# US 11,078,957 B2 · Externally pressurized porous gas bearings or seals operating on refrigerant utilizing shear heat from rotating shaft to achieve increased load capacity

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- Number: US 11,078,957 B2
- Document ID: US11078957B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/554,570
- Filed: 2019-08-28
- Published: 2020-03-05
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-28
- Assignees: New Way Machine Components, Inc.
- Applicants: New Way Machine Components, Inc.
- Inventors: Andrew Devitt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078957B2

## CPC

- F16C 32/0666: {of bearing pads}
- F16C 32/0614: {the gas being supplied under pressure, e.g. aerostatic bearings}
- F16C 32/0618: {via porous material}
- F16C 2206/00: Materials with ceramics, cermets, hard carbon or similar non-metallic hard materials as main constituents
- F16C 2220/24: by built-up welding
- F16C 2360/00: Engines or pumps
- F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS

## Abstract

An externally pressurized porous gas bearing for operating within a refrigerant environment is disclosed. The gas bearing utilizes shear heating from rotation of a rotor, thereby increasing the pressure and load capacity of the externally pressurized porous gas bearing. The gas bearing is capable of operating when the refrigerant is in a liquid phase and when the refrigerant is in a gaseous phase.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An externally pressurized porous bearing configured to operate within a refrigerant environment, the externally pressurized porous bearing comprising:
a housing;
at least one bearing pad opposing and arranged around a rotor, wherein the
at least one bearing pad includes:
a porous media face opposing the rotor and configured to distribute an externally pressurized fluid through the porous media face;
at least one port configured to provide the externally pressurized fluid to the porous media face;
at least one mount, connected to a back side of the bearing pad and configured to attach the bearing pad to the housing and to provide compliance, where the at least one mount includes a preloading device configured to provide a preloading pressure between the porous media face and the rotor, wherein the preloading pressure increases pressure and shear heating from rotation of a rotor, thereby increasing the pressure and load capacity of the externally pressurized porous bearing by effecting a phase change of the externally pressurized fluid from a liquid to a gas.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The externally pressurized porous bearing of claim 1, wherein the porous media face comprises of one or more of graphite, carbon, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, alumina, carbon-carbon ceramic matrix composites, and 3D printed materials.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The externally pressurized porous bearing of claim 1, wherein the at least one bearing pad is a plurality of bearing pads.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The externally pressurized porous bearing of claim 1, wherein the preloading device is adjustable to provide a deterministic pre-load of a bearing gap pressure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The externally pressurized porous bearing of claim 1, wherein the preloading device is a belleville washer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The externally pressurized porous bearing of claim 1, wherein the preloading device is at least one o-ring.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The externally pressurized porous bearing of claim 1, wherein the preloading device is an elastometric pivot.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The externally pressurized porous bearing of claim 1, wherein the externally pressurized fluid is refrigerant.