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1 Polish Maritime Research

1 2025

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Early-Stage Investigation of Environmentally Friendly Sliding Bearings for Offshore Wind Turbine Main Shafts

Wasilczuk Filip, Wasilczuk Michał, Flaszyński Paweł, Litwin Wojciech

Polish Maritime Research

2025

nr 4

157--167

This work presents a preliminary assessment of the potential application of water-lubricated radial sliding bearings as main shaft bearings in large offshore wind turbines. The study is driven by the environmental concerns and the high cost and size associated with conventional rolling element bearings. Four bearing material candidates were examined: lignum vitae, a compliant elastic polymer, a three-layer PTFE-based composite, and a fibre-reinforced polymer. Pilot experiments were carried out on a custom-built test rig capable of accurately capturing friction torque under controlled radial loads, with freshwater serving as both lubricant and coolant. The procedure included a defined running-in phase and multiple repeated tests to ensure reproducibility. The sliding speed and load conditions were determined using a combination of multi-body dynamic simulations of the IEA 15 MW reference turbine and published load analyses, ensuring that the test conditions reflect realistic operating values. The results showed that the polymer and PTFE-based composite exhibited excellent tribological behaviour, maintaining very low friction coefficients during both steady and start-up operation. Although the wear behaviour was not quantified at this stage, the low friction coefficients indicate operation in a full hydrodynamic lubrication regime, which is expected to minimise wear. Overall, this preliminary investigation suggests that selected water-lubricated sliding bearings represent a promising, environmentally friendly alternative for offshore wind turbine main shafts, offering advantages in corrosion resistance, durability under dynamic loading, and potentially low wear.