Patent ID: 8075196

Claim:
A wind turbine bearing system for supporting a rotating main shaft of a wind turbine, comprising: a double-row tapered roller bearing assembly, said double-row tapered roller bearing assembly including an inner race element having an axial bore through which, in use, a rotating main shaft of a wind turbine passes, a set of inwardly-directed tapered bearings seated within corresponding inner raceways in an outer diameter of the inner race element, and an outer race element having corresponding outer races on an inner diameter within which said bearings are seated, said outer race element having a spherical outer diameter defining a ball surface; a pillow block housing assembly configured for attachment to a stationary support structure, said pillow block housing assembly including an anti-friction liner, said anti-friction liner having a spherical inner diameter which defines a socket surface, said socket surface matched to said ball surface to comprise a ball and socket interface between said pillow block housing assembly and said bearing assembly; said double-row tapered roller bearing assembly being supported in said pillow block housing assembly by said anti-friction liner and being movable within and with respect to said pillow block housing assembly; whereby said outer race will move with axial, radial, and angular movement of said shaft and inner race; thereby reducing the transfer of overturning moments to the rolling elements and the pillow block housing assembly; first and second rotating seal carriers on opposite sides of said inner race element, each of said rotating seal carriers including first labyrinth seal fingers; first and second static seal carriers secured to opposite sides of said outer race element, each of said static seal carriers including second labyrinth seal fingers, said second labyrinth seal fingers meshing with said first labyrinth seal fingers to define a labyrinth seal adjacent each edge of said bearing assembly; at least one of said first and second static seal carriers being removable from said outer race element; each of said rotating seal carriers securing a rotating face seal against a portion of said second labyrinth seal fingers of an adjacent static seal carrier to exclude contaminates from said labyrinth seals; each of said static seal carriers securing a static face seal against an edge surface of said pillow block housing assembly adjacent said ball and socket interface to exclude contaminates from said ball and socket interface; wherein said static seal carriers are isolated from inner race element displacements and shaft rotations; and wherein said rotating seal carriers are isolated from angular displacements of said outer race element relative to the pillow block housing assembly.