Patent ID: 8698336
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: F03D,H02K,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A wind turbine comprising a shaft; a plurality of blade arrangements, each of which is rotatable around the shaft and has a blade; at least first and second bearing arrangements spaced axially along the shaft; and a direct drive generator comprising a stator, which is rotationally fixed to the shaft, and a generator rotor having a rim connected to the first and second bearing arrangements, each of the first and second bearing arrangements transmitting radial forces from the generator rotor to the shaft and at least one of the first and second bearing arrangements separately transmitting bending moments to the shaft, each of the blade arrangements being connected to a point at or adjacent the rim so as to transmit torque generated by the blade arrangement directly to the rim, and each of the blade arrangements having first and second legs which straddle the generator.