Dual stiffness bearing damping system
First Claim
1. A damping system for an evacuated energy storage device, said device having a rotor assembly that is rotatably supported and guided by a bearing assembly, comprising a rolling element substantially confined between an inner and an outer race, and a stator assembly, the system comprising:
- one or more flexible dampers, each having a first stiffness; and
a plurality of rigid bumpers, each of said plurality of rigid bumpers having a second stiffness, wherein said second stiffness is greater than said first stiffness, and wherein said bumpers frictionally engage the outer race during extreme loading.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one aspect of the present invention discloses a dual-stiffness damping system for an evacuated energy storage system, the damping system comprising one or more flexible dampers and a plurality of more rigid bumpers, and a method of damping an evacuated energy storage system using dual-stiffness damping. Indeed, under normal operating conditions, a flexible damper, having a stiffness of about 500 lb/in to about 4000 lb/in, minimizes the rigid body critical speed of the rotor assembly of the energy storage system, allowing relative displacement between the stator assembly and rotor assembly but preventing the assemblies from physically contacting each other. Under more extreme external loading conditions, e.g., during an earthquake, the plurality of more rigid bumpers, having a stiffness of about 50,000 to 250,000 lb/in, engages the outer race of the bearing assembly to arrest further relative displacement substantially. In another aspect of the present invention, the dual stiffness damping system is combined with a bearing assembly and a mounting unit to produce a self-contained damping system that can be quickly and easily installed and replaced.
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Citations
61 Claims
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1. A damping system for an evacuated energy storage device, said device having a rotor assembly that is rotatably supported and guided by a bearing assembly, comprising a rolling element substantially confined between an inner and an outer race, and a stator assembly, the system comprising:
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one or more flexible dampers, each having a first stiffness; and
a plurality of rigid bumpers, each of said plurality of rigid bumpers having a second stiffness, wherein said second stiffness is greater than said first stiffness, and wherein said bumpers frictionally engage the outer race during extreme loading. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A self-contained bearing assembly system for an evacuated energy storage device, said device further having a rotor assembly and a stator assembly, which assemblies are separated by a first clearance and a second clearance, the system comprising:
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a bearing assembly for rotatably supporting and guiding said rotor assembly, the bearing assembly further comprising;
an inner race, an outer race, and a rolling element that is rollably disposed and confined between said inner and outer races;
a mounting assembly, the mounting assembly further comprising;
an upper damper grounding plate, a lower damper grounding plate, and a circumferential mounting plate;
one or more flexible dampers, wherein an inner periphery of said one or more flexible dampers is in tight interference fit with said outer race of said bearing assembly and an outer periphery of said one or more flexible dampers is securely and removably attached to said circumferential mounting plate; and
a plurality of more rigid bumpers, wherein at least one of said plurality of more rigid bumpers is configured and arranged on said upper damper grounding plate so as to be disposed in proximity of said outer race of said bearing assembly and one or more of said plurality of more rigid bumpers is configured and arranged on said lower damper grounding plate so as to be disposed in proximity of said outer race of said bearing assembly. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An evacuated energy storage device, said device comprising:
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a bearing assembly;
said bearing assembly further comprising;
an inner race, an outer race, a rolling element, wherein said rolling element is substantially confined between said inner and said outer race;
a rotor assembly that is rotatably supported and guided by said bearing assembly;
a stator assembly; and
a dual stiffness damping system, the system comprising;
one or more flexible dampers, each having a first stiffness; and
aplurality of rigid bumpers, each of said plurality of rigid bumpers having a second stiffness, wherein said stiffness is greater than first stiffness, and wherein said bumpers frictionally engage the outer race during extreme loading. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An evacuated energy storage device, said device comprising:
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a self-contained bearing assembly system, said system comprising;
a bearing assembly for rotatably supporting and guiding said rotor assembly, the bearing assembly further comprising;
an inner race, an outer race, and a rolling element that is rollably disposed and confined between said inner and outer races;
a mounting assembly, the mounting assembly further comprising;
an upper damper grounding plate, a lower damper grounding plate, and a circumferential mounting plate;
one or more flexible dampers, wherein an inner periphery of said one or more flexible dampers is in tight interference fit with said outer race of said bearing assembly and an outer periphery of said one or more flexible dampers is securely and removably attached to said circumferential mounting plate; and
a plurality of more rigid bumpers, wherein at least one of said plurality of more rigid bumpers is configured and arranged on said upper damper grounding plate so as to be disposed in proximity of said outer race of said bearing assembly and one or more of said plurality of more rigid bumpers is configured and arranged on said lower damper grounding plate so as to be disposed in proximity of said outer race of said bearing assembly;
a rotor assembly that is rotatably supported and guided by said bearing assembly; and
a stator assembly. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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Specification