Vibration damper for rotor housings

• US 5,429,477 A
• Filed: 08/24/1994
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MTU Motoren- und Turbinen-Union Muenchen GmbH (MTU)
• Original Assignee: MTU Motoren- und Turbinen-Union Muenchen GmbH (MTU)
• Inventors: Sikorski, Siegfried, Schoenacher, Reinhold, Schober, Michael, Diepolder, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Michael S.
• Application Number:
  US08/295,265
• Time in Patent Office: 314 Days
• Field of Search: 415/119, 415/197, 415/214.1
• US Class Current: 415/119
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 21/045 special arrangements in stators or in rotors dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/04 Antivibration arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

A vibration damper for rotor housings includes a rubber-elastic damping band (6) that encircles the outer circumference of the rotor housing (4) in a contour fitting manner. A clamping band (7) encircles the damping band (6) and secures the damping band to the housing (4). The clamping band is made of a material having a different modulus of elasticity than the material of the rotor housing, which achieves a detuning of the vibrational system including the rotor housing and the vibration damper as components. Such a detuning reduces the vibrational tendency of the rotor housing. Frictional rubbing between the damping band and the housing surface, and between the damping band and the clamping band effectively damps or dissipates the energy of any vibration that does occur. The clamping band includes a tension adjustment element that is adjustable and releasable so that the clamping band and the entire vibration damper may easily be removed from the housing for carrying out maintenance and inspection procedures.

Claims

1. A vibration damper for a rotor housing made of a housing material, said vibration damper comprising a damping band made of an elastic material having a high coefficient of friction against said housing material, and a clamping band comprising a material having a different modulus of elasticity than said housing material, wherein said damping band is arranged in a frictionally contacting and contour fitting manner on an outer circumferential surface of said housing, and said clamping band is arranged in a contour fitting manner on an outer circumferential surface of said damping band to secure said damping band to said housing.

2. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said damping band comprises only a single layer of said elastic material, which encircles said housing substantially completely around said outer circumferential surface of said housing.

3. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said damping band comprises a continuous ring of said elastic material.

4. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein an axial dimension of said damping band is a fraction of a total axial length of said rotor housing and corresponds to a vibration sensitive axial length of said housing.

5. The vibration damper of claim 4, wherein said axial dimension is in the range from 5% to 40% of said total axial length.

6. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said damping band comprises an inner circumferential surface having a surface contour mating with said outer circumferential surface of said housing.

7. The vibration damper of claim 6, wherein said outer circumferential surface of said housing comprises protruding ribs and said inner circumferential surface of said damping band comprises grooves corresponding to and receiving said ribs.

8. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said elastic material of said damping band is a rubber-elastic elastomer.

9. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said elastic material of said damping band is a fiber reinforced composite material.

10. The vibration damper of claim 9, wherein said fiber reinforced composite material is selected from the group consisting of glass fiber reinforced plastics, carbon fiber reinforced plastics and synthetic fiber reinforced plastics.

11. The vibration damper of claim 1, further comprising a tension adjustment element releasably and adjustably connected to said clamping band and applying an adjustable circumferential tension to said clamping band.

12. The vibration damper of claim 11, wherein said clamping band comprises two ends and said tension adjustment element interconnects said ends.

13. The vibration damper of claim 12, wherein said ends have a greater radial thickness than a remaining body portion of said clamping band.

14. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said clamping band comprises a plurality of arcuate band elements releasably interconnected end to end.

15. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said material of said clamping band is a fiber reinforced composite material.

16. The vibration damper of claim 15, wherein said fiber reinforced composite material of said clamping band is based on an elastomer matrix.

17. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said material of said clamping band has a different modulus of elasticity than said elastic material of said damping band.

18. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said vibration damper has at least one hole through said clamping band and said damping band.

19. The vibration damper of claim 1, further comprising a protective film arranged at least partially around said damping band.

20. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said housing is a turbojet engine housing.

21. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said damping band further comprises a strain-resistant insert extending in a circumferential direction.

22. The vibration damper of claim 1, wherein said damping band comprises a continuous ring of said elastic material, which comprises a rubber-elastic elastomer, said clamping band comprises a plurality of arcuate band elements releasably interconnected end to end, said material of said clamping band is a fiber reinforced composite, and said vibration damper further comprises at least one tension adjustment element connected between respective adjacent ones of said ends of said arcuate band elements.