Validation of a finite-element model of a 5 m three-row roller wind turbine blade bearing

Large rolling bearings with complex interfaces need reliable finite-element (FE) models to determine the load distribution and deformation behavior. To ensure the accuracy of the results, it is important to validate the models against experimental data. Several works on models with different approaches are published, but rarely is this validated. The present work firstly validates a finite-element model of an original size three-row roller wind turbine blade bearing. For the validation, strain gauges and laser sensors are used to compare the deformation behavior and radial displacements of the bearing rings against experimental results. A characteristic of three-row roller bearings is the segmentation of one of the rings for manufacturing purposes. In this work, the authors investigate the influence of different coefficients of friction between the segmented outer ring and different bolt preloads on the occurring strain on the bearing rings. Two different sets of bolt preloads were considered: one to represent operational behavior with no relative movement between the segments of the split ring and one with gap opening and sliding to investigate nonlinear behavior of the bearing. The result of this work is a validated finite-element bearing and test rig model for different parameter sets and loads.