Dual stiffness bearing damping system

A self-contained bearing assembly system for an evacuated energy storage device, said device further having a rotor assembly and a stator assembly, which assemblies are separated by a first clearance and a second clearance, the system comprising:

• a bearing assembly for rotatably supporting and guiding said rotor assembly, the bearing assembly further comprising:
• an inner race,
• an outer race, and
• a rolling element that is rollably disposed and confined between said inner and outer races;
• a mounting assembly, the mounting assembly further comprising:
• an upper damper grounding plate,
• a lower damper grounding plate, and
• a circumferential mounting plate;
• one or more flexible dampers, wherein an inner periphery of said one or more flexible dampers is in tight interference fit with said outer race of said bearing assembly and an outer periphery of said one or more flexible dampers is securely and removably attached to said circumferential mounting plate;
• and
• a plurality of more rigid bumpers, wherein at least one of said plurality of more rigid bumpers is configured and arranged on said upper damper grounding plate so as to be disposed in proximity of said outer race of said bearing assembly and one or more of said plurality of more rigid bumpers is configured and arranged on said lower damper grounding plate so as to be disposed in proximity of said outer race of said bearing assembly.

An evacuated energy storage device, said device comprising:

• a bearing assembly;
• said bearing assembly further comprising:
• an inner race,
• an outer race,
• a rolling element, wherein said rolling element is substantially confined between said inner and said outer race;
• a rotor assembly that is rotatably supported and guided by said bearing assembly;
• a stator assembly;
• and
• a dual stiffness damping system, the system comprising:
• one or more flexible dampers, each having a first stiffness;
• and a
• plurality of rigid bumpers, each of said plurality of rigid bumpers having a second stiffness, wherein said stiffness is greater than first stiffness, and wherein said bumpers frictionally engage the outer race during extreme loading.

An evacuated energy storage device, said device comprising:

• a self-contained bearing assembly system, said system comprising:
• a bearing assembly for rotatably supporting and guiding said rotor assembly, the bearing assembly further comprising:
• an inner race,
• an outer race, and
• a rolling element that is rollably disposed and confined between said inner and outer races;
• a mounting assembly, the mounting assembly further comprising:
• an upper damper grounding plate,
• a lower damper grounding plate, and
• a circumferential mounting plate;
• one or more flexible dampers, wherein an inner periphery of said one or more flexible dampers is in tight interference fit with said outer race of said bearing assembly and an outer periphery of said one or more flexible dampers is securely and removably attached to said circumferential mounting plate;
• and
• a plurality of more rigid bumpers, wherein at least one of said plurality of more rigid bumpers is configured and arranged on said upper damper grounding plate so as to be disposed in proximity of said outer race of said bearing assembly and one or more of said plurality of more rigid bumpers is configured and arranged on said lower damper grounding plate so as to be disposed in proximity of said outer race of said bearing assembly;
• a rotor assembly that is rotatably supported and guided by said bearing assembly;
• and
• a stator assembly.