Fiberising Rotor Soft Suspension for Bearing Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high-speed spinning devices used in fiberising apparatus for producing man-made vitreous fibres experience significant wear on bearings due to unbalanced forces and vibrations, leading to frequent maintenance and reduced production efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A rotor configuration with a plurality of frustoconical resilient dampers arranged in an annular ring, connected to the bearing seat and rotor housing, provides a 'soft' suspension that absorbs vibrations and unbalances, reducing wear on bearings and increasing the mean time between failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-speed spinning is used to produce thinner fibres with improved heat insulation properties, then fibre quality and insulation performance are improved, but bearing wear increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by introducing resilient dampers that are pre-positioned between the rotor bearing seat and rotor housing. These dampers are designed to absorb vibrations and unbalanced forces before they can transmit to the bearings, thereby protecting the bearings from wear while maintaining high-speed operation capabilities
2Manufacturing precision
If high-speed spinning is used to produce thinner fibres, then fibre quality is improved, but vibration and unbalanced forces increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful vibrations and unbalanced forces into a beneficial effect by using resilient dampers that absorb these forces. The dampers transform the mechanical vibrations into elastic deformation of the damper material, thereby reducing the transmission of harmful forces to the rotor bearings while maintaining the high-speed spinning performance
3Reliability
If frequent maintenance is performed to replace worn bearings, then rotor reliability is maintained, but production downtime increases
Solution Approach 1:
By pre-installing resilient dampers that protect the bearings from vibration-induced wear, the system extends bearing service life and reduces the frequency of maintenance interventions, thereby minimizing production downtime while maintaining rotor reliability
4Duration of action of stationary object
If resilient dampers are added to reduce vibrations, then bearing wear is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses resilient dampers that can be configured as flexible elements between the bearing seat and rotor housing. These dampers provide vibration absorption functionality while maintaining a relatively simple structural form factor, minimizing the increase in device complexity
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 significantly reduces bearing wear and extends the lifetime of the rotor, improving the efficiency and reducing maintenance downtime by optimizing the suspension to withstand high speeds and loads.
Implementation Method 1
Vibration of the rotor mechanics at the DE and NDE during spinning causes significant wear on the bearings
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of resilient dampers arranged in an annular ring, wherein each resilient damper is releasably connected
Data Source
AI summary
A rotor for a fiberising apparatus includes a rotor housing and a first and second bearing assembly, wherein each bearing assembly includes at least two ball bearings, each seated in a respective bearing seat. A substantially horizontal shaft rotatably is mounted between the first bearing assembly and the second bearing assembly. The apparatus includes a plurality of resilient dampers arranged in an annular ring, wherein each resilient damper is releasably connected at a first end to the bearing seat and is releasably connected at a second end to the inner wall of the rotor housing.