Analysis of the Influence of Calculation Parameters on the Design of the Gearbox of a High-Power Wind Turbine

Abstract

As wind turbine power requirements have evolved from the order of kilowatts (kWs) to the order of several megawatts (MWs), wind turbine components have been subjected to more demanding and critical operating conditions. The wind turbine must cope with higher wind loads due to larger blade sizes, which are also time-varying, and, ultimately, higher power levels. One of the challenges in the manufacture of high-power wind turbines lies in the gearbox and consists of achieving ever-greater power density without compromising efficiency, i.e., greater load capacity with lower weight (and production cost) and reduced power losses. Epicyclic geartrains are used to build the gearbox due to various advantages in relation to conventional gear systems, such as higher feasible gear ratios, higher efficiency, compactnesss, and lower weight. In this paper, several epicyclic geartrains with different structures will be analysed to reveal the influence that certain design parameters have on the size and weight of the gearbox components in the selected model and, therefore, of the gearbox itself. For this purpose, the theoretical model of the gearbox will be planned and the influence of the calculation parameters on the gearbox design will be analyzed following ISO 6336. Special emphasis is placed on the influence of the material used; the modulus and tooth width on the size and weight of the gearbox will be observed. Critical stresses are also calculated. The goal is to prepare the theoretical basis for an optimization process subject to geometric, kinematic, and dynamic constraints that will result in a gearbox as compact, energy-dense, and light as possible without compromising the service life of the components.