Blade bearings and Yaw Bearings for wind turbines
Blade bearings (pitch bearings) connect the blade root to the hub whilst allowing the blade to pitch in and out of the wind. This allows the blade to be at the optimal angle of attack to capture the most energy out of the wind. It is also used to brake both in emergencies and also to pitch out of the wind during high wind speeds. A highly important component in wind energy generation and also a very stressed one from a combination of both radial and axial loads.
Why do blade bearings fail?
Blade bearings see a lot of stress as they constantly respond to large forces during pitching and yaw operations. They constantly chase the wind conditions at the mercy of the pitch ram, only subject to partial rotation whilst supporting the entire weight of the blade and the lift generated. There are many root causes to blade bearing failures such as partial rotation, elipse truncation, cage wear, blade bolt shear and weaknesses baked in during the hardening process.
Blade root connections can be a particular point of vulnerability and without proper lubrication (anti-corrosion), pre-loading, treatment and condition monitoring; one broken bolt too many can result in catastrophic blade failure.
- Root Cause Analysis services
- Blade bearing upgrades
- Blade bearing condition monitoring
Reduce blade bearing failures
Engineer out failure with compatible bearing swaps
Improved Seal
Upgraded seal profile to reduce environmental ingress and grease egress
Increased Stiffness
Increase pre-load on the raceway to give better bearing rigidity
Anti-Corrosion
Corrosion protection of bolts to prevent shear and dropped objects
Enercon, Siemens, Vestas and Gamesa Blade Bearings
- Stock availability
- Made in EU
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