Air cycle machine bearing cooling inlet plate

An air cycle machine comprising:

• a housing;
• a shaft rotationally supported within the housing and including a thrust runner;
• air bearings provided on either side of the thrust runner;
• and
• an inlet plate arranged radially outward of and axially aligned with the air bearings, the inlet plate having inner and outer peripheries provided between lateral sides, one side include four circumferentially arranged slots extending from the outer periphery to the inner periphery, the slots having a width and a depth providing a first ratio of 4:1, the inlet plate configured to provide fluid to the air bearings through the slots, wherein the width is nominally 0.160 inch and the depth is nominally 0.040 inch, the outer and inner peripheries correspond to outer and inner diameters, the outer diameter to inner diameter providing a second ratio of 1.28-1.30, and the outer diameter is nominally 3.945 inch.

A method of assembling an air cycle machine comprising the steps of:

• inserting a shaft having a thrust runner into a bearing housing;
• arranging thrust bearings on either side of the thrust runner;
• providing an inlet plate having inner and outer peripheries provided between lateral sides, one side include four circumferentially arranged slots extending from the outer periphery to the inner periphery, the slots having a width and a depth providing a first ratio of 4:1, wherein the width is nominally 0.160 inch and the depth is nominally 0.040 inch, the outer and inner peripheries correspond to outer and inner diameters, the outer diameter to inner diameter providing a second ratio of 1.28-1.30, and the outer diameter is nominally 3.945 inch;
• arranging the inlet plate radially outward of and axially aligned with the thrust bearings, the inlet plate configured to provide fluid to the thrust bearings through the slots;
• and
• securing the inlet plate to the bearing housing.