Fluid flow and control system for a hydrostatic bearing supporting rotating equipment: method and apparatus
AssigneeBently Nevada, LLC
InventorsDonald E. Bently, John W. Grant
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid flow control system for a bearing supporting rotating equipment, method and apparatus is disclosed in which a rotating shaft is suspended in a fluid. Shaft precession is monitored to provide a compensatory feed back loop to maintain proper shaft registry in the face of loads.
Claims31
A fluid flow control system for a bearing, comprising in combination:
- a source of fluid;
- a flow regulator operatively extending between said source of fluid and said bearing;
- precession detecting and control means operatively coupled to a shaft circumscribed by said bearing, and
- diverter means interposed between said flow regulator and said bearing for controlling fluid flow in said bearing in response to signals received from said precession detecting and controls means.
A method for abating shaft precession with a fluid flow control system, the steps including:
- monitoring a shaft for precession,
- delivering a regulated flow of fluid in diametrically opposed streams to the shaft through portals of a bearing,
- determining whether the opposing streams should have pressure differentials, and
- modulating the diametrically opposed streams of fluid for delivering the differential pressure to the portals for abating shaft precession.
A fluid flow control system for a bearing circumscribing a shaft, comprising in combination:
- a source of fluid;
- a first pair of flow regulators operatively extending upstream between said source of fluid and a first pair of diametrically opposed bearing portals disposed with said bearing;
- a first diverter valve operatively extending downstream between said first pair of diametrically opposed bearing portals and said source of fluid;
- precession detecting and control means operatively coupled to said shaft and to said first diverter valve for sensing shaft precession and manipulating said first diverter valve for delivering a differential flow of fluid through said first pair of portals to oppose shaft precession.
A fluid flow control system for a bearing circumscribing a shaft, comprising in combination:
- a source of fluid;
- a first flow regulator operatively extending upstream between said source of fluid and a first pair of diametrically opposed bearing portals disposed with said bearing;
- a first diverter valve operatively extending upstream between said first flow regulator and said first pair of diametrically opposed bearing portals;
- precession detecting and control means operatively coupled to said shaft and to said first diverter valve for sensing shaft precession and manipulating said first diverter valve for delivering a differential flow of fluid through said first pair of portals to oppose shaft precession.
A method for abating shaft precession with a fluid flow control system, the steps including:
- monitoring a shaft for precession,
- driving a flow of fluid in diametrically opposed streams to the shaft through a first pair of portals of a bearing,
- determining whether the opposing streams should have pressure differentials, and
- modulating the diametrically opposed streams of fluid for delivering the differential pressure to the portals for abating shaft precession.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.