Hybrid-additive gear for a wind turbine gearbox

• Main Authors: Minadeo, Adam Daniel, Porel, Souvik, Raut, Ganesh, Hasan, Raed Zuhair, Ridge, Jeremy Charles, Wertz, Aaron
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.05.2023
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; BLASTING; CASTING; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS; WIND MOTORS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS; WORKING METALLIC POWDER

A method for manufacturing a planet gear or a sun gear of a gearbox of a wind turbine includes forming a base of the planet gear via at least one of casting or forging. The base of the planet gear includes an inner circumferential surface and an outer circumferential surface. Therefore, at least one of the inner circumferential surface or the outer circumferential surface of the planet gear includes a plurality of net or near-net gear teeth. The method also includes applying a coating material to at least a portion of the base of the gear and at least a portion of the plurality of gear teeth of the gear via an additive manufacturing process so as to increase a hardness of the portions of the base and the plurality of gear teeth that includes the coating material.