Low-weight hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad and related methods
AssigneeOhio University
InventorsMuhammad Ali, Collier Fais, Isaiah Yasko, Khairul Alam
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Abstract
A hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad for use with a hydrodynamic thrust bearing assembly is disclosed. The hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad includes a bearing body with a bearing surface and an opposite base surface. The bearing surface is configured to confront a thrust flange of the hydrodynamic thrust bearing assembly and the base surface is configured to confront a stationary disc of the hydrodynamic thrust bearing assembly. The hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad includes at least one weight-reducing void formed in the bearing body.
Claims21
A hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad for use with a hydrodynamic thrust bearing assembly, comprising:
- a bearing body including a bearing surface and an opposite base surface, the bearing surface being configured to confront a thrust flange of the hydrodynamic thrust bearing assembly and the base surface being configured to confront a stationary disc of the hydrodynamic thrust bearing assembly;
- and
- at least one weight-reducing void formed in the bearing body.
A method of forming a hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad for use with a hydrodynamic thrust bearing assembly, comprising:
- providing a computer model design of a first hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad design in a modeling software;
- generating a pressure map across a bearing surface of the first hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad design;
- applying the pressure map to the first hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad design in the modeling software;
- optimizing the first hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad design by changing a part of the body of the first hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad design to create a second hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad design in the modeling software;
- and
- forming the hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad based on the second hydrodynamic thrust bearing pad design.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.