ESP Motor Radial Bearing Anti-Rotation Tab Retention
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorAndrás Bencze
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Rotor bearings for ESP motors can include anti-rotation tabs configured to engage with a stator during assembly of the ESP motor. Prior to insertion of the rotor bearing within the stator, the anti-rotation tabs may be held in place within axial slots in the outer surface of a bearing bushing of the rotor bearing using retention rings. The retention rings and the bearing bushing may be configured to allow for interference fit, as disclosed herein, which may be particularly useful for ceramic bearing bushings.
Claims20
A rotor bearing bushing assembly, comprising:
- a substantially cylindrical bearing bushing comprising:
- a spring recess extending inward from an outer surface of the bearing bushing;
- an axial slot on the outer surface of the bearing bushing, wherein the axial slot intersects the spring recess;
- and
- an inwardly stepped portion of the outer surface;
- an anti-rotation tab configured to fit and extend axially in the axial slot, the anti-rotation tab being radially slidable within the axial slot;
- a biasing element configured to fit in the spring recess and to push radially outward on the anti-rotation tab in the axial slot;
- and
- a retention ring configured for interference fit on the outer surface of the stepped portion on the outer surface of the bearing bushing;
- wherein:
- the retention ring overlaps the axial slot and the anti-rotation tab;
- and
- the retention ring is a solid ring, spanning a full circumference of the bearing bushing.
A method for assembling a bearing bushing assembly, comprising:
- installing a biasing element into a corresponding spring recess extending inward from an outer surface of a bearing bushing;
- installing an anti-rotation tab in an axial slot on the outer surface of the bearing bushing, thereby compressing the biasing element so that the anti-rotation tab is approximately flush with the outer surface of the bearing bushing;
- and
- thermally fitting a retention ring onto an inwardly stepped portion of the outer surface of the bearing bushing, wherein the retention ring holds the anti-rotation tab onto the bearing bushing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.