Many embarked development companies have recently begun to realize the advantages of high-performance ceramic grinding ball hybrid bearings, especially the use of ceramic grinding ball hybrid bearings to increase the rotor shaft speed of wind turbine blades from 30 rpm to 2000 rpm to generate more electrical energy. Silicon nitride balls are ideal products to improve bearing performance.
Compared with steel balls, silicon nitride balls are lighter, more rigid, harder, smoother, corrosion-resistant, do not require much lubrication, and have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion. These properties enable the bearings to run faster, work at higher temperatures, and reduce lubrication maintenance. Silicon nitride balls are extremely resistant to wear. The longer bearing life means that the cycle of replacing bearings in wind power plants is greatly extended, and the cost of replacement is greatly reduced (because the use of lifting equipment when replacing bearings, it is generally estimated that each replacement cost is RMB 70,000). This saving effect is especially evident in high-speed generator shaft systems.
