Gyrostabilisers
AssigneeVeem Ltd.
InventorsMark Miocevich, Michael Andrewartha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gyrostabiliser having a vacuum chamber assembly is disclosed. The gyrostabilizer can have a flywheel enclosed within a vacuum chamber formed by a housing. The flywheel shaft can be fixed to or integral with the flywheel and located relative to the housing by upper and lower spin bearings which permit rotation of the flywheel about the spin axis.
Claims20
A gyrostabiliser including a vacuum chamber assembly comprising:
- a flywheel enclosed within a vacuum chamber formed by a housing;
- a flywheel shaft fixed to or integral with the flywheel and located relative to the housing by upper and lower spin bearings which permit rotation of the flywheel about a spin axis,
- wherein the vacuum chamber assembly further comprises:
- an upper spin bearing chamber and an upper shaft seal around the flywheel shaft, the upper spin bearing chamber accommodating the upper spin bearing, and being separated from the vacuum chamber by the upper shaft seal,
- a lower spin bearing chamber and a lower shaft seal around the flywheel shaft, the lower spin bearing chamber accommodating the lower spin bearing and being separated from the vacuum chamber by the lower shaft seal, and
- an oil circuit comprising a plurality of outlets and drains and a supply oil pump to supply lubricating oil to the upper spin bearing and the lower spin bearing, wherein the upper spin bearing chamber and the lower spin bearing chamber are maintained at a higher pressure than the vacuum chamber.
A lubrication arrangement for a vacuum chamber assembly for a gyrostabiliser, the vacuum chamber assembly comprising:
- a flywheel enclosed within a vacuum chamber formed by a housing;
- a flywheel shaft fixed to or integral with the flywheel and located relative to the housing by upper and lower spin bearings which permit rotation of the flywheel about a spin axis;
- an upper spin bearing chamber and an upper shaft seal around the flywheel shaft, the upper spin bearing chamber accommodating the upper spin bearing and being separated from the vacuum chamber by the upper shaft seal;
- a lower spin bearing chamber and a lower shaft seal around the flywheel shaft, the lower spin bearing chamber accommodating the lower spin bearing and being separated from the vacuum chamber by the lower shaft seal;
- and
- a supply oil pump to supply lubricating oil to the upper spin bearing and the lower spin bearing, wherein the upper spin bearing chamber and the lower spin bearing chamber are maintained at a higher pressure than the vacuum chamber.
A system for lubricating a spin bearing of a gyrostabiliser having a vacuum chamber, the system comprising a lubrication circuit, a supply oil pump to supply lubricating oil to at least one of an upper spin bearing in an upper spin bearing chamber or a lower spin bearing in a lower spin bearing chamber of the gyrostabiliser, and a coolant circuit, and the upper spin bearing chamber and the lower spin bearing chamber are maintained at a higher pressure than the vacuum chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.