Turbine gearbox bearing eliminates slippage

Rather than using conventional rolling elements, Schaeffler’s FAG tube roller bearing incorporates three tube rollers. These tube rollers enable the bearing to rotate without slippage under all load conditions. At the same time, the load rating and rating life are unaffected.

Slippage is detrimental to rolling bearings; the life and performance of a rolling bearing will suffer if it is overloaded or under-loaded. This is because rolling bearings are designed with a minimum load requirement in order to function optimally. If this minimum load is not met, slippage will occur. This means that the rolling elements not only rotate, but also slide on the bearing raceways. Eventually, this can lead to surface damage such as increased wear or smearing, particularly in critical lubrication conditions.

In wind turbines, rolling bearings have to meet special performance requirements. The bearings must be designed to withstand extremely low and high loads that act on the bearing during calm or strong wind conditions. The risk of damage to a bearing increases significantly when the roller set of a rolling bearing with high slippage is suddenly subjected to extremely high acceleration forces. For this reason, Schaeffler has developed the tube roller bearing, which completely eliminates the problem of slippage.