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DesigningReliable,CosteffectiveWindTurbineShaftSystems
October24,2014

ByBradleyBaldwin

Awindturbinesmainshaftrequiresareliablebearingforoperation.Somebearingdesignshavebeenknowntofailprematurelyresultingincostlymaintenancerepairs.
Recentupgradesandadvancesinbearingdesignsincreasereliability,andensuremainshaftstability.Selectingtheproperbearingisbeneficialtoawindturbinesoverall
performance.

Modularwindturbinedesignscommonlyusesphericalrollerbearings(SRB)tosupportandcarrythemainshaftloads.ThesingleSRBdesign,knownasa3pointmount
whichissupportedbyasinglemainbearingandtworeactionarytorquearmsofthegearboxiscommonlyselectedtoallow:

Ashorternacellepackage
Highsystemdeflectionandmisalignment
Acommerciallyeconomicsupplychain

Unfortunately,someoperatorshaveexperiencedfieldfailuresmuchearlierthanexpectedwithsomesingleSRBdesigns,whichsignificantlyreducedservicelife.Unplanned
mainshaftbearingreplacementcancostwindfarmoperatorsupto$450,000toreplaceandhaveanobviousimpactonfinancialperformance.
Figure1:The3pointmountSRBdesignsupportsthemainshaftbearingandtworeactionarytorquearmsonthegearbox.

ContributingFactors

HighthrustloadonaradialSRBbearing:Whilethereisnoofficialmaximumlimit,aconventionalratioofpermissiblethrusttoradialloadfortworowsphericalroller
bearingsisbetween0.15and0.20.Hence,theaxialloadshouldonlybe15to20percentofthetworowbearingradialreaction.Insomeapplications,thisratiomaystretch
to0.30or0.35.Whenthisoccurs,variousdamagemodesbecomeapparentandarerelatedtotheunseatingofthebearingrow.Thisunseatingcanaffecttheload
distributionbetweenrows,rollerskewing,retainerstress,excessiveheatgeneration,androllersmearing.Inthemainshaftfixedposition,thisratioisofteninthevicinityof
0.60whichresultsinonlyoneofthetworowssupportingtheradialandthrustloading.Withthisunequalreaction,thebearingmaynotoperateasitwasoriginallyintendedor
designed.

Figure2:Unequalloadsharingoccurswhenthepermissiblethrusttoradialloadfortworowsphericalrollerbearingsratioincreasesbeyond0.15to.20.Theupwindbearing
rowbecomesunseatedandresultsinonlythedownwindrowsupportingload.

Inadequatelubefilmgeneration:Generallyspeaking,operatingconditionsforthemainshaftsbearingarenotidealforlubricantfilmgeneration.Withamaxoperating
speedof~20rpm,thebearingsurfacespeedandlubefilmgenerationmaybeinsufficienttokeeptherollertoraceasperitiesseparated.Inaddition,changingpitchandyaw
momentsareconstantlyandalmostinstantaneouslyshiftingthelocationanddirectionoftheloadzone.Thisinterruptstheformationandthequalityofthelubricantfilm.The
shiftingisacceleratedin3pointmountSRBs,whichoperateunderradialclearance,andincreasestheriskofmicropittingorsmearing.

Figure3:Intheearlystagesofwearinthe3pointmountSRB,thedistinctwearpathinthedownwindrowcanerodethedesignedcontactgeometry,leadingtohigherthan
predictedracewaystressesandpotentialbearingfailures.
DesignSolutionstoImprovePerformance

Fortunately,thereareupgradesreadilyavailableinthemarketforexistingturbines,aswellasmoresophisticatedengineeringdesignsolutionsfornewerturbineplatforms.

