Conversion Analysis of a Planetary Chain-Set Speed Reducer into a Speed  Increaser to Be Used in RES

Authors

Most renewable energy systems (RES) require a

transmission to modify the input speed into the desired output

speed. The solar systems drive trains include a speed reducer,

while the wind turbines and hydro units’ usually contain a

gearbox to increase the speed of the input shaft to the generator.

The paper main objective is analyzing the conversion

possibilities of a proposed planetary chain-set from speed

reducer into a speed increaser, by inverting the energy flow.

The transmission is meant to be used in the RES applications

(small wind turbines and hydropower stations).

By inverting the energy flow, the reducer can become speed

increaser only if its efficiency is positive. Therefore, the

variation of the kinematical ratio i (first as reducer and, then, as

increaser) and the variation of the afferent efficiencies are

further analyzed comparatively, in the paper. The results

interpretation highlight the conditions in which the chain

transmission can be used as speed reducer and speed increaser

and form a data basis for choosing the proper solution of chain

transmission for a certain application (in terms of teeth numbers

and efficiency)