Inventors:
James A. Keck - Round Rock TX, US
Donald M. Hudson - Austin TX, US
Paul C. Peterson - Austin TX, US
Assignee:
Active Power, Inc. - Austin TX
International Classification:
F04D 29/08
Abstract:
Systems and methods are provided for cooling bearings or other objects. Such cooling may be accomplished by expanding a compressed gas in a cooling channel surrounding a bearing and allowing the expanded air to come into direct contact with the bearing. Expanding a compressed gas in local proximity of the bearing takes advantage of the Joule-Thompson expansion of gas, resulting in a substantial drop in gas temperature, thereby maximizing the cooling potential of the gas being directly applied to the bearing. Cooling bearings in this manner extends their operational life and enables them to operate at the desired speeds. A housing may be provided for receiving a compressed gas, expanding the compressed gas to a predetermined pressure, enabling the expanded gas to directly contact the bearing, and exhausting the expanded gas.