Flexible bearing damping system, energy storage system using such a system, and a method related thereto
First Claim
1. A system for damping vibrations and removing heat from a heat generating device, the system comprising:
- one or more flexible dampers, each having a stiffness; and
one or more heat transferring devices, each having a stiffness, for thermally conducting heat energy produced by said heat generating device to a remote heat sink.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention discloses a bearing damping system for damping vibrations and conducting heat from vibration-producing, heat-generating devices, an evacuated energy storage system including such a bearing damping system for damping vibrations produced by the rotating shaft and conducting heat from bearings and/or bearing assemblies; and a method for damping vibrations and conducting heat from vibration-producing, heat-generating devices. In one aspect of the present invention, the system includes one or more flexible bearing dampers in combination with one or more heat transferring rosettes. The flexible, e.g., elastomeric, bearing dampers minimize the rigid body critical velocity, which further minimizes the amplitude of the vibrations so that relatively high damping energy is required. The heat transferring rosettes comprises a flexible thermally conductive member that transfers heat by conduction from the bearings, bearing assemblies and/or heat generating devices to a remote heat sink. Preferably, the flexible thermally conductive member comprises a first end of a thermally conductive member that is thermally coupled directly to the heat-generating device, a second end f a thermally conductive member that is thermally coupled directly or indirectly to the remote heat sink and a third conductive member therebetween.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A system for damping vibrations and removing heat from a heat generating device, the system comprising:
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one or more flexible dampers, each having a stiffness; and
one or more heat transferring devices, each having a stiffness, for thermally conducting heat energy produced by said heat generating device to a remote heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An evacuated energy storage system, having a rigid body critical speed, the system comprising:
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a rotor assembly having a rotatable flywheel that stores kinetic energy;
a high-energy motor that rotates the rotor assembly;
one or more bearing assemblies that rotatably support the rotor assembly; and
one or more flexible bearing damping systems comprising;
one or more flexible bearing dampers, having a stiffness, for damping vibrations induced by said one or more bearing assemblies; and
one or more heat transferring devices for thermally conducting heat energy produced by said one or more bearing assemblies to a remote heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An evacuated energy storage system, having a rigid body critical speed, the system comprising:
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a rotor assembly having a rotatable flywheel that stores kinetic energy;
a high-energy motor that rotates the rotor assembly; and
one or more self-contained flexible bearing damping systems comprising;
an upper grounding plate;
a lower grounding plate that is securely and removably attachable to the upper grounding plate;
one or more bearing assemblies that rotatably support the rotor assembly;
one or more flexible bearing dampers, having a stiffness, for damping vibrations induced by said one or more bearing assemblies; and
one or more heat transferring devices for thermally conducting heat energy produced by said one or more bearing assemblies to a remote heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of damping vibrations produced by a vibration-producing rotating device, said rotating device having a rigid body critical speed, and conducting heat energy produced by a heat-generating device, the method comprising the steps of:
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radially damping said heat generating device to minimize said rigid body critical speed of said rotating device; and
thermally coupling said heat-generating device to a remote heat sink to communicate heat energy produced by said heat-generating device to said remote heat sink. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
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Specification