Bearing damper having dispersed friction damping elements

• US 20070012530A1
• Filed: 07/15/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. (Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Incorporated)
• Inventors: Garcia, Angel
• Application Number:
  US11/183,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20070012530A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 188/268
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/06 with a single row or balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2300/54 high-temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines in general F02C
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 27/04 Ball or roller bearings, e.g. with resilient rolling bodies
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/077 between housing and outer race ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 7/015 the particles being spherical, cylindrical or the like

Abstract

The present invention is a bearing support apparatus that provides damping to the bearing, and is made of high temperature resistant materials in order that the bearing can be used in a high temperature environment such as a gas turbine engine. The bearing support includes an annular chamber that is filled with a plurality of spherical elements or balls made of a high temperature resistant material like a ceramic, a glass, carbon, or stainless steel. The spherical elements are packed together such that a vibration causes the spherical elements to rub up against each other and dissipate the energy from the vibration. Another embodiment includes a flexible diaphragm within the annular chamber and a pressure fluid source to compact the spherical elements in order to vary the damping capability of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A bearing support apparatus, comprising:

An annular chamber having an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface, the outer wall surface forming a means to support the bearing support, and the inner wall surface forming a means to support a bearing outer race, the annular chamber forming a substantially closed chamber; and

,

A plurality of spherical elements disposed within the annular chamber, the spherical elements occupying substantially the entire volume of the annular chamber.

2. The bearing support apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:

The spherical elements and the annular chamber being formed of a high temperature resistant material.

3. The bearing support apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:

The inner wall surface of the annular chamber has a thickness less than the thickness of the outer wall surface in order to provide flexibility to the annular chamber.

4. The bearing support apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:

The annular chamber is formed from stainless steel.

5. The bearing support apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:

The outer wall surface has a width in a cross section view greater than the width of the inner wall surface.

6. The bearing support apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:

A flexible diaphragm secured within the annular chamber and forming a pressure chamber on one side of the annular chamber and a spherical element chamber on the other side of the annular chamber; and

,

A fluid pressure supply means to supply a fluid pressure to the pressure chamber to compact the spherical elements.

7. The bearing support apparatus of claim 6, and further comprising:

The flexible diaphragm being formed of a high temperature resistant material.

8. The bearing support apparatus of claim 7, and further comprising:

The flexible diaphragm being formed of stainless steel.

9. The bearing support apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:

The spherical elements are formed from one or more of a ceramic material, a glass material, a carbon material, and a stainless steel material.

10. A process for damping vibration from a bearing, the process comprising the steps of:

Providing for an annular chamber having a bearing support surface one side and a rigid support surface on another side of the annular chamber; and

,

Filling the annular chamber with a plurality of spherical elements such that a vibration from the bearing will produce friction against some of the plurality of spherical elements to dissipate the vibrations.

11. The process for damping vibration from a bearing of claim 10, and further comprising the step of:

Providing for the annular chamber and the spherical elements to be made of a high temperature resistant material.

12. The process for damping vibration from a bearing of claim 10, and further comprising the step of:

Providing for a flexible diaphragm within the annular chamber, the flexible diaphragm forming a pressure chamber and a spherical element chamber; and

,

Providing for a pressure fluid supply means to supply a pressure fluid to the pressure chamber to compact the spherical elements.

13. The process for damping vibration from a bearing of claim 10, and further comprising the step of:

Providing for the bearing support surface to have a width less than the width of the rigid support surface.

14. The process for damping vibration from a bearing of claim 10, and further comprising the step of:

Providing for the spherical elements to be made from one or more of a ceramic material, a glass material, a carbon material, and a stainless steel material.