The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 04, 2005
Filed:
Apr. 16, 2002
Pieter Van Dine, Mystic, CT (US);
Alberto Franco, Hazlet, NJ (US);
R. Scott Forney, Iii, Stonington, CT (US);
John H. Chapman, Noank, CT (US);
Michael A. Quadrini, Westerly, RI (US);
Pieter Van Dine, Mystic, CT (US);
Alberto Franco, Hazlet, NJ (US);
R. Scott Forney, III, Stonington, CT (US);
John H. Chapman, Noank, CT (US);
Michael A. Quadrini, Westerly, RI (US);
Electric Boat Corporation, Groton, CT (US);
Abstract
In the embodiments described in the specification, a rim-driven propulsion pod arrangement has a cylindrical housing with a duct providing a flow path for water and a rotor assembly supported from a central shaft and containing a rotating blade row and driven by a rim drive permanent magnet motor recessed in the housing. An array of vanes downstream from the rotating blade row is arranged to straighten the flow of water emerging from the rotating blade row. Radial bearing members on the rotor have a hardness less than that of the shaft on which the rotor is supported and relatively soft protrusions are provided in the space between the rotor and the housing to limit excursion of the rotor. A thrust bearing has wedges arranged to form a water wedge between facing surfaces of the rotor and the rotor support during rotation of the rotor.