SRBUpgradesforExistingTurbines

Foradirectinterchangetoexistingfleets,onecompanyoffersawearresistantSRBthatusesengineeredsurfacetechnologyincombinationwithenhancedsurfacefinishes.
TheWearResistantbearingsincreaseracewayprotectionagainstmicropittingbyreducingshearstressesandasperityinteractions.Theengineeredsurfaceisadurableand
uniquetungstencarbide,amorphoushydrocarboncoating(WC/aC:H).Generally,WC/aC:HcoatingsaremoderatelyharderthanHRC60steel,1to2micrometersthick,and
havelowfrictioncoefficientswhenslidingagainststeel.Theadvancedengineeredsurfaceontherollerspolishandrepairdamagedracewaysduringoperation.With
enhancedsurfacefinishes,thelubricantfilmincreasesthickness,helpingtoimprovetheasperitycontacts.Theengineeredsurfacereducesasperityinteractionsand
surfaceshearstressesthatcausewear.Thebenefitsleadtoanincreasedcalculatedbearinglifeandalsoareductionintherollingtorque.

Figure4:TimkenswearresistantSRBreducesshearstressesandasperityinteractionswhichprotectagainstwear,suchasmicropitting.

TimkenWRSRBfeaturesandbenefits

TechnologyDescriptionBenefits

RollerfinishingLowroughness,isotropicfinishReducedasperitycontact&stress

RollercoatingsWC/aC:HCoating1mthickIncreasedwearresistance,increasedfatiguelife,increaseddebrisresistance

InternalgeometryRoller/IRconformity,internalclearancesDecreasedrollerstress,reducedpotentialrollerskewcreatesfavorabletraction
SplitcageTwopiecemachinedbrasscageLowerspossibleoperatingforces

BenefitsofTaperedRollerBearing(TRB)Designs

ATRBmainshaftdesignandpreloadcharacteristicsimprovestheperformanceofthepowertrain.TRBshelpensuresystemstabilityandrigidity,loadsharingbetweenrows,
andpredictedrollertoraceinteractions.Thedesignalsoallowsformultipletaperedrollerbearingconfigurations.

SingleTaperedRollerBearings

Thewidespread2TSstyleoffersaneconomicaltaperedsolutionthatcanpreloadanentiresystemwithtwodissimilarTRBs.Theupwindanddownwindbearingseriesare
thendesignedtoaccommodatetheapplicationloadbyadjustingboththecontactangleandbearingcapacityasneeded.Withthewidespreadeffectivecenter,thebearings
areusuallymorecompactandeconomical.

Figure5:2TSmainshaftbearingarrangementoffersaneconomicaltaperedsolutioninacompactdesign.

DoubleRow,TaperedRollerBearingDesigns

ThelargediameterTNAbearing,alsocalledTDOwhenaspacerisusedbetweentheconeraces,hasbecomeanappealingoptionbasedonitsfieldperformanceandease
ofassembly.Thesteepraceanglescreatehightiltingstiffnessinashortaxialspacetocounteracttheappliedpitchandyawmoments.Separatebearingcomponentscanbe
unitizedwithsealsandgreasetosimplifyhandlingandinstallation.Thefactorysetpreloadensuresaproperlymountedsetting.Compactaxialconstructionofferstheturbine
designersanopportunitytoreducetheoveralllengthofthenacelle.Thebearingincreasesindiameterastheturbinesizegrows(approximately3.2mODfor5MW).These
designsareparticularlysuitablefordirectdrivewindturbines,butarealsofoundingeareddesigns.
Figure6:ATDOssteepraceanglescreatehightiltingstiffnessinashortaxialspacetocounteracttheappliedpitchandyawmoments.Thebearingcanalsoactasasingle
unitbyaddingsealsandgrease.

AsinglepreloadedTDIoffersahighloadcapacityandmanagesthecombinationofradialandthrustloadsascomparedtoasinglesphericalrollerbearing.TheTDIensures
loadsharingacrossbothbearingrowsandtoleratesgreatersystemmisalignmentascomparedtoaTDOdesign.Inaddition,thebearingpreloadhelpsmitigatesmearing,
skidding,andmicropitting.Insomecases,aTDIisdirectlyinterchangedwiththeSRBonmodularstyleturbines.

Figure7:UnlikeasingleSRBdesign,theTDIcanaccommodatehighloadcapacitiesandensuresanevenloadsharingdistributionwhichdecreaseswear.

Allimages:TheTimkenCompany

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