Research On Prediction Methods Of Fatigue Life For Wind Turbine Gear

For the complex load working condition, it is difficult to accurately forecast the fatigue life of wind turbine gear, which is an important factor to cause failing, so the prediction of fatigue life for wind turbine gear is significant to reduce the failure rate.Firstly, planetary gear, sun gear, planet carrier, Internal gear, gear shaft, gear are modeled and assembled by Pro/E. Then in Adams, Hertz contact theory is embedded, and a contact force also will be exerted between virtual gears in order to realize the dynamic real-time simulation of the gear meshing.Secondly, the S-N method for high-cycle fatigue is used to predict the fatigue life of wind turbine gear. Its fatigue life is estimated with the rain flow count method, material’s P-S-N curves and the Miner rule, according to the critical components’ simulation stress for two cases.Thirdly, the load spectrum got by Adams, stress distribution of gears got by MSC.Patran/Nastran software and material’s P-S-N curves are input in the MSC.Fatigue to calculate its fatigue life for two cases.By the rigid flexible coupling models established and the fatigue analysis, the fatigue life distribution of wind turbine gears and the fatigue life values of the most dangerous points can be received, the feasibility of this method was verified by comparing with the theoretical calculation. Methods and conclusions in this paper will help engineers to optimize the design of wind turbine gearboxes.