Bearing system for high speed flight vehicles
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorDavid D. Staggers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bearing system for a control surface of a high speed flight vehicle includes a bearing configured to support the control surface, and a pressurized lubricant chamber containing a lubricant for the bearing. The lubricant contained in the lubricant chamber is in a first phase. The lubricant chamber is subject to heating by a heated aerothermal environment (an environment external to the high speed flight vehicle). The lubricant in the first phase, therefore, is configured to transition from the first phase to a second phase when the lubricant chamber is heated by the heated aerothermal environment. The lubricant in the second phase is configured to flow from the lubricant chamber to the bearing to lubricate and cool the bearing via a flow-based cooling effect.
Claims20
A bearing system for a control surface of a high speed flight vehicle, the bearing system comprising:
- a bearing configured to support the control surface of the high speed flight vehicle;
- and
- a lubricant chamber fluidly connected to the bearing, the lubricant chamber containing a lubricant in a first phase and subject to heating by a heated aerothermal environment, wherein the lubricant is configured to transition from the first phase to a second phase when the lubricant chamber is heated by the heated aerothermal environment;
- wherein the lubricant in the second phase is configured to flow from the lubricant chamber to the bearing to lubricate and cool the bearing.
A high speed flight vehicle, comprising:
- an airframe:
- a control surface mounted to the airframe and supported by a bearing housed at least partially within the airframe;
- and
- a lubricant chamber fluidly connected to the bearing, the lubricant chamber containing a lubricant in a first phase and subject to heating by a heated aerothermal environment, wherein the lubricant is configured to transition from the first phase to a second phase when the lubricant chamber is heated by the heated aerothermal environment;
- wherein the lubricant in the second phase is configured to flow from the lubricant chamber to the bearing to lubricate and cool the bearing.
A method of lubricating and cooling a bearing with which a control surface is mounted to a high speed flight vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
- heating, by a heated aerothermal environment of the high speed flight vehicle, a lubricant chamber in the high speed flight vehicle, wherein the lubricant chamber contains a lubricant in a first phase;
- transitioning the lubricant in the first phase to a second phase by the heating;
- transferring the lubricant in the second phase from the lubricant chamber to the bearing to lubricate and cool the bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.