Flywheel assembly for gyroscopic applications having ball bearing slug separators

A flywheel assembly for a gyroscope comprising:

• a flywheel having a shaft extending therefrom, a top end of the shaft extending above the flywheel, and a bottom end of the shaft extending below the flywheel;
• a top bearing coupled to the top end of the shaft, the top bearing comprising a first and a second inner ring, a first and a second outer ring, a first plurality of rolling elements positioned for rotation between the first inner ring and the first outer ring wherein the first plurality of rolling elements is separated by a first plurality of slug ball separators, and a second plurality of rolling elements positioned for rotation between the second inner ring and the second outer ring wherein the second plurality of rolling elements is separated by a second plurality of slug ball separators;
• and
• a bottom bearing coupled to the bottom end of the shaft, the bottom bearing comprising a third and a fourth inner ring, a third and a fourth outer ring, a third plurality of rolling elements positioned for rotation between the third inner ring and the third outer ring wherein the third plurality of rolling elements is separated by a third plurality of slug ball separators, and a fourth plurality of rolling elements positioned for rotation between the fourth inner ring and the fourth outer ring wherein the fourth plurality of rolling elements is separated by a fourth plurality of slug ball separators;
• wherein
• each of the rolling elements of the first, second, third and fourth plurality of rolling elements defines an outer diameter DRE;
• and
• each of the slug ball separators of the first, second, third and fourth plurality of slug ball separators comprises a generally cylindrical member defined by an external surface having an outer diameter DSB, end faces located at opposing ends of the generally cylindrical member extending axially and radially inwardly therefrom to define an inner cylindrical surface having an interior diameter DIS, the outer diameter DSB being less than the outer diameter DRE.