Abstract: A drive arrangement (12) for a wind turbine (10) is disclosed, having a rotor shaft (20) and a gearbox assembly (22) for transferring torque to an electrical power generator (18). The gearbox assembly comprises an input shaft (40), an output shaft (42), a primary gear stage (44) and a secondary gear stage (46). The drive arrangement also comprises a drive transfer mechanism (24) for transferring torque from the rotor shaft into the gearbox assembly via the input shaft, and a primary load carrying member (56) for releasably mounting the gearbox assembly to a housing (34) of the turbine. The rotor shaft is at least partly hollow, having an internal cavity (28) in which at least parts of the gearbox assembly and drive transfer mechanism are located. The gearbox assembly is mountable within the rotor shaft as a single unit by the primary load carrying member.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 3, 2012
Date of Patent:
August 9, 2016
Assignee:
David Brown Wind UK Limited
Inventors:
Alan Bradley Dewar, Scott Douglas Edmondson, Scott Tran