Bearing Preload Control Through Selective Spacer Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bearing devices struggle to maintain smooth rotation of large-diameter rotating shafts at high speeds due to increased preload caused by temperature rise, leading to potential locking issues despite existing cooling measures.
Innovation Solution
A bearing device configuration featuring inner and outer spacers with a refrigerant cooling structure that generates a temperature difference to adjust the preload by displacing the inner ring relative to the outer ring, effectively reducing the preload increase due to temperature changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling structures are used to cool the bearing, then the temperature rise in the inner ring is suppressed, but the preload inside the bearing still increases due to thermal expansion of the rotating shaft and bearing components
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the thermal parameters of different bearing components by providing selective cooling paths. The outer ring is cooled more intensively than the inner ring through separate cooling channels, creating a temperature differential that causes differential thermal contraction. This compensates for the thermal expansion of the rotating shaft, maintaining the preload within acceptable ranges despite high-speed rotation
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into separate cooling paths for the inner ring and outer ring. The outer ring has dedicated cooling channels that are distinct from the inner ring cooling system, allowing independent temperature control of each component to manage differential thermal expansion effects
2Productivity
If the rotating shaft rotates at high speed with large diameter, then the productivity is improved, but the heat generation in the bearing increases significantly causing preload increase and potential locking
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful effect of frictional heat into a beneficial outcome by using the temperature differential between inner and outer rings to control thermal expansion. The heat generated during high-speed rotation is channeled through selective cooling paths that create controlled thermal contraction in the outer ring, which compensates for shaft expansion and maintains proper bearing preload even at high productivity levels
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively suppresses preload changes within the bearing, preventing locking and ensuring smooth rotation of the rotating shaft by utilizing a refrigerant flow path system that communicates to enhance cooling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the outer spacer is cooled by the outer spacer cooling structure to generate a temperature difference between the inner spacer and the outer spacer, whereby the inner ring of the bearing can be displaced relatively to the outer ring
Implementation Method 2
an outer spacer cooling structure for cooling the outer spacer... a refrigerant flow path system that communicates to enhance cooling efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Only an outer spacer (33) is cooled by an outer spacer cooling structure, thereby causing a temperature difference between an inner spacer (32) and the outer spacer (33). According to this temperature difference, an inner ring (37) of a bearing (31) is displaced relatively to an outer ring (38) in a direction in which a preload inside the bearing (31) decreases.