US 12,134,972 B1
Damper element with spring-suspended bearing member for vibration dampening system for turbine blade
Zachary John Snider, Pelzer, SC (US); and Stephen Paul Wassynger, Simpsonville, SC (US)
Assigned to GE Infrastructure Technology LLC, Greenville, SC (US)
Filed by GE Infrastructure Technology LLC, Greenville, SC (US)
Filed on Jun. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/344,008.
Int. Cl. F01D 5/10 (2006.01); F01D 5/16 (2006.01); F16F 15/12 (2006.01); F16F 15/121 (2006.01)
CPC F01D 5/10 (2013.01) [F01D 5/16 (2013.01); F16F 15/1208 (2013.01); F16F 15/121 (2013.01); F05D 2260/38 (2013.01); F05D 2260/96 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A damper element for a vibration dampening system in a cylindrical body opening in a rotating blade in a turbine, the damper element comprising:
a base member having an axially fixed position within the cylindrical body opening; and
a spring-suspended bearing member including a disc spring fixedly coupled to the base member at a center of the disc spring, and a bearing member coupled to a first side of the disc spring at an outer perimeter thereof, wherein the bearing member extends radially distal from the first side of the disc spring;
wherein, with the disc spring in an elastically extended state under influence of a centrifugal force caused by rotation of the rotating blade at higher than a predefined rotational speed, the bearing member frictionally engages a first bearing surface to dampen vibration.