LOW COST MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR LARGE DIAMETER WIND TURBINE SEALS

风能发电行业预计在未来10年内将大幅增长。涡轮机需要同时提高尺寸和效率，目前正在开发的涡轮机的轴径超过6米。需要旋转轴密封来密封主轴轴承内部的润滑剂或润滑脂。运营商正在寻求延长涡轮机和部件的使用寿命，对更大的密封件提出了技术挑战，因为随着轴尺寸的增加，这些密封件需要承受更高的表面速度。目前旋转涡轮机密封件的最新技术是制造压缩模压弹性体型材密封件。这些密封件通常具有高性能弹性体、唇形弹簧和背部加固的组合。几个供体密封件被压缩模压、分裂和重新连接，以形成更大直径的密封件。供体密封的尺寸仅限于成型操作中使用的加热压板尺寸。用于将供体密封连接到成品密封中的技术是一项成熟的技术，但任何连接都会增加失败的风险，并对使用寿命产生不利影响。该项目旨在采用James Walkers现有的密封设计和材料，并从根本上改变制造工艺，使任何直径的涡轮密封只需一个连接即可制造。

The wind energy generation industry is predicated to grow significantly over the next 10 years. Turbines need to increase in both size and efficiency, with turbines under development now having shaft sizes greater than 6m in diameter. Rotary shaft seals are needed to seal lubricant or grease inside the main shaft bearing. Operators are seeking longer service life for the turbine and components, with a technical challenge for larger seals as these need to withstand higher surface speeds as shaft size increases.Current state of art technology for rotary turbine seals is to manufacture compression moulded elastomer profiles seals. These seals normally have a combination of high performance elastomer, lip spring and back reinforcement. Several donor seals are compression moulded, split and re-joined to form larger diameter seals. The size of the donor seals are limited to heated platen size used in the moulding operation.The technology used to join the donor seals into the finished seal is a proven technology but any join is subject to increase risk of failure and detrimental impact on service life.This project aims to take James Walkers existing seal design and materials and radically change the manufacturing process such that turbine seals of any diameter can be manufactured with only a single join.