Turbomachine with thrust bearing seal plate housing member having working fluid flow aperture

A method of manufacturing a turbomachine comprising:

• providing a housing;
• providing a rotating group;
• housing the rotating group within the housing;
• and
• supporting, with a fluid bearing system, the rotating group within the housing for rotation about an axis of rotation, the fluid bearing system including a thrust bearing member fixed to the rotating group, the thrust bearing member configured to support the rotating group against thrust loads;
• defining a compressor stage that includes a compressor wheel of the rotating group that is housed within a compressor housing of the housing, the compressor stage configured to receive a fluid from an area within the housing;
• the housing including a seal plate that includes a first face and a second face, the first face having a flow surface that at least partly defines a fluid flow path toward the compressor wheel, the second face having a thrust bearing member support surface;
• the housing including a wall portion;
• and attaching the seal plate to the wall portion to cooperatively encapsulate the thrust bearing member for rotation therebetween;
• wherein the wall portion has a recessed surface that defines a thrust pocket that receives the thrust bearing member, the thrust bearing member support surface covering over the thrust pocket and the thrust bearing member;
• the seal plate including an aperture arranged radially outwards of the thrust pocket that fluidly connects the area to the fluid flow path.

A compressor device comprising:

• a housing;
• a rotating group that is housed within the housing, the rotating group and the housing cooperating to define a first compressor stage and a second compressor stage;
• a fluid bearing system with a thrust bearing member, the fluid bearing system fixed to the rotating group, the fluid bearing system configured to support the rotating group for rotation within the housing about an axis with, the thrust bearing member configured to support the rotating group against thrust loads;
• a motor stage including an electric motor included in a motor cavity of the housing, the electric motor operatively connected to the rotating group for driving rotation thereof;
• the first compressor stage including a first compressor wheel of the rotating group that is housed within a first compressor housing of the housing, the first compressor stage configured to receive a fluid from an area within the housing;
• the second compressor stage including a second compressor wheel of the rotating group that is housed within a second compressor housing of the housing, the second compressor stage configured to receive the fluid from the first compressor stage;
• a seal plate of the housing, the seal plate including a first face and a second face, the first face having a flow surface that at least partly defines a fluid flow path toward the first compressor wheel, the second face having a thrust bearing member support surface configured to support the thrust bearing member during rotation of the rotating group;
• and a wall portion of the housing, the seal plate attached to the wall portion to cooperatively encapsulate the thrust bearing member for rotation therebetween;
• wherein the wall portion has a recessed surface that defines a thrust pocket that receives the thrust bearing member, the thrust bearing member support surface covering over the thrust pocket and the thrust bearing member;
• the seal plate including a through-hole arranged radially outwards of the thrust pocket that fluidly connects the motor cavity to the fluid flow path.