Effects of gear modifications on the dynamic characteristics of wind turbine gearbox considering elastic support of the gearbox

The reliability and service life of wind turbines are directly influenced by the dynamic performance of the gearbox under the time-varying wind loads. The control of vibration behavior is essential for the achievement of a 20-year service life. We developed a rigid-flexible coupled dynamic model for a wind turbine gearbox. The planet carrier, the housing, and the bedplate are modelled as flexibilities while other components are assumed as rigid bodies. The actual three points elastic supporting are considered and a strip based mesh model is used to represent the engagement of the gear pairs. The effects of gear tooth modifications on the dynamics were investigated. Finally, we conducted a dynamic test for the wind turbine gearbox in the wind field. Results showed that the contact characteristics of gear pairs were improved significantly; the peak-to-peak value of transmission error of each gear pair was reduced; the amplitudes of the vibration acceleration and the structural noise of the wind turbine gearbox were lowered after suitable tooth modification.