Correct bearing support suitable for each gearbox       Increasing megawatt ratings requires larger and higher capacity gearboxes. The operating conditions of rolling bearings in wind turbine gearboxes cannot be compared to industrial gearboxes.       Challenges faced by bearing support       High dynamic forces with extreme maximum and minimum loads       Sudden change in load       Different working temperatures       Deformation of gearbox housing       Solution       Bearings with high static safety       Reliable dynamic dimension annotation based on international design standards       The largest and most valuable bearing in the gearbox of a wind turbine generator       The planetary carrier bearing is the largest bearing in the gearbox of a wind turbine, and therefore the most valuable bearing. The load they must support depends on the selected main bearing concept. Due to size limitations, these bearings typically bear relatively low loads.

High load within a small design scope

Due to the generation of high radial loads, planetary gear bearing support is a highly challenging bearing position. Only limited space is available for the bearing support, and planetary gears with relatively thin walls are prone to deformation, resulting in unexpected rotation of the outer ring of the bearing in the planetary gear.

Time tested positioning/non positioning bearing solutions

The bearing bracket of the hollow shaft can withstand high radial loads and can also withstand high axial loads in planetary gears with helical teeth. The combination of positioning/non positioning bearing configuration with two tapered roller bearings and one cylindrical roller bearing, or the combination of two cylindrical roller bearings and one four point contact bearing with radial release function, has been proven in this application.