Reduced Profile Abrasion Resistant Pump Thrust Bearing
AssigneeBaker Hughes Incorporated
InventorsCHRISTOPHER M. BRUNNER, DAVID W. CHILCOAT, JASON B. IVES
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A centrifugal pump has a stationary diffuser with a bore. A thrust bearing is pressed into the diffuser bore and has a curved interior. A thrust runner having a curved exterior is correspondingly and closely received by the thrust bearing interior. The thrust runner is keyed to a shaft and transmits thrust from a rotating impeller to the diffuser via the thrust bearing. The curved surface of the thrust bearing allows for handling of both axial and radial thrust without the need for multiple thrust bearings. The increased surface area of the curved surface in the thrust bearing can also handle higher loads.
Claims20
A centrifugal pump having a plurality of stages through which a drive shaft passes, each stage, comprising:
- a diffuser having a bore through which the shaft passes;
- a thrust bearing base stationarily mounted on an upstream portion of the diffuser surrounding the bore of the diffuser, the thrust bearing base having a generally concave thrust face on a downstream side;
- a thrust runner having a generally convex upstream side in rotating engagement with the thrust face of the thrust bearing base, the thrust runner being axially movable relative to the shaft and rotatable with the shaft.
- an impeller rotated by the shaft downsteam of the diffuser;
- and
- a thrust sleeve surrounding and rotatable with the shaft and extending between the impeller and the thrust runner for transmitting down thrust to the thrust bearing base.
A centrifugal pump having a plurality of stages through which a drive shaft passes, each stage, comprising:
- a diffuser having a bore through which the shaft passes;
- a thrust bearing base stationarily mounted on an upper portion of the diffuser surrounding into the bore of the diffuser, the thrust bearing base having a generally concave thrust face on an upper side;
- a thrust runner having a generally convex lower side in rotating engagement with the thrust face of the thrust bearing base, the thrust runner being axially movable relative to the shaft and rotatable with the shaft.
- an impeller adjacent to and above the diffuser and rotated by the shaft;
- a thrust sleeve surrounding and rotatable with the shaft and extending between the impeller and the thrust runner for transmitting down thrust to the thrust bearing base;
- and wherein the thrust sleeve, thrust runner, and thrust bearing base are made of a harder and more wear resistant material than the impeller and the diffuser.
A centrifugal pump having a plurality of stages through which a drive shaft passes, each stage, comprising:
- a first diffuser having a bore through which the shaft passes, the first diffuser having a receptacle on an upper portion;
- a down thrust bearing base stationarily mounted in the receptacle, the down thrust bearing base having a concave thrust face on an upper side;
- a down thrust runner having a convex lower side in rotating engagement with the thrust face of the down thrust bearing base, the down thrust runner being axially movable relative to the shaft and rotatable with the shaft;
- a first impeller rotated by the shaft above the first diffuser;
- a thrust sleeve surrounding and rotatable with the shaft and extending between the first impeller and the down thrust runner for transmitting down thrust to the down thrust bearing base;
- a second impeller spaced above the first impeller and in rotatable engagement with a second diffuser spaced above the first diffuser;
- and
- a spacer sleeve surrounding the shaft engaging a hub of the second impeller with a hub of the first impeller, the spacer sleeve being axially movable relative to the shaft to transmit down thrust from the second impeller to the first impeller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.