Rotatable Building Planar Bearing System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing a rotatable building structure that can efficiently rotate regardless of its weight or size, while withstanding environmental factors like wind and seismic loads, is challenging due to the significant bearing requirements and manufacturing precision needed for non-planar bearing systems.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable building structure utilizing a planar to planar bearing system with an annular drive system and a fixed outer support, featuring a bearing material on at least one of the surfaces for rotation, allowing for the rotation of heavy buildings by using an annular drive ring and drive means both inside and outside the ring, with modular components for easy maintenance and load transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a non-planar bearing system (ball bearing or roller based) is used for rotation, then the building can rotate, but the manufacturing precision and installation cost become very high due to the need for identical curved bearing surfaces and precisely installed tracks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the bearing system from curved surfaces to planar surfaces. The planar lower surface of the annular drive system and the planar upper surface of the fixed outer support eliminate the need for complex curved surface machining, significantly reducing manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining rotation capability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using traditional ball or roller bearings that require precision curved surfaces, the patent inverts the approach by using a planar to planar bearing system where flat surfaces rotate against each other, supported by bearing material, thereby simplifying manufacturing while achieving the same rotational function
2Ease of manufacture
If a planar to planar bearing system is used for rotation, then the manufacturing and installation tolerances are more tolerant and costs are reduced, but the system must support very heavy loads (up to 10000 tons or more)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite material principles by combining planar surfaces with bearing materials (such as PTFE coatings or sintered bronze layers) on at least one of the planar surfaces. This composite approach allows the system to support extremely heavy loads (10000-65000 tons) while maintaining the manufacturing simplicity and tolerance benefits of planar surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing material acts as an intermediary layer between the planar surfaces, enabling the system to handle heavy building weights. The bearing material (PTFE, sintered bronze, or greased metal) provides the necessary load-bearing capacity and friction reduction, allowing planar surfaces to support loads that would otherwise require complex ball or roller bearing systems
3Ease of operation
If bearing material is used on the planar surfaces to permit rotation, then friction is reduced and rotation is enabled, but the coefficient of friction must be controlled to minimize 'judder'
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the friction parameter by selecting bearing materials with specific coefficient of friction values. PTFE coatings provide very low friction (μ < 0.1), while sintered bronze provides controlled friction (μ = 0.1-0.3). This parameter control ensures smooth rotation and minimizes judder while maintaining adequate friction for driving the building rotation
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing material is applied locally on the planar surfaces where contact occurs during rotation. This localized treatment provides the necessary friction control and load-bearing properties only at the critical contact zones, allowing the rest of the planar surfaces to maintain their simple geometry and manufacturing advantages
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
This solution enables the rotation of buildings of various sizes and weights, including those up to 65,000 tons, with reduced manufacturing complexity and cost, while maintaining stability and minimizing 'judder' through the use of low-friction bearing materials and modular design.
Implementation Method 1
at least one of the lower surface of the annular drive system and the upper surface of the fixed outer support comprises a bearing material, permitting rotation of the annular drive system over the fixed outer support
Data Source
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AI summary
A rotatable building structure that comprises: a vertically extending building having one or more floors; a fixed core support for supporting the building, located substantially centrally beneath the building; a rotatable annular drive system for rotating the building, located lower than the building and with its centre substantially aligned with the vertical centreline of the building, the system having an upper surface and a planar lower surface; and a fixed outer support, located beneath the annular drive system, the support having a planar upper surface that contacts the planar lower surface of the annular drive system; wherein at least one of the lower surface of the annular drive system and the upper surface of the fixed outer support is a bearing material, permitting rotation of the annular drive system over the fixed outer support, such that the annular drive system is rotated via a planar to planar bearing system.