Bearing shoe for supporting a rotor journal in a turbine engine

Abstract

A rotor journal support system (10) configured to allow for a bearing shoe (16) to properly align to the rotor (14) while keeping the bearing shoe (16) constrained during handling, installation, and operation limit is disclosed. The rotor journal support system (10) may be configured to enable limited movement of a bearing shoe (16) such that when the rotor journal (14) is installed, the bearing shoe (16) is properly aligned with the rotor journal (14), thereby requiring less torque to turn the rotor journal (14) from a stop than when the bearing shoe (16) is misaligned. The rotor journal support system (10) may include bearing shoe supports (88) extending radially outward from the bearing shoe (16). The bearing shoe support (88) may include an outer bearing surface (100) having at least a partial spherical shape configured to bear against the aligning ring (24). In this position, the bearing shoe support (88) enables the bearing shoe (16) to be moved in any direction other than circumferentially and radially outward.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.