(19)

*EP002686577B1*
(11) EP 2 686 577 B1
(12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION

(45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.:

of the grant of the patent: F16F 15/315 (2006.01) F16C 27/06 (2006.01)
19.05.2021 Bulletin 2021/20
(86) International application number:
(21) Application number: 12709686.5 PCT/GB2012/050448

(22) Date of filing: 28.02.2012 (87) International publication number:

WO 2012/123710 (20.09.2012 Gazette 2012/38)

(54) HIGH SPEED FLYWHEEL

SCHWUNGRAD MIT HOHER GESCHWINDIGKEIT
VOLANT D’INERTIE À GRANDE VITESSE

(84) Designated Contracting States: • CROSS, Douglas

AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB Milton Keynes
GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO Bedfordshire MK4 4HW (GB)
PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR
(74) Representative: CSY Herts
(30) Priority: 16.03.2011 GB 201104406 Helios Court
1 Bishop Square
(43) Date of publication of application: Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9NE (GB)
22.01.2014 Bulletin 2014/04
(56) References cited:
(73) Proprietor: Punch Flybrid Limited EP-A1- 1 970 580 FR-A1- 2 839 396
Northampton NN1 1JX (GB) JP-A- 56 153 141 US-A- 4 329 000
US-A1- 2005 089 256
(72) Inventors:
• HILTON, Jonathan
Banbury
Oxfordshire OX15 6AX (GB)
EP 2 686 577 B1

Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent
Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the
Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been
paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).

Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR)

