DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR A WIND TURBINE

摘要

The invention relates to a drive arrangement for a wind turbine, and to a wind turbine incorporating a drive arrangement. In one embodiment, a drive arrangement (12) for a wind turbine (10) is disclosed which comprises a rotor shaft (20); a gearbox assembly (22) for transferring torque from the rotor shaft to an electrical power generator (18), the gearbox assembly comprising: an input shaft (40); an output shaft (42); a primary gear stage (44); and a secondary gear stage (46), each gear stage having a plurality of planet gears (52; 58) positioned around the output shaft, an annular gear (84; 86) meshed with the planet gears, and a sun gear (82; 88) meshed with the planet gears and arranged to transfer torque to the output shaft. The drive arrangement also comprises a drive transfer mechanism (24) for transferring torque from the rotor shaft into the gearbox assembly via the input shaft; and a primary load carrying member (56) for releasably mounting the gearbox assembly to a housing (34) of the wind turbine. The rotor shaft is at least partly hollow, having an internal cavity (28) in which at least part of the gearbox assembly and at least part of the drive transfer mechanism are located. The gearbox assembly comprising the input shaft, output shaft, primary and secondary gear stages is mountable within the rotor shaft as a single unit by means of the primary load carrying member.

主权项

1. A drive arrangement for a wind turbine, the drive arrangement comprising:
a rotor shaft; a gearbox assembly for transferring torque from the rotor shaft to an electrical power generator, the gearbox assembly comprising:
an input shaft;an output shaft;a primary gear stage; anda secondary gear stage;each gear stage having a plurality of planet gears positioned around the output shaft, an annular gear meshed with the planet gears, and a sun gear meshed with the planet gears and arranged to transfer torque to the output shaft; a drive transfer mechanism for transferring torque from the rotor shaft into the gearbox assembly via the input shaft; and a primary load carrying member for releasably mounting the gearbox assembly to a housing of a wind turbine; wherein the rotor shaft is at least partly hollow, having an internal cavity in which at least part of the gearbox assembly and at least part of the drive transfer mechanism are located; and wherein the gearbox assembly comprising the input shaft, output shaft, primary and secondary gear stages is mountable within the rotor shaft as a single unit by means of the primary load carrying member.