Auxiliary bearing system with oil ring for magnetically supported rotor system
AssigneeDresser-Rand Company
InventorJoseph A. Tecza
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An auxiliary bearing system having a sleeve through which a shaft extends. A gap may be defined between the sleeve and the shaft when a primary bearing system supports the shaft, and the sleeve may engage and rotate with the shaft when the primary bearing system does not support the shaft. An oil ring may extend circumferentially around the sleeve and rotate in response to the rotating sleeve when the sleeve engages and rotates with the shaft. The rotating oil ring may distribute lubricant within the auxiliary bearing system.
Claims20
An auxiliary bearing system, comprising:
- a sleeve through which a rotating shaft extends, wherein a gap is defined between the sleeve and the shaft when a primary bearing system supports the shaft, and wherein the sleeve engages and rotates with the shaft when the primary bearing system does not support the shaft;
- and
- an oil ring extending circumferentially around the sleeve and rotating in response to the rotating sleeve when the sleeve engages and rotates with the shaft, wherein the rotating oil ring distributes lubricant within the auxiliary bearing system.
A method of supporting a shaft, the method comprising:
- rotating a shaft;
- supporting the shaft with a primary bearing system during normal operation;
- and
- supporting the shaft with an auxiliary bearing system when the primary bearing system is not supporting the shaft, comprising:
- engaging the shaft with a sleeve disposed circumferentially around the shaft;
- rotating the sleeve in response to the rotating shaft;
- rotating an oil ring in response to the rotating sleeve, the oil ring being disposed circumferentially around the sleeve;
- collecting lubricant from a reservoir with the rotating oil ring;
- and
- distributing the lubricant within the auxiliary bearing system with the rotating oil ring.
A rotor system, comprising:
- a rotating shaft;
- a first bearing system configured to support the shaft during normal operation of the rotor system;
- and
- a second bearing system configured to support the shaft when the first bearing system is not supporting the shaft, the second bearing system comprising:
- a sleeve through which the shaft extends, wherein a gap is defined between the sleeve and the shaft when the first bearing system supports the shaft, and wherein the sleeve engage and rotates with the rotating shaft when the second bearing system supports the shaft;
- an oil ring extending circumferentially around the sleeve and the shaft, the oil ring configured to rotate in response to the rotation of the sleeve;
- and
- a lubricant-containing reservoir disposed below the shaft, wherein the oil ring is in contact with the lubricant in the reservoir and distributes the lubricant within the second bearing system when the oil ring rotates, thereby lubricating and cooling the second bearing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.