ACM cooling flow path and thrust load design
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsCraig Beers, Christopher McAuliffe, Brent Merritt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air cycle machine includes a housing having a compressor housing portion. A shaft is supported by the housing and includes a thrust runner. A hydrodynamic thrust bearing is arranged adjacent to the thrust runner and includes upstream and downstream sides. A compressor rotor is mounted on the shaft. A seal is arranged between the compressor rotor and the compressor housing portion. An orifice is provided in the compressor housing portion at the downstream side of the hydrodynamic bearing. The orifice vents hot compressed air that may leak past the seal prior to reaching the hydrodynamic thrust bearing.
Claims14
A compressor, comprising:
- a housing including a compressor housing portion;
- a shaft supported in the housing and having a thrust runner, a hydrodynamic thrust bearing adjacent to the thrust runner, the hydrodynamic thrust bearing having upstream and downstream sides, and a turbine rotor and a compressor rotor mounted on the shaft;
- a seal arranged between the rotor and the housing portion, and an orifice in the housing at the downstream side of the hydrodynamic thrust bearing;
- and
- wherein the housing includes a turbine housing portion with the turbine rotor arranged in the turbine housing portion, the thrust runner arranged between the compressor and turbine housing portions, a first bearing exit cavity arranged between the compressor and turbine housing portions at the downstream side, the compressor housing having compressor and bearing sides respectively expose to the compressor rotor and the first bearing cavity.
A method of cooling a hydrodynamic bearing in a compressor comprising the steps of:
- a) sealing between a compressor rotor and a compressor housing portion;
- b) flowing cooling fluid through a hydrodynamic bearing arranged between a thrust runner and the compressor housing portion;
- c) leaking hot compressed fluid from the compressor rotor past a seal;
- and
- d) flowing the hot compressed fluid through an orifice in the compressor housing portion to route the hot compressed fluid around the hydrodynamic bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.