An Integrated Modeling Method With High Fidelity for Journal Bearings of Wind Turbine Gearbox

Abstract

Abstract. Conventional tribological simulations for planet gear journal bearings (PGJBs) in wind turbine gearboxes often neglect the synergistic effects of PGJB full-lifecycle parameters, making it difficult to precisely simulate PGJB tribological behavior. To address this issue, an integrated modeling method with high fidelity is proposed for PGJBs based on multiphysics theory. The method couples laser cladding (LC) process simulation with service process simulation to characterize the synergistic effects of the full-lifecycle parameters on the tribological behavior of PGJBs. To endow the PGJB integrated model with high fidelity, an experimental data-based calibration method using the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is introduced. Experimental validation under representative wind turbine PGJB conditions shows that the average error between simulation results and experimental data is within 5%. Parametric analysis reveals that increased bearing clearance and external moment degrade lubrication conditions and aggravate wear, whereas a moderate LC coating thickness improves lubrication performance and suppresses wear accumulation. The proposed integrated modeling method provides a methodology for analyzing the synergistic effects of full-lifecycle parameters on PGJB tribological behavior within the applicability envelope.