Bearing damper assembly for a turbine engine

A method of damping vibrations of a rotating component of a turbine engine, the method comprising:

• selectively providing fluid to at least one of:
• a first fluid circuit of a bearing damper assembly, the first fluid circuit being in fluid communication with a first plurality of annular gaps formed between an outer rim and an inner rim of a bearing housing of the bearing damper assembly;
• or
• a second fluid circuit of the bearing damper assembly, the second fluid circuit being in fluid communication with a second plurality of annular gaps formed between the outer rim and the inner rim of the bearing housing of the bearing damper assembly,
• wherein the first plurality of annular gaps and the second plurality of annular gaps are arranged in an alternating manner in a circumferential direction of the bearing damper assembly.
• wherein each annular gap of the first plurality of annular gaps and of the second plurality of annular gaps of the bearing housing is circumferentially bound by two integral springs of a plurality of integral springs of the bearing housing,
• wherein the first fluid circuit is at least partly defined by a first annular groove defined along an outer surface of the outer rim and a first plurality of gap inlets defined within the first annular groove, the first plurality of gap inlets being in fluid communication with a respective annular gap of the first plurality of annular gaps, and
• wherein the second fluid circuit is at least partly defined by a second annular groove defined along the outer surface of the outer rim and a second plurality of gap inlets defined within the second annular groove, the second annular groove being fluidly isolated from the first annular groove, the second plurality of gap inlets being in fluid communication with a respective annular gap of the second plurality of annular gaps.

A bearing damper assembly for a turbine engine, the bearing damper assembly defining a bearing damper centerline axis, a radial direction extending perpendicular to the bearing damper centerline axis, and a circumferential direction about the bearing damper centerline axis, the bearing damper assembly comprising:

• a damper frame;
• a bearing housing disposed in the damper frame, the bearing housing being annular and comprising:
• an outer rim coupled to the damper frame;
• an inner rim coupled to the outer rim via a plurality of integral springs;
• a plurality of annular gaps formed between the inner rim and the outer rim, each annular gap of the plurality of annular gaps being bound in the circumferential direction by two integral springs of the plurality of integral springs, the plurality of annular gaps including a first plurality of annular gaps and a second plurality of annular gaps;
• a first fluid circuit in fluid communication with the first plurality of annular gaps;
• and
• a second fluid circuit in fluid communication with the second plurality of annular gaps;
• and
• an end seal plate coupled to the bearing housing,
• wherein the first plurality of annular gaps and the second plurality of annular gaps are configured to be filled with fluid via the first fluid circuit and the second fluid circuit, respectively, to damp vibrations produced on a rotating component of the turbine engine,
• wherein the damper frame defines a first plurality of first outlets of the first fluid circuit configured to permit fluid to flow out of the first plurality of annular gaps at an inner side of the bearing housing and a second plurality of first outlets of the second fluid circuit configured to permit fluid to flow out the second plurality of annular gaps at the inner side of the bearing housing, and
• wherein the end seal plate defines a first plurality of second outlets of the first fluid circuit configured to permit fluid to flow out of the first plurality of annular gaps at an outer side of the bearing housing, opposite the inner side, and a second plurality of second outlets of the second fluid circuit configured to permit fluid to flow out the second plurality of annular gaps at the outer side of the bearing housing.