Foil bearing assembly and compressor including same

A compressor comprising:

• a compressor housing;
• a driveshaft rotatably supported within the compressor housing;
• an impeller connected to the driveshaft and operable to impart kinetic energy to incoming refrigerant gas upon rotation of the driveshaft;
• a bearing housing mounted to the compressor housing and including a sleeve having a radial inner surface defining a cylindrical bore, wherein the sleeve includes a bearing assembly locking feature located along the radial inner surface;
• and
• a foil bearing assembly rotatably supporting the driveshaft and positioned within the cylindrical bore, the foil bearing assembly including an outer foil, an inner foil, and a bump foil positioned between the outer foil and the inner foil, wherein at least one of the outer foil and the inner foil includes a bearing retention feature having a radial inner side and a radial outer side, wherein the at least one bearing retention feature is cooperatively engaged with the bearing assembly locking feature to maintain the foil bearing assembly within the bearing housing at a fixed rotational position, and wherein the bearing assembly locking feature bounds the at least one bearing retention feature on its radial inner and outer sides to inhibit radially inward and outward movement of the at least one bearing retention feature.

A method of assembling a compressor including a compressor housing, the method comprising:

• mounting a bearing housing to the compressor housing, the bearing housing including a sleeve having a radial inner surface defining a cylindrical bore, the sleeve including a bearing assembly locking feature located along the radial inner surface;
• inserting a foil bearing assembly within the cylindrical bore, the foil bearing assembly including an outer foil, an inner foil, and a bump foil positioned between the outer foil and the inner foil;
• and
• connecting at least one of the outer foil and the inner foil to the bearing housing by cooperatively engaging a bearing retention feature of the at least one of the outer foil and the inner foil with the bearing assembly locking feature to maintain the foil bearing assembly within the bearing housing at a fixed rotational position, wherein the bearing retention feature includes a radial inner side and a radial outer side, and wherein the bearing assembly locking feature bounds the bearing retention feature on its radial inner and outer sides to inhibit radially inward and outward movement of the bearing retention feature.