Back to results
US 2022/0090629 A1Published application
Hydraulic bearings and related devices, assemblies, and methods
AssigneeFlowserve Management Company
InventorsChris J Riché, Jr., Scott Judge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices and method include relatively moving elements having one or more bearing surfaces defining a gap between the elements into which a fluid is received. At least one of the bearing surfaces comprises a varying topography to provide pressurized volumes of the fluid in order to define a hydraulic bearing to support at least one of the elements during movement.
Claims20
A device for exchanging pressure between at least two fluid streams, the device comprising:
- a rotor comprising fluid channels;
- one or more end covers positioned at one or more axial ends of the rotor, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet defined in the one or more end covers to provide fluid into or out of the fluid channels;
- a housing radially encompassing at least the rotor, the rotor configured to rotate relative to at least one of an axle in the housing about which the rotor is disposed or the housing;
- and
- bearing surfaces defined between the rotor and at least one of an axially-aligned surface of the axle, an axially-aligned surface of the housing, or one or more radially-aligned surfaces of the one or more end covers, at least one of the bearing surfaces comprising a varying topography including one or more discrete recesses for holding pressurized fluid in order to define a hydraulic bearing to support the rotor as the rotor moves relative to at least one of the axle, the housing, or the one or more end covers.
2 more elements
A device including one or more hydraulic bearings, the device comprising:
- a first element comprising a stator;
- a second element comprising a rotor being movable relative to the first element, the first element and the second element defining a gap between the first element and the second element, the gap configured to receive a fluid in the gap when the second element is being moved relative to the first element;
- and
- bearing surfaces defined between the first element and the second element on opposing sides of the gap, at least one of the bearing surfaces comprising a varying topography of one or more recesses to provide pressurized volumes of the fluid in order to define a hydraulic bearing to support at least one of the first element or the second element as the second element is being moved relative to the first element.
1 more element
A method of forming a hydraulic bearing, the method comprising:
- rotating a rotor about an axis of a device;
- directing a fluid into an interface between the rotor and another component of the device;
- displacing bearing surfaces at the interface relative to one another, the bearing surfaces defined between the rotor and at least one of an axially-aligned surface of the another component or a radially-aligned surface of the another component;
- and
- supplying the fluid in the interface to at least one of the bearing surfaces comprising a varying topography of one or more micro-recesses in order to define a hydraulic bearing to support the rotor.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.