 1 EP 2 686 577 B1
Description
[0001] This invention relates to flywheels, and partic-
ularly to a bearing system for a high speed flywheel sys-
tem for use in a vehicle.
[0002] JPS56153141 relates to a vertically orientated
fly wheel device supported by a ball-and-roller bearing
and a journal bearing, and additionally including an emer-
gency bearing means for restricting abnormal vibrations.
[0003] US4329000 relates to a self-contained,
damped ball bearing assembly for high speed equipment,
which is preloaded to accommodate thermal expansion
during operation, is damped to reduce orbiting and shaft
whip, and is self-contained so that it can be conveniently
incorporated on-site into the high speed equipment.
[0004] US2005089256 relates to an auxiliary bearing
assembly for selectively engaging a shaft, such as an
energy storage flywheel system, which is configured to
include a vibration damping seal, and an axial preload
spring.
[0005] FR2839396 relates to a motor having a rotor
supported in a frame by ball bearings. A packing ring is
provided between an outer cage of the bearing and the
bearing housing. The ring is made of an elastic material
to provide damping, and has an axial dimension longer
than the one and a half times the bearing width. The ring
has an ’L’-shaped profile to provide axial as well as radial
location.
[0006] High-speed flywheels (e.g. those running at
speeds of 20,000 rpm or more) for use as energy storage
devices in hybrid vehicles are well known. One of the
challenges presented by this technology is Noise, Vibra-
tion and Harshness (NVH). The flywheel is often at high
speed (and therefore produces the most amount of noise)
when the vehicle is at low speed or even stationary with
the engine turned off.
[0007] Furthermore, although it is possible to separate-
ly design a flywheel and a flywheel housing each having
no resonant modes within the flywheel operating speed
range, when the two components are joined together,
the interaction of the flywheel and the housing may pro-
duce a multi-body resonance which does occur in within
the flywheel operating speed range.
[0008] An aim of the present invention is to reduce the
effect of NVH on a hybrid system, and which ensures
that the natural modes of the flywheel do not interfere
with the natural modes of the housing and vice versa,
thereby allowing full speed operation of the flywheel with-
out producing damaging resonance.
[0009] Accordingly, the present invention comprises a
flywheel as recited in claim 1 of the appended claims.
[0010] An advantage of the present invention is that
the source of the vibration (the high-speed flywheel) is
isolated from other parts of the hybrid system which may
be excited by the vibration and therefore cause noise.
Furthermore, the interaction of resonant modes of the
flywheel and of the housing is prevented.
[0011] An embodiment of the present invention will
2
now be described by way of example and with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a top view of a system in accordance with
5 a first embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the sys-
tem of Figure 1;
10 Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the
first bearing arrangement of the system of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the
second bearing arrangement of the system of Figure
15 1;
Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a
bearing arrangement in accordance with a alterna-
tive embodiment of the present invention;
20 and
Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a
bearing arrangement in accordance with a further
alternative embodiment of the present invention.
25
[0012] Referring to Figure 2, the system 2 according
one embodiment of the present invention comprises a
flywheel 4, a shaft 6, and bearing arrangements 8, 10
located around the shaft on either side of the flywheel 4,
30 i.e. the first bearing arrangement 8 is located on one axial
side of the flywheel, and the second bearing arrangement
10 is located on the other side of the flywheel 4 with re-
spect to the axis of the shaft. Each of the bearing ar-
rangements 8, 10 comprises bearings 12 mounted in a
35 race 36 which is fixed rigidly to the shaft 6. An outer di-
ameter of the bearing race 34 is held in a bearing collar
14. The bearing collar 14 is isolated from the flywheel
housing 30 by an elastomeric component comprising a
first pair of stiff elastomeric rings 16, 18 which are formed
40 of a flurocarbon material. The rings 16, 18 are contained
within annular channels 32, 34 formed within bearing col-
lar 14. Thus the rings 16, 18 are located radially outwardly
of the bearings 12 with respect to the shaft 6.
[0013] The stiffness of the rings 16, 18 is sufficiently
45 high such that in normal use of the system 2, the rings
act to dampen any radial movement of the flywheel shaft
6, thus ensuring that the axis ’A’ of the flywheel 4 does
not move by more than a few microns. This ensures that
a mechanical gear drive (not shown), which is connected
50 to an end of the flywheel shaft 6, is maintained sufficiently
close to its true centreline, thus ensuring correct opera-
tion of the gear drive and no contact between the periph-
ery of the flywheel 4 and its housing 30.
[0014] The situation of the bearings 12 and elastomeric
55 rings 16, 18 on either side of the flywheel 4 ensures that
interaction of the resonant modes of the flywheel 4 and
the housing 30 is prevented.
[0015] One of the bearing arrangements, 8, is re-
2
 3 EP 2 686 577 B1
strained in both radial and axial directions with respect
to the shaft 6. Axial restraint is provided by a further elas-
tomeric component comprising a second set of elasto-
meric rings, comprising a pair of elastomeric rings 20, 22
(as illustrated in the right hand side bearing arrangement
8 of Figure 2, and in detail in Figure 4).
[0016] When the flywheel system 2 is in operation, the
elastomeric components provide damping, thereby pre-
venting NVH, and also preventing interaction of resonant
modes of the flywheel and of the housing.
[0017] An oil transmission passage is provided by a
channel 24 in the housing, and channels 26, 28 in the
bearing collar 14, to allow a controlled feed of oil (not
shown) for lubrication of the bearings. The size of the oil
transmission passage, (i.e. the size of the channels 24,
26 and 28), is selected to provide a required damping
coefficient of the assembly.
[0018] Although in the above embodiment, the elasto-
meric rings 16, 18 are formed of a flurocarbon material,
they may be formed of any suitable elastomer, including
natural rubber.
[0019] The elastomeric rings 16, 18 may alternatively
be located radially inwardly of the bearings 12 with re-
