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US 6,632,077 B2Granted
Hybrid bearing arrangement for centrifugal compressor
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorVishnu M. Sishtla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A centrifugal compressor that includes a low speed shaft connected to a drive motor and a high speed shaft containing an impeller. The high speed shaft is coupled to the low speed shaft by a gear train. The low speed shaft is supported by hydrodynamic, oil lubricated, bearings while the high speed shaft is supported by roller and ball bearings. Any vibrational stresses developed in the high speed shaft are dampened by the low shaft system through the gear train coupling.
Claims16
A centrifugal compressor having at least one stage of compression that includes:
- a motor for driving a first low speed drive shaft;
- hydrodynamic bearings for supporting the low speed shaft,
- a gear train for connecting the low speed shaft to a high speed shaft whereby the high speed shaft turns at a higher speed than the low speed shaft;
- an impeller mounted for rotation upon the high speed shaft, said impeller arranged to rotate within a shroud to compress fluid drawn into said impeller;
- said high speed shaft being supported upon ball bearing means for absorbing axial loads and roller bearings for absorbing radial load acting upon said high speed shaft.
2 more elements
A centrifugal compressor that includes:
- a low speed shaft connected to a motor;
- a high speed shaft connected to an impeller for compressing fluid;
- a gear train for connecting the low speed shaft to the high speed shaft;
- oil lubricated hydrodynamic bearings for supporting the low speed shaft and damping vibrations acting on the low speed shaft and the high speed shaft which are transmitted to the low speed shaft by said gear train;
- and
- ball and roller bearings for supporting the high speed shaft.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.