Dynamic characteristics of gear box with PGT for wind turbine

Gear box is the most important transmission device in wind turbines. The dynamic characteristics of gear box will directly influence the performance of wind turbine system, such as wind power conversion efficiency, weight lighten/power density and so on. This paper introduced the configurations of gear box in wind turbines, and summarized that planetary gear train (PGT) is most widely used gear box. Then, a nonlinear dynamic model coupled torsional translational degree of freedom is presented for a PGT with three planet gears, in consideration of manufacture and assembly errors and gear elastic deformation. By using the dynamic model, a single stage gear box (a PGT) in a wind turbine system is taken as a case study to discuss its dynamic characteristics, such as vibration characteristic, and load sharing characteristic among the planet gears, affected by support stiffness, manufacture and assembly errors. The work will provide a worthy reference for the wind turbine gear box design.