spect to the shaft 6, i.e. between the bearings 12 and the
shaft 6.
[0020] In a system according to an alternative embod-
iment of the present invention, as illustrated in Figure 5,
the bearing arrangements, one of which(8’) is shown in
Figure 5, are mounted to the shaft 6 via a metalastic bush
which comprises two concentric steel collars 42, 44 which
are separated by an elastomeric component comprising
a moulded rubber collar 46. In the embodiment of Figure
5, the metalastic bush 40 is located between the bearings
arrangement 8’, 10’ and the shaft 6’. However, the bush
40 may alternatively be located between the bearings 12
and the flywheel housing 30.
[0021] A further alternative embodiment, as illustrated
in Figure 6, may comprise a bearing arrangement
8" comprising a metalastic bush 40 in combination with
a first set of elastomeric rings 16, 18, and/or the second
set of elastomeric rings 20, 22, thereby providing a great-
er degree of radial and/or axial damping. In the embod-
iment of Figure 6, the elastomeric rings 16, 18 are located
between the bearings 12 and the housing 30, and the
bush 40 is located between the bearings 12 and the shaft
6. However, the locations of the bush 40 and the elasto-
meric rings 16, 18 may be reversed.
[0022] In the present embodiment, restraint of the
bearing collar 14 is provided by a second pair of elasto-
meric rings 20, 22. However, in an alternative embodi-
ment, the bearing collar 14 may be produced by moulding
an elastomeric element and metal inner and outer rings
as a single finished part. This alternative embodiment
would be more suitable for mass production.
[0023] In further alternative embodiments, the first
and/or second set of elastomeric rings may comprise a
different number of rings.
4
Claims
1. A high speed flywheel system (2) comprising:
5 a flywheel (4) mounted on a shaft (6);
a housing, the shaft (6) being mounted on the
housing;
a first primary bearing arrangement (8) be-
10 tween the shaft (6) and the housing on a
first side of the flywheel (4); and
a second primary bearing arrangement (10)
between the shaft (6) and the housing on a
second side of the flywheel (4);
15 characterised in that
the first and second primary bearing ar-
rangements (8, 10) each have an as-
sociated first elastomeric component
20 arranged to provide radial restraint, and
only the first primary bearing arrange-
ment (8) has an associated second
elastomeric component arranged to
provide axial restraint,
25 the system (2) further comprising an oil
transmission passage (24, 26, 28) com-
prising a channel in the housing where-
by oil can be fed to the bearings via the
oil transmission passage.
30
2. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in claim
1 wherein each primary bearing arrangement (8, 10)
comprises bearings (12) mounted in a race.
35 3. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in claim
2, wherein each race (14) is fixed to the shaft (6).
4. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in any
preceding claim, wherein at least one of the first elas-
40 tomeric components comprises a ring.
5. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in claim
4, wherein the ring is located radially outwardly of
the corresponding primary bearing arrangement, be-
45 tween the corresponding primary bearing arrange-
ment and the housing.
6. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in claim
4, wherein the ring is located radially inwardly of the
50 corresponding primary bearing arrangement, be-
tween the corresponding primary bearing arrange-
ment and the shaft (6).
7. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in claim
55 4 or claim 5 wherein the system (2) further comprises
a bearing collar (14) and wherein the ring is con-
tained within annular channels (32, 34) provided in
the bearing collar (14).
3
 5 EP 2 686 577 B1
8. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in any
preceding claim further comprising a bush (40) com-
prising two concentric metal collars (42, 44), wherein
one of the first elastomeric components comprises
a rubber collar (46) located between the metal collars
(42, 44).
9. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in claim
8 wherein the bush (40) is located radially outwardly
of the corresponding primary bearing arrangement,
between the corresponding primary bearing ar-
rangement and the housing.
10. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in claim
8, wherein the bush (40) is located radially inwardly
of the corresponding primary bearing arrangement,
between the corresponding primary bearing ar-
rangement and the shaft (6).
11. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in claim
5 and claim 10.
12. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in claim
6 and claim 9.
13. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in any
one of the preceding claims, wherein the first elas-
tomeric component and the second elastomeric
component are separate components.
14. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in any
one of the preceding claims wherein the second elas-
tomeric component comprises a ring.
15. A high speed flywheel system (2) as claimed in any
one of the preceding claims wherein one or more of
the elastomeric components are formed of a fluoro-
carbon material or natural rubber.
Patentansprüche
1. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2), um-
fassend:
ein Schwungrad (4), das an einer Welle (6) mon-
tiert ist;
ein Gehäuse, wobei die Welle (6) an dem Ge-
häuse montiert ist;
eine erste primäre Lageranordnung (8) zwi-
schen der Welle (6) und dem Gehäuse auf einer
ersten Seite des Schwungrads (4); und
eine zweite primäre Lageranordnung (10) zwi-
schen der Welle (6) und dem Gehäuse auf einer
zweiten Seite des Schwungrads (4);
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
die erste und die zweite primäre Lageranord-
nung (8, 10) jeweils eine zugeordnete erste
6
Elastomerkomponente aufweisen, die angeord-
net ist, um radiale Rückhaltung bereitzustellen,
und nur die erste primäre Lageranordnung (8)
eine zugehörige zweite Elastomerkomponente
5 aufweist, die angeordnet ist, um axiale Rückhal-
tung bereitzustellen,
das System (2) ferner einen Ölübertragungs-
durchlass (24, 26, 28) umfasst, der einen Kanal
in dem Gehäuse umfasst, wodurch Öl über den
10 Ölübertragungsdurchlass den Lagern zugeführt
werden kann.
2. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
Anspruch 1, wobei jede primäre Lageranordnung (8,
15 10) Lager (12) umfasst, die in einem Laufring mon-
tiert sind.
3. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
Anspruch 2, wobei jeder Laufring (14) an der Welle
20 (6) befestigt ist.
4. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei zumindest
