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US 12,018,701 B2Granted
Hydraulic bearings and related devices, assemblies, and methods
AssigneeFlowserve Pte. Ltd.
InventorsChris J Riché, Jr., Scott Judge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices and method include relatively moving elements having one or more bearing surfaces defining a gap between the elements into which a fluid is received. At least one of the bearing surfaces comprises a varying topography to provide pressurized volumes of the fluid in order to define a hydraulic bearing to support at least one of the elements during movement.
Claims20
A device for exchanging pressure between at least two fluid streams, the device comprising:
- a rotor comprising fluid channels;
- one or more end covers positioned at one or more axial ends of the rotor, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet defined in the one or more end covers to provide fluid into or out of the fluid channels;
- a housing radially encompassing at least the rotor, the rotor configured to rotate relative to at least one of an axle in the housing about which the rotor is disposed or the housing;
- and
- bearing surfaces defined by the rotor and one or more radially-extending surfaces of the one or more end covers, at least one of the bearing surfaces comprising a varying topography including one or more discrete recesses for holding pressurized fluid in order to create a hydraulic bearing to support the rotor as the rotor moves relative to the one or more end covers, wherein the one or more end covers are configured to move axially away from the rotor to increase an axial dimension of openings between the rotor and the one or more end covers in response to the hydraulic bearing created by movement of the rotor.
2 more elements
A device including hydraulic bearings, the device comprising:
- a first element comprising a stator;
- a second element comprising a rotor being movable relative to the first element, the first element and the second element defining a gap between the first element and the second element, the gap configured to receive a fluid in the gap when the second element is being moved relative to the first element;
- bearing surfaces defined by the first element and the second element on opposing sides of the gap, at least one of the bearing surfaces comprising a varying topography of one or more blind recesses to provide pressurized volumes of the fluid in order to define a hydraulic bearing to support at least one of the first element or the second element as the second element is being moved relative to the first element, wherein the bearing surfaces comprise both complementary cylindrical surfaces defining a radial bearing and substantially planar surfaces defining an axial bearing;
- and
- at least one channel defined in at least one of the bearing surfaces along an interface between at least two of the bearing surfaces, the at least one channel extending along each of the one or more blind recesses, the at least one channel for supplying the fluid between the at least two of the bearing surfaces of the device to enhance flow of the fluid in between the at least two of the bearing surfaces.
2 more elements
A method of forming a hydraulic bearing, the method comprising:
- rotating a rotor about an axis of a device;
- directing a fluid into an interface between the rotor and another component of the device;
- displacing bearing surfaces at the interface relative to one another, the bearing surfaces defined by the rotor and at least one of an axially-extending surface of the another component or a radially-extending surface of the another component;
- supplying the fluid in the interface to at least one of the bearing surfaces comprising a varying topography of one or more micro-recesses in order to define a hydraulic bearing to support the rotor;
- and
- flowing at least some of the fluid to a channel defined along the interface between the bearing surfaces, the channel extending along an entirety of the one or more micro-recesses, the channel being defined in at least one of the bearing surfaces and configured to enhance pumping of the fluid by drawing the fluid into a volume between the bearing surfaces defined by the channel.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.