Auxiliary bearing system with plurality of inertia rings for magnetically supported rotor system
AssigneeDresser-Rand Company
InventorWilliam C. Maier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An auxiliary bearing system for supporting a rotating shaft including a first auxiliary bearing coupled to the rotating shaft. A first inertia ring is coupled to and circumscribes the first auxiliary bearing. A second inertia ring circumscribes the first inertia ring. A radial clearance is defined between the first and second inertia rings when the rotating shaft is supported by a primary bearing system, and the first inertia ring engages the second inertia ring when the rotating shaft is not supported by the primary bearing system. A second auxiliary bearing is engaged with an outer surface of the second inertia ring.
Claims19
An auxiliary bearing system for supporting a rotating shaft, comprising:
- a first auxiliary bearing coupled to the rotating shaft;
- a first inertia ring coupled to and circumscribing the first auxiliary bearing;
- a second inertia ring circumscribing the first inertia ring, wherein a radial clearance is defined between the first and second inertia rings when the rotating shaft is supported by a primary bearing system, and wherein the first inertia ring engages the second inertia ring when the rotating shaft is not supported by the primary bearing system;
- and
- a second auxiliary bearing engaged with an outer surface of the second inertia ring.
A method for supporting a rotating shaft, comprising:
- coupling a first auxiliary bearing to the rotating shaft, wherein the rotating shaft is normally supported by a primary bearing system;
- coupling a first inertia ring to the first auxiliary bearing;
- extending a second inertia ring circumferentially around the first inertia ring, wherein a radial clearance is defined between the first and second inertia rings when the rotating shaft is supported by the primary bearing system, and wherein the first inertia ring engages the second inertia ring when the rotating shaft is not supported by the primary bearing system;
- engaging a second auxiliary bearing with the second inertia ring;
- and
- supporting the rotating shaft with the first auxiliary bearing and the second auxiliary bearing when the primary bearing system fails to maintain the rotating shaft in a magnetically levitated position.
A rotor system, comprising:
- a rotating shaft;
- a magnetic bearing system positioned to support the rotating shaft during normal operation;
- and
- an auxiliary bearing system positioned along the rotating shaft and comprising:
- a first auxiliary bearing coupled to the rotating shaft;
- a first inertia ring rotating with the rotating shaft during normal operation and being coupled to and circumscribing the first auxiliary bearing;
- a second inertia ring circumscribing the first inertia ring and not rotating during normal operation;
- and
- a second auxiliary bearing engaged with an outer surface of the second inertia ring, the auxiliary bearing system being configured to support the rotating shaft when the magnetic bearing system fails to support the rotating shaft.
A method for supporting a rotating shaft, comprising:
- engaging an inner inertia ring with a friction pad when a magnetic bearing system cannot support the rotating shaft, the inner inertia ring being coupled to and circumscribing a first auxiliary bearing, and the first auxiliary bearing being coupled to and circumscribing the rotating shaft;
- rotating the friction pad and an outer inertia ring coupled to and circumscribing the friction pad in response to the engagement between the inner inertia ring and the friction pad;
- and
- rotating an outer bearing ring of a second auxiliary bearing in response to the rotation of the outer inertia ring, the outer bearing ring being tangentially engaged with an outer surface of the outer inertia ring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.