A bi-directional foil thrust bearing for use in a variety of turbomachinery devices and disposed between rotating and stationary members of the turbomachine. The thrust bearing comprises annular bearing stiffener, spring cluster, and follower spring disks, with each disk disposed coaxially about a centerline axis of the device. A plurality of generally trapezoidal foils are attached to the bearing stiffener disk and an equal number of generally trapezoidal spring sets are attached to the spring cluster disk. The bearing stiffener and spring cluster disks are configured to permit a predetermined rotation of the disks relative to one another such that each spring set is aligned with a trailing portion of a corresponding foil, regardless of the direction of rotation of the rotatable member of the device. Accordingly, conformity is provided between the bearing stiffness profile and the film pressure profile developed during the operation of the device. Each spring set includes a central portion attached to the spring cluster disk and a plurality of radially spaced spring members, with each spring member having first and second portions attached to and extending generally circumferentially away from opposing sides of the central portion.
The leading edges of the segmented corrugated springs of each of the two bump foils of a hydrodynamic thrust bearing are offset such that the leading edge in the upper segmented corrugated springs are circumferentially spaced relative to the leading edge of the lower segmented corrugated springs that is underlying each respective segment of the bump foils. In some embodiments the leading edge of the bump foil is attached and the trailing edge is free to move axially and in other embodiments the reverse occurs where the trailing edge of the bump foil is attached and the leading edge is free to move axially.
A compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing including a thrust disk rotor, fluid foils, spring foils, a thrust plate, and a housing thrust surface The non-rotating but compliant fluid foils, mounted on the thrust plate and/or housing thrust surface and positioned adjacent to the thrust disk, have open faced channels that induce regenerative vortex flow patterns in the process fluid. The multiple spring foils together provide a tilting pad support for the fluid foils but allow them to follow the axial and overturning motion of the thrust disk. The interaction of the tilting pad underspring supports and the circumferential fluid pressure gradients in the process fluid between the fluid foils and the thrust disk rotor assure that the fluid foils will assume hydrodynamically efficient convex shapes on the surfaces adjacent to the rotor regardless of the load applied to the thrust bearing.
A foil bearing allows bi-directional rotation of a shaft. The foil bearing includes a plurality of thin compliant foils secured to a housing, and spring segments underlying the foils. Each spring segment has a first stiffness profile in a first zone and a second stiffness profile in a second zone. The first stiffness profile allows rotation in one direction, and the second stiffness profile allows rotation in an opposite direction.
A gas dynamic foil bearing comprises a plate (13) attached to a base (10), support members (14) fixed on the plate (13) at predetermined intervals, elastic foils (15) fixed to the support members (14) at one end thereof to overlap each other, a thrust disk (11) connected to a rotating rotor and placed on the elastic foils (15), and bent springs (17) interposed between the elastic foils (15) and the plate (13) in the overlapping area of the elastic foils (15) for supporting the elastic foils (15).
A hydrodynamic bearing set, for use with a thrust disk disposed between planar surfaces of a housing, includes first and second topfoils disposed adjacent first and second thrust disk axial bearing surfaces and removably secured to the housing. An underspring is secured between each planar housing surface and the corresponding topfoil. Dual-leaf spring pairs attached to at least one topfoil periphery function to urge the topfoils away from the thrust disk axial bearing surfaces by applying a force against a planar housing surface, another topfoil, or a spacer washer secured between adjacent topfoil dual-leaf pairs or frictionally retained within the housing. Alternatively, a wavy washer, a conical spring, a Belleville washer, or a coil spring can be substituted for the dual-leaf spring pairs.
