2010 International Conference on Measuring Technology and Mechatronics Automation

Contact Stress and Deformation of Blade Bearing in Wind Turbine

Chen Long, Zhang Yaping, Xia Xintao

College of Mechatronical Engineering, Henan University of Science & Technology, Luoyang, 471003, China
Philips.bearing@gmail.com

Abstract—Slewing ring with negative clearance is used as blade rings. There are various structures of slewing ring and four
bearing in wind turbine. Negative clearance dramatically contact-point slewing ring is the most commonly used
increase contact forces between balls and raceways. Existing structure in wind turbine.
methods for calculating loads between raceway and balls in
four contact-point slewing ring suppose that the raceways are
rigid and only assume elastic deformations of rolling elements.
Experiments show that negative clearance dramatically
increase contact forces between balls and raceways, and these
forces make elastic deformations in rings of blade bearing.
This paper investigates the relation between negative clearance
and contact stress. A computation model for blade bearing
without external load but considering elasticity of rings in
computation is established and solve methods are discussed.

Keywords-Wind Turbine;Blade Bearing;Negative Clearance;

Contact Stress;Deformation Figure 2. Modle of a four contact-point slewing ring

I. INTRODUCTION According to research results of [2], turbine torque

Bearings in wind turbine generator system include a set
of yaw bearing, three sets of blade bearings and some
transmission bearings, as shown in Fig.1. Yaw bearing
situates at bottom of wind turbine cabin, bears all weights of
main transmission system and transmits pneumatic thrust
force to tower in order to regulate wind angle of wind
turbine timely and accurately. Blade bearing is mounted
between adjustable blades and hub. In order to guarantee
proper functioning of wind turbine, pitch system drives
blade rotating around its own axis under different wind
velocity. Transmission bearings transfer torque from to
generator [1]. Slewing ring is generally used as yaw bearing
and blade bearing in wind turbine.
Transmision bearing
applied to shaft, which determines power of turbine, is
influenced by pitch angle controller. The key part of pitch
system is blade bearing. Both double-row and single-row
four contact-point slewing ring are widely used as blade
bearing[3]. A blade bearing has gear teeth to receive energy
of a motor and it bears weight of blade along with external
load from non-steady wind. Loads act on blade bearing and
decomposition of force and torque can be seen in Fig.3.
My Fy
Fz y Mx
z Fx
x

Yaw bearing
Blade bearing
Figure 1. Bearings in wind turbine
Slewing is defined as the rotation of an object about an
axis. Thus a slewing ring, as can be seen in Fig.2, is a
bearing used in slewing applications for transferring or
supporting axial, radial, and moment loads, singularly or in
combination, consisting of rings mounted with threaded
fasteners, and usually having a gear integral with one of the
Figure 3. Forces act on blade bearing and their decomposition
Internal clearance of a bearing is of considerable
importance if satisfactory operation is to be obtained. As a
general rule, bearings should always have an operational
clearance that is greater than 0. Owing to existance of
clearance, there are only two contact points in four contact-
point slewing ring, as it can be seen in Fig.4. And Gr in
Fig.4 is radial clearance of slewing ring. However, to avoid
peristaltic wear between drive gear and slewing ring in wind
turbine, higher starting moment is needed in blade bearing

