Mechanical Drivetrains

of wind energy converter

Chapter 4
Gearbox

University of Applied Sciences Kiel

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Prof. Peter Quell

Mechanical Drivetrains / SS2015

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Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel
 4.0 Gearbox
Content

1. Basic principles
2. Technical design
1. Modular design
2. Semi integrated design
3. Integrated design
4. Special gear units

3. Layout gear ratio and rotational speed

4. Lubrication system
5. Dimensioning & Calculation
6. Condition Monitoring (CMS)

Mechanical Drivetrains / SS2015

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Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel
 4.1 Gearbox
Basic principles
Basic principles
• The gear box is used to increase the speed of the rotation. By increasing
the speed the torque is decreased which allows smaller dimensioning of
the generator.
• Especially with an integrated gearbox, the gearbox has to absorb and
transfer loads from the rotor into the machine bed.
• To stop the rotor a mechanical rotor brake is mounted on the high speed
shaft. The torque of the brake will be transferred through the gearbox.

• Gearboxes in wind turbines consist of gear-wheels with rolling motion.

• Several types of gears exist. In wind turbines spur gears (gears with parallel
shafts) and planetary gears with helical gearing are used.

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Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel
 4.1 Gearbox
Basic principles
Spur gear unit

Advantage Disadvantage
• Simple design • High space
• Simple manufacturing requirement
• Offset of in- and • High weight
output shaft • High costs (large
• Low costs (small WEC) WEC)

Application as:
- main gear in small wind turbines
- as final stage of a planetary gear unit

Source: E. Hau, Windkraftanlagen [1]

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 4.1 Gearbox
Basic principles
Planetary gear unit
• Also called epicyclical gear train, as the gear consists of axes turning around each other on
circular paths

Mechanical Drivetrains / SS2015

Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel Source: NKE Austria GmbH 5
 4.1 Gearbox
Basic principles
Planetary gear unit
Advantage Disadvantage
• Low space requirements • Complex design
• High torque • Complex manufacturing
• Higher transmission ratio • No offset
possible (-> 1:12) • High number of bearings
• Low weight • Little oil reservoir

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Mechanical Drivetrains / SS2015
Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel
Source: Romax Technology/ NKE Austria GmbH
 4.1 Gearbox
Basic principles
Historical development
2/3 stages spur
gear
25 – 300 kW
1 planetary
2 stages spur gear
400 - 2750 kW

2 planetary
1 stage spur gear
> 2500 kW
Mechanical Drivetrains / SS2015 Source: Siemens AG, Process Industries and Drives Division, Mechanical Drives Wind
Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel 7
 4.1 Gearbox
Basic principles
Masses & relative costs
• Small wind turbines < 500 kW used to be
equipped only with spur gear units
• For bigger wind turbines > 500 kW + with
high torques, planetary gearboxes are more
efficient with regard to mass and costs

3 stage gearboxes
(2 planetary stages & 1 spur gear stage)
are standard for current multi megawatt
wind turbines

WEC with Pelekcr.=2500 kW, nrotor=25 1/min,

ngenerator = 1500 1/min.
(Source: Hau-Windkraftanlagen)
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Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel 8
 4.2 Gearbox
Basic principles
Technical design - comparison

Separated drivetrain: Semi-integrated drivetrain:

Just torque in the gearbox Torque und rotor bending moments in
the gearbox

Axle pin mounting:

Integrated drivetrain:
Just torque in the gearbox
Gearbox as support structure for all
rotor loads
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 4.2 Gearbox
Technical design
Modular design (modular drivetrain)
• Usually with multistage planetary & spur gear unit combination
e.g. Senvion 6,2M (2 planetary/ 1 spur gear stage, transmission ratio 1:97)

