and method for monitoring wear on a gearbox of a wind turbine

The present disclosure is directed to a bearing assembly for a wind turbine. The bearing assembly includes an outer race, an inner race rotatable relative to the outer race, a plurality of rolling elements positioned between the inner and outer races, and at least one wire race arranged with the plurality of rolling elements between the inner and outer races.

Wire races for wind turbine bearings

A repair method for a gearbox assembly for a wind turbine is disclosed. The gearbox includes a gearbox housing having an upwind end and a downwind end, a gear assembly configured within the gearbox housing, at least one shaft configured with the gear assembly and extending from the gearbox housing to a generator of the wind turbine, and a sleeve assembly configured with the gearbox housing. Further, the sleeve assembly is removable so as to provide additional space in the gearbox housing during at least one of disassembly or assembly of the gearbox assembly such that the various components can be easily repaired and/or replaced.

Repair method for a gearbox assembly of a wind turbine

The invention relates to a method for performing up-tower maintenance on a gearbox bearing of a wind turbine. In particular, a method for performing up-tower maintenance on a gearbox of a wind turbine is disclosed. The gearbox has at least one bearing with an outer race and an inner race that rotates with respect to the outer race. The method includes forming a through-hole in a front cover of the gearbox, the front cover being stationary with respect to an axis of rotation of the bearing. The method also includes forming a recess in the outer race of the bearing. Further, the method includes inserting a connecting member through the through-hole and the recess so as to prevent movement of the outer race of the bearing with respect to a torque arm of the gearbox.

Method for performing up-tower maintenance on a gearbox bearing of a wind turbine

A system and method are provided for supplying oil at different temperatures to different locations within a wind turbine gearbox, wherein oil is pumped from a common oil sump to the different locations via a common header. The different gear box locations are divided into at least two groups, wherein each of said groups receives inlet oil at a respective inlet oil temperature. A first temperature control device is disposed between the common header and the first group, and a second temperature control device is disposed between the common header and the second group of gearbox locations.

Dual temperature oil control system and method for a wind turbine gearbox

A planetary gear system and a pin for coupling a planet gear to a carrier in a planetary gear system are disclosed. The planetary gear system includes a planet gear defining a central planet axis, a carrier disposed adjacent the at least one planet gear, and a pin extending from the carrier through the planet gear generally along the central planet axis. The pin includes a first end, a second end, and an outer surface extending therebetween. The pin further defines an opening extending from the outer surface generally along the central planet axis and at least partially through the pin.

Pin for planetary gear system

A gear system, such as for use in a wind turbine, is disclosed. The gear system includes a carrier, a gear defining a central axis, and a pin extending along the central axis and coupling the gear to the carrier. The gear system further includes a roller bearing surrounding the pin, the roller bearing comprising a plurality of roller elements, and a journal bearing surrounding the pin.

Gear system for wind turbine

A drivetrain for a wind turbine includes a gearbox and a generator. The gear box includes a housing and an output shaft that is rotatably coupled within the housing, wherein the gearbox further includes at least one bearing positioned between the housing and the output shaft. The generator includes a stator coupled to the housing such that the stator is positioned radially inward from the housing, and a rotor coupled to the output shaft such that the rotor is positioned radially inward from the stator.

Drivetrain system for a wind turbine generator and method of assembling the same

A drive train for a wind turbine includes individual rotor blades connected to a rotor hub. The drive train includes a gearbox, with the rotor hub mounted directly to the gearbox. The gearbox further includes a stationary gear carrier mounted to a mainframe of the wind turbine such that the gearbox substantially supports the weight of the rotor hub. A generator includes a rotor and stationary stator, with the gearbox comprising an output shaft coupled to the rotor such that the gearbox substantially supports the weight of the rotor.

Wind turbine with single-stage compact drive train

A planet gear assembly, including: a planet pin; a bearing comprising an inner race secured to the planet pin at a planet pin bearing end; a planet gear; and a compliant annular plate arranged to secure the planet gear to the planet pin. Compliance of the annular plate permits rotation of the planet gear when a planet gear axis of rotation is not coincident with an axis of rotation of a portion of the planet pin in the annular plate.

Planetary gear assembly

A wind turbine and a drivetrain for a generator is provided. The drivetrain includes a hub configured to provide an input rotational speed, and a planetary gearbox in communication with the hub. The planetary gearbox includes a stationary or rotatable carrier and a plurality of planet gears. The planetary gearbox is configured to convert the input rotational speed to an output rotational speed, and includes at least one sun gear. The hub can be rigidly connected to the rotatable ring gear.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Priyangu Chunilal Patel