978-0-7695-3962-1/10 $26.00 © 2010 IEEE 833

DOI 10.1109/ICMTMA.2010.51
and negative clearance should be adopted. Negative
clearance dramatically increase contact forces between balls
and raceways.
Contact forces between balls and raceways provide us
with very useful information for calculating. Life of balls,
especially which bears the maximum load, and raceways are
all influenced by contact force. And contact force also
provides us information for determining size of connecting
bolts.
y δ
Ring
Ring
x
Ball
Contact points
Gr
4
Figure 4. Position of the ball when the clearance is absorbed
Several works [3-9] have describes the procedure
established for determining the load distributions in balls of
a four contact-point slewing bearing. When investigate the
behavior of large diameter bearing bolted joint in order to
evaluate fatigue resistance of the screws, many authors [10-
14] discussed load distribution in four contact-point slewing
ring too. All these researches above-mentioned are
considered rings of slewing ring as a rigid body while rings
are elastic bodies practically for blade bearing with negative
clearance [15]. Reference dimensions of slewing rings are
pitch diameters of bolt holes and amounts of actual
measurement indicate that size of blade bearing varies before
and after assembly. Dimensional variance will affect load in
blade bearing directly and relation between negative
clearance and elastic deformation is very important. A
computation model for blade bearing considering elasticity
of the rings in computation without external load is
established in this paper. The model can determine the
preload in slewing ring and can help us calculate the load
distribution and static capacity exactly.
II. HYPOTHESES
Four contact-point slewing ring is a fulcrum multi-
elastomer with supports on inner ring and outer ring.
Rigidity of rings, size deviation of rings and balls,
processing error and grain size significantly influence the
contact position, deformation and contact stress. We applied
following simplifying hypotheses:
-Raceways are parallel to end face reference.
-Material of rings is with isotropic properties.
-Grainsize in material has a uniform spatial distribution.
-No size deviation between balls in slewing ring.
- Contact angle in blade bearing is 45°.
III. CONTACT RIGIDITY
Contact rigidity, as described in [16], is a non-linear
function of material of balls and rings, and of relative
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displacement between them. In each ball/raceway contact,
load on the ball in direction of contact is equal to
3
Q = Kδ 2
(1)
where K is rigidity of raceway contact and δ is
relative approach between remote points of bodies in
contact.
y
Qiu
Qeu
α eu α iu Qi x
Qe
α ed α id
Qed Qid
Figure 5. Contact deformation on a ball in four contact-point slewing ring
with negaive clearence
Fig.5 is a sectional view trough axis of a ball, and α is
the nominal contact angle, Q is contact stress caused by
relative approach δ , subscript e and i identify inner ring
and outer ring, and subscript u and d identify upper
raceway and lower raceway. As a consequence of negative
clearance, each ball has two contact points with inner ring
and outer ring respectively. Forces applied on one ring, for
example Qeu and Qed on outer ring, can be composite into
one force (e.g. Qed on outer ring). Generally, nominal
contact angle α is 45° for blade bearing and as a result, each
ring withstands two forces /deformations at an angle of 90°,
namely,
Qe = 2Qeu = 2Qed (2)
There are several balls around axis of slewing ring, as
shown in Fig.6, and these balls act on both inner ring ( Fi )
and outer ring ( Fe ) in a sort of circle. Considering only
elastic deformations on rolling elements, size of rings will
not be changed. However, a lot of measurements data
showed these forces make dimensional change of rings. Size
of outter ring is increased and size of inner ring is reduced.
This means negative clearance has been devieded into two
parts, contact deformaition of balls and elastic deformaition
of rings. Obviously, these two parts are interrelated and
which directly associated with both of them is contact stress.
 IV. ELASTIC DEFORMATION EQUATIONS
⎧ A
To establish relation between negative clearance and ⎪⎪σ r r = a = r 2 + 2 C r = a = −Q
contact stress, elastic deformation equations for rings owing ⎨  (5)
to contact force should be created first. According to radial
⎪σ A
displacement equation for axisymmetric body [9], r r =b == 2 + 2 C r =b = 0
⎪⎩ r
deformation at radius equal to r , μr , can be expressed as
follows. Coefficients A and C can be obtained by solving (5)
and they are,
1+ λ ⎡ A
ur =
E ⎢⎣ − r + 2(1 − 2λ ) Br (ln r − 1) + (3) ⎧ a 2b 2
⎪⎪ A = − Q
(1 − 4λ ) Br + 2(1 − 2λ )Cr ] + I cos θ + K sin θ ⎨
b2 − a 2
(6)
2
⎪C = 1 a Q
where E (2.1×105MPa for 42CrMo4V, commonly used ⎪⎩ 2 b2 − a2
material for blade bearing) is elastic modulus and λ (0.28
for 42CrMo4V) is Poisson ratio of ring’s material, θ is Radial expansion of pitch diameter of outer ring , ue , at
azimuth angle, and A , B , C , I , K are coefficients. contact points circle can be expressed as,
z 1
ue = ur =
(1 − λ ) aQ
2
2ab
(7)
y 2 r =b
2E (b − a 2 )
2

Fe x b μi
Fi a

Feu Fiu
Fe Fi
Fed Fid
Figure 6. Contact forces caused by negaive clearence on inner ring and
outer ring μe
Owing to its geometry, deformation does not vary
considerably with azimuth angle. Based on displacement Figure 7. Elastic deformation of rings in four contact-point slewing ring
single-valued condition [17], (3) can be reduced to its with negaive clearence
simplest form.
Radial contraction of pitch diameters of inner ring, ui , at
1+ λ ⎡ A ⎤ contact point can be obtained similarly and another eqution
ur =
E ⎢⎣ − r + 2(1 − 2λ )Cr ⎥⎦ (4) is similar to (7) can be eatablished.
V. COMBINED RELATION EQUATION
Coefficients A and C in (4) can be solved by boundary Assume that radial clearance of blade bearing is −Gr ,
conditions. As it shown in Fig.7, two forces ( Feu and Fed ) relations between elastic deformation, contact deformation
on outer ring and two forces ( Fiu and
Fid ) on inner ring and radial clearance can be described as follows.
composite into two radial force, Fe and Fi . Maximum
ue + ui + 2δ e + 2δ i − Gr = 0 (8)
stress locates at contact point corresponding to minimum
stress locates at maximum diameter (for outer ring) or
minimum diameter (for inner ring). We assume that pitch Equtions (1), (2), (7) and corresponding eqution for inner
diameter of contact points circle on raceway, a , and ring, (8) can be solved using Newton-Raphason iterative
method. After we get values of above parameters, contact
maximum diameter, b , for example on outer ring. Thus stress/deformation without external load can be obtained.
boundary conditions for outer ring can be defined as follows. These values substitute in calculating procedures mentioned

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in [3,4] and contact stress/deformation of blade bearing with [14] Chen Long, “Load Distribution for Blade Bearing,” Bearing, in
external load can be obtained. press.(in Chinese)
[15] J. Clerk Maxwell, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, 3rd ed.,
VI. CONCLUSIONS Oxford: Clarendon, 1892:68–73.
[16] T.A.Harris, Rolling Bearing Analysis, 4th ed., New York : John
Based on bearing calculation theory, first criteria used is Wiley Press, 2001:99–102.
that of limiting contact pressure created between the rolling [17] J.L.Wu, Elastic Mechanics4th ed., Beijing: China Machine Press,
elements and raceways. Contact stress between rolling 2004:34–42..(in Chinese)
elements and raceways, depending on deformation of
rolling elements, is therefore fundamental to calculate the
static capacity of slewing ring.
Influences of balls’ deformation by rings’ elastic
deformation and relation between negative clearance and
elastic deformation are discussed in this paper. And, a
computation model considering elasticity of the rings in
computation without external load is established and this is
the basis for calculating load distribution, carrying capacity
and life of blade bearing.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The project funded by the Research Fund of DMIECT
(Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing for
Industrial Equipment and Control Technology, China)
(Grant No. DM20092003).
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