Gas bearing system
AssigneeEuropean Space Agency
InventorsStefan Heindel, Florian Liebold
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Abstract
A bearing assembly for stabilizing rotation of a rotatable element includes a gas bearing acting as a bearing for the rotatable element. An ultrasonic vibration pump is coupled to the gas bearing for providing pressurized gas to the gas bearing, and a sealed housing encloses the gas bearing and the ultrasonic vibration pump. Also described is a reaction wheel assembly for a spacecraft. The reaction wheel assembly includes a reaction wheel and the bearing assembly for stabilizing rotation of the reaction wheel.
Claims16
A bearing assembly for stabilizing rotation of a rotatable element in vacuum conditions, the bearing assembly comprising:
- a static gas bearing acting as a bearing for the rotatable element;
- an ultrasonic vibration pump coupled to the static gas bearing, for providing pressurized gas to the static gas bearing;
- and
- a sealed housing enclosing the gas bearing and the ultrasonic vibration pump,
- wherein the ultrasonic vibration pump comprises a pump inlet through which unpressurized gas enclosed in the sealed housing may enter the ultrasonic vibration pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.