Reserve lubricant supply system
AssigneeRotoflow Corporation
InventorJudson S. Swearingen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for supplying lubricant under pressure to a rotary mounting system having bearings when the main pressurized lubricant supply system fails. The system includes a bladder or other expansible chamber in association with a lubricant reservoir. The bladder has a source of pressurized gas which is either inherently or through regulation maintained at a pressure below that of the main system and above that of the lubricant discharge from the bearings. The source of pressure for the reserve system may be pressure from a gas seal or from the rotor chamber of a pump or turbine. If regulated, the regulation may be by the main lubricant pressure or the pressure of the lubricant discharge. The system also contemplates accommodation for leaks and over pressures.
Claims14
In a mounting system having a lubricated bearing, a pressurized area on a first side of the lubricated bearing, a vent for the pressurized area between the pressurized area and the bearing and a pressurized main lubricant supply system, a reserve lubricant supply system comprising
- a reserve lubricant reservoir, a passage between said reserve lubricant reservoir and the pressurized supply of the main lubricant supply system, a gas pressurized chamber having an expansible wall common to said reservoir and a gas pressure source line in communication with said gas pressurized chamber, said source line receiving pressure from the pressurized area.
In a rotary mounting system having a lubricated bearing, a pressurized gas seal on a first side of the lubricated bearing, a vent for the pressurized gas seal between the seal and the bearing and a pressurized main lubricant supply system, a reserve lubricant supply system comprising
- a reserve lubricant reservoir, a passage between said reserve lubricant reservoir and the pressurized supply of the main lubricant supply system, a gas pressurized chamber having an expansible wall common to said reservoir and a gas pressure source line in communication with said gas pressurized chamber, said source line receiving pressure from the gas seal.
A reserve lubricant supply system of claim 3, 5 or 6 wherein said gas pressure source line includes a regulator valve.
In a rotary mounting system for an impeller and having a lubricated bearing and a pressurized main lubricant supply system, a reserve lubricant supply system comprising
- a reserve lubricant reservoir, a passage between said reserve lubricant reservoir and the pressurized supply of the main lubricant supply system, a gas pressurized chamber having an expansible wall common to said reservoir and a gas pressure source line in communication with said gas pressurized chamber, said source line receiving pressure from the adjacent impeller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.