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Dynamic life prediction of pitch and yaw bearings for wind turbine

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Abstract

The design guideline of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a standard for designing and verifying pitch and yaw bearings of wind turbines. The usability of the guideline was evaluated by comparing with analytical results obtained by a commercial software. Results from calculation equations of the NREL guideline and from a commercial software were compared in terms of the main design evaluation items of pitch and yaw bearings, such as dynamic life, static load factor, and case-core interface models. Calculation and analysis were conducted using specifications and loading conditions for the yaw bearing of a 2.5 MW wind turbine. Results showed that the values computed using the NREL guideline were more conservative than those derived using the commercial software. Although the guideline showed some differences from the analytical results obtained using the software, they can be used in the initial design of pitch and yaw bearings because of the advantage of the simplicity and the characteristics of conservative output.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of System Reliability, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials, 156, Gajeongbuk-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-343, Korea

    Ju Seok Nam & Young Jun Park

  2. Taewoong Co. Ltd, 67, Noksansandan 27-ro, Gangseo-gu, Busan, 618-817, Korea

    Hi Sang Chang

Authors
  1. Ju Seok Nam
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  2. Young Jun Park
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  3. Hi Sang Chang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Young Jun Park.

Additional information

Ju Seok Nam holds a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea. He is currently a post-doctoral researcher in Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM) in Daejeon, Korea. His research interests include agricultural machinery and driving system of wind turbines.

Young Jun Park has been working in KIMM since 2006. He is interested in the design and analysis of gearboxes and bearings for wind turbine and construction equipment. He received a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Machinery Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea.

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Nam, J.S., Park, Y.J. & Chang, H.S. Dynamic life prediction of pitch and yaw bearings for wind turbine. J Mech Sci Technol 30, 249–256 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-015-1228-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-015-1228-1

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