Source: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Source: TU Dresden, Lehrstuhl Maschinenelemente
Mechanical Drivetrains / SS2015 10
Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel
 4.2 Gearbox
Technical design
Semi integrated design
• Usually with multistage planetary & spur gear unit combination
• e.g. Senvion MM92 (1 planetary/2 spur gear stages, transmission ratio 1:120)
Step- planetary gear Planetary- spur gear
1st spur gear stage Ring gear fixed 2nd spur gear stage

Planetary stage

2nd spur gear stage

Planet carrier fixed Planetary stage 1st spur gear stage

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 4.2 Gearbox
Technical design
Integrated design
• Usually multistage planetary & spur gear unit combination
• e.g. AREVA Multibrid M 5000
(1 planetary/ 1 spur gear stage, transmission ratio 1:10)
Planetary stage

Spur gear stage, 1 spur gear per planet

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 4.2 Gearbox
Technical design
Special gear units
• Differential gearbox: Spreading the power flow to parallel
internal flow routes (e.g. Bosch Rexroth REDULUS GPV-D

2nd planetary stage -

parallel Spur gear stage

Quelle: Bosch Rexroth AG

1st planetary stage

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Source: Bosch Rexroth AG
Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel 3rd planetary stage
 4.2 Gearbox
Technical design
Special gear units
• Integrated gearbox: Combination of gearbox and main rotor bearing, e.g. Vestas V90 3.0
(ZF gearbox with 2 planetary/ 1 spur gear stage, transmission ratio 1:104,5)

Source: Vestas Wind Systems A/S

Mechanical Drivetrains / SS2015 Source: ZF Friedrichshafen AG 14
Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel
 4.3 Gearbox
Functionality
Gearing
Spur gearing Helical gearing
Manufacturing 0 -
Running properties (smoothness) - +
Axial loads none (+) existing (-)

Helical gearing

Spur gearing
Quelle: CE Concepts

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 4.3 Gearbox
Layout gear ratio and rotational speed
Willis formula

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 4.4 Gearbox
Lubrication system

Cooler

Mechanical
pump

Filter

Electrical
pump Source: ZF Friedrichshafen AG

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 4.4 Gearbox
Lubrication system

Oil circuit
• Oil circuit with electrically and/ or mechanically driven pumps for
distribution of the lubricant from the lubricant tank to gears and bearings

Filter
• Filtration of the lubricant to remove contamination and wear parts from the
oil circuit  increased component & lubricant lifetime

Cooler
• The lubricant is heated during operation by friction, rolling & sliding contacts.
The cooler therefore cools the lubricant to the required temperature by heat
exchanger (surrounding air or water cooler)

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 4.4 Gearbox
Lubrication system

Oil lubrication
• Direct pressure lubrication for all gears and bearings with filtered and
cooled oil
• Oil cleanliness according to IEC 61400-4 (measured according to ISO 4406)
• Electrical oil pump for lubricant distribution
• Mechanical oil pump (driven by the rotating gearbox) for ‘emergency’
lubrication during electrical downtime or idling.

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 4.4 Gearbox
Lubrication system

• Oil cleanliness according to ISO 4406

Code number XX/YY/ZZ with XX, YY, ZZ from
ISO 4406 table 1

• XX = particle bigger or equal to 4 µm

• YY = particle bigger or equal to 6 µm
• ZZ = particle bigger or equal to 14 µm

Required oil cleanliness according to IEC

61400-4 at least -/16/13

 Particles smaller than 6 µm are not

considered in wind turbine gearboxes as they
do not influence the lifetime and reliability of
the gearbox according to the current state of
knowledge
Mechanical Drivetrains / SS2015 Quelle: ISO 4406:1999 20
Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel
 4.4 Gearbox
Lubrication system
Lubrication system
• Recommendation for oil cleanliness according to IEC 61400-4

Source: IEC 61400-4: 2012

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Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel
 4.4 Gearbox
Lubrication system
• Example of a 3 stage filtration system to achieve oil cleanliness according to IEC 61400-4
respectively ISO 4406

