	US 12,391,345 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 Mar. 19, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/083,792.
Application 19/083,792 is a continuation of application No. 18/406,574, filed on Jan. 8, 2024, granted, now 12,269,564.
Application 18/406,574 is a continuation of application No. 18/102,456, filed on Jan. 27, 2023, granted, now 11,873,064, issued on Jan. 16, 2024.
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 2025/0214686 A1, Jul. 3, 2025
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)]

17 Claims

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 and a flywheel shaft with an open-ended bore bounded by an inner wall;

a bearing for rotatably mounting the flywheel assembly inside the enclosure for rotation about a flywheel axis;

a motor operative to rotate the flywheel assembly;

a heat transfer shaft rotationally fixed relative to the flywheel axis and extending from the enclosure into the open-ended bore, wherein the heat transfer shaft functions as a heat sink to absorb heat generated by the bearing; and

a cooling circuit extending into the heat transfer shaft for recirculating liquid coolant through the heat transfer shaft to remove heat absorbed by the heat transfer shaft.