eine der ersten Elastomerkomponenten einen Ring
25 umfasst.
5. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
Anspruch 4, wobei sich der Ring radial außerhalb
der entsprechenden primären Lageranordnung zwi-
30 schen der entsprechenden primären Lageranord-
nung und dem Gehäuse befindet.
6. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
Anspruch 4, wobei sich der Ring radial einwärts der
35 entsprechenden primären Lageranordnung zwi-
schen der entsprechenden primären Lageranord-
nung und der Welle (6) befindet.
7. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
40 Anspruch 4 oder Anspruch 5, wobei das System (2)
ferner einen Lagerkragen (14) umfasst und wobei
der Ring innerhalb ringförmiger Kanäle (32, 34) ent-
halten ist, die in dem Lagerkragen (14) bereitgestellt
sind.
45
8. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, ferner umfas-
send eine Buchse (40), die zwei konzentrische Me-
tallkragen (42, 44) umfasst, wobei eine der ersten
50 Elastomerkomponenten einen Gummikragen (46)
umfasst, der sich zwischen den Metallkragen (42,
44) befindet.
9. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
55 Anspruch 8, wobei sich die Buchse (40) radial au-
ßerhalb der entsprechenden primären Lageranord-
nung zwischen der entsprechenden primären Lage-
ranordnung und dem Gehäuse befindet.
4
 7 EP 2 686 577 B1
10. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
Anspruch 8, wobei sich die Buchse (40) radial ein-
wärts der entsprechenden primären Lageranord-
nung zwischen der entsprechenden primären Lage-
ranordnung und der Welle (6) befindet.
11. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
Anspruch 5 und Anspruch 10.
12. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
Anspruch 6 und Anspruch 9.
13. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die
erste Elastomerkomponente und die zweite Elasto-
merkomponente separate Komponenten sind.
14. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei die
zweite Elastomerkomponente einen Ring umfasst.
15. Hochgeschwindigkeitsschwungradsystem (2) nach
einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, wobei eine
oder mehrere der Elastomerkomponenten aus ei-
nem Fluorkohlenstoffmaterial oder Naturkautschuk
gebildet sind.
Revendications
1. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2)
comprenant :
un volant d’inertie (4) monté sur un arbre (6) ;
un boîtier, l’arbre (6) étant monté sur le boîtier ;
un premier agencement de palier primaire (8)
entre l’arbre (6) et le boîtier sur un premier côté
du volant d’inertie (4) ; et
un second agencement de palier primaire (10)
entre l’arbre (6) et le boîtier sur un second côté
du volant d’inertie (4) ;
caractérisé en ce que
les premier et second agencements de palier
primaire (8, 10) possédant chacun un premier
composant élastomère associé agencé pour
fournir une retenue radiale, et uniquement le
premier agencement de palier primaire (8) pos-
sédant un second composant élastomère asso-
cié agencé pour fournir une retenue axiale,
le système (2) comprenant en outre un passage
de transmission d’huile (24, 26, 28) comprenant
un canal dans le boîtier par lequel l’huile peut
être acheminée vers les paliers par l’intermé-
diaire de passage de transmission d’huile.
2. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
lon la revendication 1, chaque agencement de palier
primaire (8, 10) comprenant des paliers (12) montés
8
dans une bague.
3. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
lon la revendication 2, chaque bague (14) étant fixée
5 à l’arbre (6).
4. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
lon une quelconque revendication précédente, au
moins l’un des premiers composants élastomères
10 comprenant une bague.
5. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
lon la revendication 4, ladite bague étant située ra-
dialement vers l’extérieur de l’agencement de palier
15 primaire correspondant, entre l’agencement de pa-
lier primaire correspondant et le boîtier.
6. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
lon la revendication 4, ladite bague étant située ra-
20 dialement vers l’intérieur de l’agencement de palier
primaire correspondant, entre l’agencement de pa-
lier primaire correspondant et l’arbre (6).
7. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
25 lon la revendication 4 ou la revendication 5, ledit sys-
tème (2) comprenant en outre un collier de palier
(14) et ladite bague étant contenue dans des canaux
annulaires (32, 34) disposés dans le collier de palier
(14).
30
8. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
lon l’une quelconque des revendications précéden-
tes, comprenant en outre une douille (40) compre-
nant deux colliers métalliques concentriques (42,
35 44), l’un des premiers composants élastomères
comprenant un collier en caoutchouc (46) situé entre
les colliers métalliques (42, 44).
9. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
40 lon la revendication 8, ladite douille (40) étant située
radialement vers l’extérieur de l’agencement de pa-
lier primaire correspondant, entre l’agencement de
palier primaire correspondant et le boîtier.
45 10. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
lon la revendication 8, ladite douille (40) étant située
radialement vers l’intérieur de l’agencement de pa-
lier primaire correspondant, entre l’agencement de
palier primaire correspondant et l’arbre (6).
50
11. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
lon la revendication 5 et la revendication 10.
12. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
55 lon la revendication 6 et la revendication 9.
13. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se-
lon l’une quelconque des revendications précéden-
5
 9 EP 2 686 577 B1 10

tes, ledit premier composant élastomère et ledit se-

cond composant élastomère étant des composants
séparés.

14. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se- 5

lon l’une quelconque des revendications précéden-
tes, ledit second composant élastomère comprenant
une bague.

15. Système de volant d’inertie à grande vitesse (2) se- 10

lon l’une quelconque des revendications précéden-
tes, un ou plusieurs des composants élastomères
étant formés d’un matériau fluorocarboné ou d’un
caoutchouc naturel.
15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

6
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10
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REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader’s convenience only. It does not form part of the European
patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be
excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

Patent documents cited in the description

• US 4329000 A [0003] • FR 2839396 [0005]

• US 2005089256 A [0004]

13