Lubrication and Load-Bearing Performance of Three Alloy Materials for Sliding Bearings in Wind Turbine Gearboxes: An Experimental Study

Sliding bearings offer key advantages over rolling bearings in wind turbines, including higher load-bearing capacity and reduced maintenance needs. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies comparing the performance of different alloy materials used in these bearings. This study addresses this gap by experimentally evaluating three commonly used sliding bearing alloys—CuSn3Pb7Zn9, CuSn12Ni2, and AlSn20Cu—under simulated wind turbine operating conditions. The alloys were prepared and tested using a custom-built planetary gear sliding bearing test platform designed to replicate conditions in a wind turbine's main gearbox. Four typical operational scenarios were examined: low-speed heavy load, temperature rise, start-stop cycles, and ultimate load conditions. The results show that AlSn20Cu exhibits the best lubricating performance and operational consistency. Among the copper-based alloys, CuSn3Pb7Zn9 performs better than CuSn12Ni2. These findings offer valuable guidance for selecting suitable bearing materials, supporting the optimization of sliding bearing design and enhancing the reliability of wind power generation systems.