Rotor self-lubricating axial stop
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorDale H. Blount
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Abstract
A plurality of lubricating plugs are disposed in the stationary backup face adjacent to the axial stop face of a rotating impeller mounted in a turbopump for pumping liquid oxygen or liquid hydrogen. The stop face and the backup face are those surfaces which engage when the axial load on the impeller exceeds the load balancing capability. The plugs have a truncated conical configuration so as to be trapped in the backup face, and are disposed at varying radii on the face to provide complete surface lubrication. The plugs may be formed from Teflon, Kel-F or bronze filled Teflon.
Claims20
In a turbopump or the like for acting on a fluid, said turbopump having a rotor adapted for rotation about an axis within a housing, said housing having a stationary backup face, said rotor having a stop face disposed adjacent to said stationary backup face, said stop face adapted for engaging said backup face when the axial force on the rotor is not otherwise balanced, the improvement comprising, a plurality of plugs disposed in spaced apart relationship in one of said faces, said plugs comprising synthetic plastic material having dry film lubricating characteristics and being inert and stable in said fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.