Squeeze film bearing damper with annular end plenums
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsMichael J. Stallone, Daniel E. Mollmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sealed squeeze film damper having double annular wall sealed plenums at the open ends of the damper which seal the damper and prevent air from being sucked into a sealed film damper thereby preventing degradation of damper performance due to air entrainment in the damper fluid. This significantly improves the damper performance by preventing air entrainment in the damper fluid.
Claims8
A sealed squeeze film damper disposed between radially spaced apart inner and an outer annular elements that are circumscribed about an axially extending centerline, said sealed squeeze film damper comprising;
- a squeeze film annulus radially disposed between the inner annular element and the outer annular element,
- at least one pair of annular forward and aft sealing plenums at axial spaced apart forward and aft ends respectively of said squeeze film annulus, and
- each of said annular sealing plenums having axially spaced apart forward and aft annular walls wherein said forward and aft annular walls are forward and aft rings that are partially disposed in corresponding forward and aft annular grooves in an outer circumference of one of said elements.
A bearing assembly for rotatably supporting a shaft, said bearing assembly comprising:
- spaced apart radially inner and outer races concentrically disposed about the shaft,
- rolling elements disposed between said inner and outer races,
- a bearing housing having an inner cylindrical surface that is radially spaced from and concentric with said outer race, and
- a sealed squeeze film damper comprising;
- a squeeze film annulus radially disposed between coaxially extending portions of said inner cylindrical surface and said outer race,
- at least one pair of annular forward and aft sealing plenums at axial spaced apart forward and aft ends respectively of said squeeze film annulus, and
- each of said annular sealing plenums having axially spaced apart forward and aft annular walls wherein said forward and aft annular walls are forward and aft rings that are partially disposed in corresponding forward and aft annular grooves in an outer cylindrical surface of said outer race.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.