US 12,269,564 B2
Gyroscopic boat roll stabilizer with bearing cooling
Brian John Sohacki, Livonia, MI (US); Aaron P. Powers, Canton, MI (US); and Grady F. Smith, Greenville, NC (US)
Assigned to WAVETAMER LLC, Greenville, NC (US)
Filed by WaveTamer LLC, Greenville, NC (US)
Filed on Jan. 8, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/406,574.
Application 18/406,574 is a continuation of application No. 18/102,456, filed on Jan. 27, 2023, granted, now 11,873,064.
Application 18/102,456 is a continuation of application No. 17/184,988, filed on Feb. 25, 2021, granted, now 11,591,052, issued on Feb. 28, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/070,530, filed on Aug. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/984,013, filed on Mar. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0140567 A1, May 2, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B63B 39/04 (2006.01); B63J 3/04 (2006.01); F16C 37/00 (2006.01)
CPC B63B 39/04 (2013.01) [B63J 3/04 (2013.01); F16C 37/007 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gyroscopic roll stabilizer for a boat, the gyroscopic roll stabilizer comprising:
an enclosure mounted to a gimbal for rotation about a gimbal axis and configured to maintain a below-ambient pressure;
a flywheel assembly including a flywheel with an open-ended cavity formed in an end of the flywheel shaft;
a bearing for rotatably mounting the flywheel assembly inside the enclosure for rotation about a flywheel axis; the first bearing comprising an inner race rotationally fixed relative to the flywheel shaft proximate the cavity and an outer race rotationally fixed relative to the enclosure;
a motor disposed inside the enclosure and operative to rotate the flywheel assembly;
a liquid heat transfer medium contained within the cavity;
a heat transfer shaft assembly rotationally fixed relative to the flywheel axis and extending from the enclosure into the liquid heat transfer medium in the cavity to enable conduction of heat generated by the bearing through the flywheel shaft and liquid heat transfer medium to the heat transfer shaft assembly; and
a cooling circuit extending into heat transfer shaft assembly at least as far as the bearing and configured to circulate a coolant through the heat transfer shaft assembly to remove the heat generated by the bearing from the enclosure.