Abstract: A viscous torsional vibration damper has an annular damper housing defining a damper chamber; an inertia ring in the damper chamber; a bearing device supporting the inertia ring with one or more bearing elements. At least one bearing element is a ring not circumferentially closed in a mounted state. A shear gap between the inertia ring and the damper housing is filled with a viscous fluid. The at least one bearing element that is not circumferentially closed is cut to length from a strip. In order to produce the bearing element, a strip is provided, on which one or more axial bearing sections and one or more radial bearing sections and preferably one or more webs are formed. Then, the bearing element is cut to length from the strip and the bearing element is inserted into an open damper housing and laid on a bearing seat.

Abstract: An energy-storing flywheel assembly is provided with a flywheel having a vertically-oriented axis of rotation, a shaft connected to the flywheel, and a cageless ball thrust bearing rotatably supporting a lower end of the shaft. The flywheel may be formed from a stack of flywheel discs and is preferably relatively large-radiused and massive. The ball thrust bearing includes a stator having a set of three free-floating bearing balls contained within a cylindrical stator recess; a rotor rotatably mounted over the stator which likewise contains a set of three free-floating bearing balls within a cylindrical stator recess, and a single, middle bearing ball centrally disposed between and in mutual engagement with the three bearing balls of the stator and the three bearing balls of the rotor. In operation, the relatively massive flywheel is rotated at a peripheral speed that approaches but does not exceed the speed of sound to avoid fluid drag and the danger of explosive shattering.

Abstract: A vibration damping device is equipped with a mass body disposed spaced apart from a rotational center axis of a rotary shaft by a certain distance, and a rolling bearing that rotatably supports the mass body with respect to the rotary shaft and holds a support posture of the mass body with respect to the rotational center axis of the rotary shaft constant.

Abstract: A tunable mass damper (TMD) is provided that can be coupled to a rotating inertia apparatus such as a reaction wheel assembly (RWA). The TMD includes a housing that contains a flexure, a mass, and damping fluid within the housing. The housing is coupled to the flexure, and the flexure is coupled to the mass. The mass is free to sway in the damping fluid. The damping fluid envelops the mass and provides damping between the mass and the housing. At least one of the mass, flexure and the damping fluid can be adjusted to tune the TMD to produce a resonance at or near a mode that is to be mitigated by the TMD such that it operates at a desired or optimal operating frequency.

Abstract: A flywheel assembly is described which is suitable for use as a compact power storage device. The assembly comprises a housing, a flywheel coupled to a shaft which is rotatably mounted in the housing via bearings, a primary chamber which is defined within the housing and contains the flywheel, and a secondary chamber which is defined within the housing and contains the bearings. Furthermore, it includes a molecular pump driven by the shaft for pumping gas molecules from the primary chamber to the secondary chamber. Location of the bearings in a high pressure chamber inhibits off-gassing from the bearing grease. Furthermore, any such off-gassing under load will not increase the gas pressure in the first chamber containing the flywheel as it is separate from the secondary chamber containing the bearings.

Abstract: An auxiliary bearing assembly for selectively engaging a shaft, preferably in an energy storage flywheel system, is configured to include a vibration damping seal, and an axial preload spring. The vibration damping seal damps out vibrations from the rotating group, following engagement of the auxiliary bearing assembly, while the rotating group is spinning down. The axial preload spring absorbs any differential thermal expansion or contraction that may occur between components.

Abstract: A bearing damping system for damping vibrations and conducting heat from vibration-producing, heat-generating devices, an evacuated energy storage system including such a bearing damping system for damping vibrations produced by the rotating shaft and conducting heat from bearings and/or bearing assemblies; and a method for damping vibrations and conducting heat from vibration-producing, heat-generating devices. The bearing damping system includes one or more flexible bearing dampers in combination with one or more heat transferring rosettes. The heat transferring rosettes comprise a flexible thermally conductive member that transfers heat by conduction from the bearings, bearing assemblies and/or heat generating devices to a remote heat sink.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for selecting an appropriate viscous fluid for use in control moment gyroscopes, reaction wheels, momentum wheels and the like. Components such as the housing, the rotor, and the viscous fluid are modeled using a three-parameter isolator system, which allows optimization of the damping action for a given application.