Edm leading edge groove bearing
OwnerWilliam T. Tierney, Patrick Lynah +1inventors
InventorsWilliam T. Tierney, Patrick Lynah, Andrew Austin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compressor system includes an electrical discharge machined (EDM) bearing configured to support a rotating shaft. The EDM bearing includes a housing extending around a rotational axis of the shaft. The EDM bearing includes an EDM flexing pivot pad machined from the housing, where the EDM flexing pivot pad is configured to provide support to the rotating shaft rotating around the rotational axis. The EDM flexing pivot pad includes a lubricant channel aligned with the lubricant opening and a leading-edge groove (LEG) machined on an inner circumference of the EDM flexing pivot pad. The LEG is in fluid communication with the lubricant channel and is configured to deliver lubricant to the rotating shaft.
Claims20
A compressor system comprising:
- a compressor airend configured to be rotated around a rotational axis;
- and
- a drive system configured to drive the compressor airend, the drive system including:
- a rotating shaft coupled to the compressor airend, and
- an Electrical Discharge Machined (EDM) bearing configured to support the rotating shaft, the EDM bearing comprising:
- a housing extending around the rotational axis, the housing defining at least one lubricant port connected to an outer circumference of the housing and extending radially to the rotational axis;
- an EDM flexing pivot pad machined from the housing, the EDM flexing pivot pad configured to provide support to the rotating shaft rotating around the rotational axis in a first direction, the EDM flexing pivot pad having a lubricant channel aligned with the lubricant port;
- and
- a leading-edge groove machined on an inner circumference of the EDM flexing pivot pad and in fluid communication with the lubricant channel, the leading-edge groove configured to deliver lubricant to the rotating shaft.
An Electrical Discharge Machined (EDM) bearing comprising:
- a housing extending around a rotational axis, the housing defining at least one lubricant port connected to an outer circumference of the housing and extending radially to the rotational axis;
- an EDM flexing pivot pad machined from the housing, the EDM flexing pivot pad configured to provide support to a rotating shaft rotating around the rotational axis in a first direction, the EDM flexing pivot pad having a lubricant channel aligned with the lubricant port;
- and
- a leading-edge groove machined on an inner circumference of the EDM flexing pivot pad and in fluid communication with the lubricant channel, the leading-edge groove configured to deliver lubricant to the rotating shaft.
An Electrical Discharge Machined (EDM) bearing comprising:
- a housing extending around a rotational axis, the housing defining at least one lubricant port connected to an outer circumference of the housing and extending radially to the rotational axis;
- an EDM flexing pivot pad machined from the housing, the EDM flexing pivot pad configured to provide support to a rotating shaft rotating around the rotational axis in a first direction, the EDM flexing pivot pad having a lubricant channel aligned with the lubricant port;
- and
- a leading-edge groove machined on an inner circumference of the EDM flexing pivot pad and in fluid communication with the lubricant channel, the leading-edge groove configured to deliver lubricant to the rotating shaft,
- wherein the leading-edge groove is disposed on a leading edge of the EDM flexing pivot pad, and the lubricant is delivered directly between the rotating shaft and the EDM flexing pivot pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.