“25 microns”
pretensioned metallic tissue
Valve

”10 microns“
glass fleece

“6 microns“ glass

fleece

Quelle: Dr. R. Hambrecht, Senvion SE [2]

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 4.5 Gearbox
Dimensioning & Calculation
Dimensioning
1. Definition of loads
• IEC 61400-1: Wind turbines – Design requirements
• Simulation of the surrounding wind conditions
• Aerodynamic/ Aero elastic simulation
• Chronological sequence of loads

2. Dimensioning of the gearbox

• IEC 61400-4: Wind turbines – Design requirements for wind turbine gearboxes

3. Dimensioning of gearbox components

• ISO 281: Roller bearings – Dynamic load ratings and rating life
• ISO 76: Roller bearings – Static load ratings
• ISO 6336-1(2,3,5,6) – Calculation of load capacity of spur and helical gears
• …

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Prof. Peter Quell / University of Applied Sciences Kiel
 4.5 Gearbox
Dimensioning & Calculation
Dimensioning
4. Strength analysis
• Static
• Structural durability
5. Modal analysis
• Avoiding of structural resonances
• Lowering of amplitudes around critical eigenmodes
6. Simulation
• Whole power train (e.g. N- body simulation)

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 4.5 Gearbox
Dimensioning & Calculation
IEC 61400-1 : Design Load Cases (DLC, Extract)

Quelle: EN 61400-1:2005+A1:2010
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 4.5 Gearbox
Dimensioning & Calculation
IEC 61400-4:
• Flow chart of the design process
according to IEC 61400-4
• Involvement of all partners as early

FMEA
nach IEC 61400-1
as possible:
• Wind turbine manufacturer
• Gearbox manufacturer
• Bearing manufacturer
• Lubricant manufacturer

Quelle: EN 61400-4
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 4.5 Gearbox
Dimensioning & Calculation
IEC 61400-4 : Limit values, Example
Limiting values according to IEC 61400-4
• Maximum surface pressure of the bearing surfaces to ensure structural durability
(according to Miner‘s1 rule or Palmgren-Miner linear damage hypothesis)

Quelle: EN 61400-4
1: M. A. Miner: Cumulative damage in fatigue. In: Journal of applied mechanics. 12, Nr. 3, 1945, S. 159–164

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 4.5 Gearbox
Dimensioning & Calculation
IEC 61400-4 : Safety factors, Example
• Static rating factor for bearings

• Safety factor for bending strength (German: Biegefestigkeit) and pitting (German:
Grübchenbildung) of gear wheels

Quelle: EN 61400-4

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 4.5 Gearbox
Dimensioning & Calculation
Contamination factor ec for the calculated rating life (ISO 281)

Quelle: ISO 281:2007

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 4.5 Gearbox
Dimensioning & Calculation
Dimensioning of gears: ISO 6336-(1,3,5,6)
Calculation of load capacity of spur and
helical gears
• Part 1: Basic principles, introduction and
general influence factors
• Part 2: Calculation of surface durability
(pitting)
• Part 3: Calculation of tooth bending
strength
• Part 5: Strength and quality of materials
• Part 6: Calculation of service life under
Quelle: ISO 6336

variable load

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 4.5 Gearbox
Dimensioning & Calculation
Finite Element Method
Coupling of gears and
bearings

Load application point for time

series and extreme loads – Fx, Fy,
Strength analysis Fz, Mx, My, Mz around main
- Static bearing
- Service life under variable load

Modal analysis
- Avoiding of structural resonances
- Lowering of amplitudes around critical eigenmodes Quelle: Dr. R. Hambrecht, Senvion SE [2]

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 4.5 Gearbox
Dimensioning & Calculation
Finite Element Method

Option 1 –approx. 800 Hz

Axial vibration of the support – approx. 200 Hz

Option 2 – optimized
Quelle: Dr. R. Hambrecht, Senvion SE [2]
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