Hybrid airfoil and auxiliary magnetic bearings

A hybrid airfoil bearing for a shaft, the airfoil bearing comprising:

• airfoil bearing components comprising a top foil immediately surrounding the shaft, the airfoil bearing components further comprising additional components;
• and
• passive magnetic bearing components integrated into the shaft and the additional components of the airfoil bearing components to remove a static load of the shaft on the top foil,
• wherein:
• the additional components of the airfoil bearing components comprise stationary components defining a bore and the shaft is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof within the bore and relative to the stationary components, and
• the stationary components comprise a housing defining an outer bore, a bearing sleeve supported within the outer bore and elastomeric O-rings by which the bearing sleeve is supported within the outer bore.

A hybrid airfoil bearing, comprising:

• a housing defining an outer bore;
• a bearing sleeve supportively disposed within the outer bore and defining an inner bore;
• a shaft, which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof within the inner bore and relative to the housing and the bearing sleeve;
• a top foil immediately surrounding the shaft;
• and
• a singular bump foil completely surrounding the top foil in a circumferential direction,
• the bearing sleeve and the shaft being configured for passive magnetic repulsion of one another to suspend the shaft within the inner bore and to remove a static load of the shaft on the top foil.

A device, comprising:

• a housing;
• shaft, which is rotatable within the housing;
• and
• hybrid airfoil bearings to support the shaft within the housing,
• each of the hybrid airfoil bearings comprising:
• airfoil bearing components comprising a top foil immediately surrounding the shaft, the airfoil bearing components further comprising additional components;
• and
• passive magnetic bearing components integrated into the shaft and the additional components of the airfoil bearing components to remove a static load of the shaft on the top foil,
• wherein:
• the additional components of the airfoil bearing components comprise stationary components defining a bore and the shaft is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof within the bore and relative to the stationary components, and
• the stationary components comprise a housing defining an outer bore, a bearing sleeve supported within the outer bore and a singular bump foil completely surrounding the top foil in a circumferential direction.