Fiberising Rotor Bearing Assembly With Annular Resilient Dampers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high-speed and high-acceleration fiberising apparatus for producing man-made vitreous fibres causes excessive wear on rotor bearings due to unbalances and vibrations, leading to frequent maintenance and reduced production time.
Innovation Solution
A rotor configuration with a shaft suspended between bearing assemblies and a plurality of frustoconical resilient dampers arranged in an annular ring, providing a 'soft' suspension that absorbs vibrations and unbalances, reducing the load on bearings and extending their lifespan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the rotor operates at high speed and high acceleration to produce thinner fibres with improved insulation properties, then the heat insulation performance is improved, but the wear on rotor bearings increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by installing resilient dampers between the bearing assemblies and rotor housing before the rotor operates. These dampers are positioned in advance to absorb vibrations and shocks that will occur during high-speed rotation, preventing direct transmission of harmful forces to the bearings and thereby reducing wear while maintaining high-speed operation capability
2Manufacturing precision
If the rotor operates at high speed to produce thinner fibres, then the insulation quality is improved, but the mean time between bearing failures decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces resilient dampers as intermediary elements between the bearing assemblies and the rotor housing. These dampers act as mediators that absorb and isolate vibrations generated during high-speed rotation, preventing direct transmission of vibrational forces to the bearings. This intermediary protection allows the rotor to maintain high-speed operation for producing uniform thin fibres while significantly extending the service life of the bearings
3Reliability
If gravity contributes to unbalance on the horizontal shaft, then the bearing wear becomes more severe, but increasing bearing size to compensate increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of gravity-induced unbalance into a beneficial outcome by using resilient dampers that are pre-loaded to counteract the constant gravitational force on the horizontal shaft. The dampers are positioned and configured so that their resilient force opposes the gravitational unbalance, effectively compensating for it without requiring larger or more complex bearing assemblies. This transforms the persistent gravitational harm into a controlled condition that the damping system actively manages
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 increases the mean time between failures of the rotor bearings, reducing maintenance time and improving the efficiency of the fiberising apparatus by minimizing wear and optimizing the volume and stiffness of the rubber dampers.
Implementation Method 1
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
Data Source
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AI summary
A rotor for a fiberising apparatus comprising a rotor housing; a first and second bearing assembly, wherein each bearing assembly comprises at least two ball bearings, each seated in a respective bearing seat; a substantially horizontal shaft rotatably mounted between the first bearing assembly and the second bearing assembly; characterised by 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.