Schaeffler increases the reliability of wind turbine bearings through design measures and Industry 4.0 solutions-Wafangdian Guangyang Bearing Group Co., Ltd.

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Schaeffler increases the reliability of wind turbine bearings through design measures and Industry 4.0 solutions

Release Time：10 Oct,2018

Schaeffler now offers its FAG flange bearing for supporting the rotor as a coordinated system consisting of a compact bearing unit, lubricant and sensors. Various sensors can be used for monitoring during operation.

Further reducing the cost of electricity generation remains a major challenge for the wind industry. Bearings from Schaeffler with greater reliability and cost-effectiveness make a valuable contribution. At WindEnergy 2018, Schaeffler will be showing innovative products with increased service life and integrated sensor technology as well as digital services for the optimized operation of the systems.
The function and performance of a wind turbine are significantly influenced by their bearings, because they absorb all loads - in the gearbox as well as in particular as a main bearing. Their reliability and cost-effectiveness are a decisive factor for the electricity production costs. That is why Schaeffler is consistently developing optimized and innovative products that increase the load capacity and strength of bearings - and thus wind turbines as well. On the one hand, proven bearing solutions are optimally optimized in terms of power density, robustness and also simplified assembly and maintenance processes. On the other hand, Schaeffler integrates sensors in bearings to make operating conditions and their effect on the bearings transparent during operation. With the data from the field, Schaeffler can also make its storage expertise available to operators in order to be able to plan maintenance work in a demand-oriented and forward-looking manner, or to be able to adapt the operating strategies of the plants.

At this year's WindEnergy in Hamburg, Schaeffler will present new and optimized bearings, smart components and systems for Industry 4.0 solutions, digital services and a new test method.

Asymmetric FAG spherical roller bearings: X-life-quality series In
2015, Schaeffler introduced asymmetric FAG spherical roller bearings for main rotor bearings for the first time. These bearings are now in use in many plants and have been further developed into a complete series according to the X-life standard. The asymmetric bearing design allows a higher pressure angle on the axially loaded row of rolling elements and a flatter pressure angle on the mainly radially loaded row of rolling elements. Due to this optimized load distribution according to the load profile typical for rotor bearings, the bearings can be made narrower. Thus, the bearing design allows the system manufacturer to reduce the size of the powertrain while maintaining the same performance. With the same bearing size, systems with a larger rotor diameter or higher power can be designed. For the plant operator, it is possible to increase the robustness of his plant with an asymmetric bearing as a spare part. Further performance enhancements are possible with Schaeffler coating systems, such as Durotect B for even greater robustness or Triondur for optimum wear protection.

4.0 solution package: Rotor
bearing system with demand-oriented sensors In order to further improve the rolling bearings in the drive train and the overall system and to optimize plant operation, real operating data on the condition of the bearings offer great potential. For example, by evaluating and interpreting the collected data, safety factors can be more accurately determined and possibly reduced. Together with customers, Schaeffler develops sensor concepts to record relevant bearing damage mechanisms. Schaeffler is developing the LoadSense pin, for example, for specific parameters that have not yet been monitored in operation but which are added value for the operator: For rotor bearing systems which are flange-mounted to the surrounding construction, preloading of the screw connections used for this has a direct influence on the Performance and service life of the warehouse, as they determine the load distribution in the warehouse. With the LoadSense pin, Schaeffler can monitor the preload of the screw connection of the flange bearing during operation so that the screws can be tightened as required. There is no need to check the preload at fixed intervals. The reliability of the storage system is increased and maintenance costs lowered.

Condition
analyzes via cloud-to-cloud communication On the basis of the real loads from the operation of the wind power plant, Schaeffler and ZF use jointly developed expert models to produce analyzes and forecasts of the state of the transmission. Cloud-to-cloud communication is used to exchange the data generated by ZF and analyzed by Schaeffler. It is thus possible for ZF to integrate the know-how of the warehouse expert into its maintenance and spare parts management, which enables proactive action on the basis of operational data analyzes. In a first step, Schaeffler provides evaluations of rolling bearing fatigue and static load-bearing safety of the individual gearbox bearings.

Robustness test for rotor
bearings With its realistic load simulation, Schaeffler's own large-scale test bench ASTRAIOS has been providing valuable insights since 2011, which are used for the new development of bearing solutions as well as for the optimization of simulation and calculation models. Schaeffler has now developed a robustness test based on this uniquely long-standing experience with the testing of rotor bearings for multi-megawatt class wind turbines. Although the fatigue life is also for rotor bearings in the wind power base of the design, but less relevant for the actual bearing life; other failure mechanisms often work earlier. The robustness test therefore focuses on those failure mechanisms and operating conditions that can not be described with the classic fatigue life. The load cases of the robustness test are selected and applied in a compressed manner to the bearing to be tested in such a way that they represent the events, stresses and strains of the 20 to 25 years of operation of a wind turbine in just a few months and thereby represent the specific dynamics of the rotor bearing stress. With this application-oriented, realistic test, Schaeffler achieves a higher level of design reliability for customers than was previously the worldwide standard.

WEC-resistant rolling bearings: Schaeffler recommendation continues to prove itself
A phenomenon that adversely affects the reliability of bearings in wind turbines is the so-called "white etching cracks" (WEC). These are structural changes in the material that form below the bearing raceway. Schaeffler is able to reproduce WEC damage on test rigs and to develop suitable countermeasures based on it.

Schaeffler recommends hardening the bearings in combination with the coating of the rings and rolling elements with Durotect B for an efficient and cost-effective reduction of WEC damage. In the meantime, one million burnished or Durotect B coated bearings have been used by Schaeffler for the WEC produced and shipped WEC-only warehouses in less than 0.01 percent.