Back to results
US 2004/0057642 A1Published application
Thrust bearing arrangement
OwnerNigel Henry Newinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
OwnerNigel Henry Newinventor
Estimating the term…
A hydrodynamic thrust bearing arrangement for supporting a rotating machine shaft against axial thrust forces comprises a collar carried by the shaft with axially spaced, axially facing faces, one of which, say, bears against an array of bearing pads by way of an intervening lubricant film. The bearing pads may be faced with a polymer or other material which as a poor conductor of heat from the lubricant film which may permit the lubricant to overheat and the film to break down. To avoid this, the collar is made from a metal having a thermal conductivity greater than 150 W m−1° k−1 and with such collar thickness to withstand the bending stresses of the axial thrust forces, and the unloaded face is in contact with a coolant, typically the lubricant, which can transfer heat from the hydrodynamic film even when at ambient temperature. Cooper or aluminum alloys may be used.
For a machine (10, 100) including a shaft (12) rotatable within a housing (16), a hydrodynamic thrust bearing arrangement (20, 120) for supporting the shaft with respect to forces acting in a direction (DL) along the longitudinal axis (14) of the shaft, the bearing arrangement comprising
A thrust bearing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the lubrication means (40, 140) includes control means operable to define the temperature of the control liquid.
A thrust bearing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the collar (20, 120) comprises a commercially pure copper.
A thrust bearing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which at least the thrust face (24) of the collar is provided with a coating of abrasion resistant material.
A thrust bearing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the collar (22) is a unitary body of said metallic material.
A thrust bearing arrangement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims arranged to support a said shaft with respect also to forces acting in an opposite direction (DR) along the longitudinal axis of the shaft, comprising a second ring of bearing pads (34R) disposed in an annular array extending about the shaft and mounted with respect to the housing such that a bearing surface (38R) of each pad faces axially overlying the second face (26) of the collar and the lubrication means (40, 140) is arranged to supply the control liquid to the operationally non-thrust face of the collar.
A machine (10, 100) including a shaft (12) rotatable within a housing and a hydrodynamic thrust bearing arrangement (20, 120) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.