A hydrodynamic fluid film bearing has a stationary retaining member (12) having a cylindrical opening (14) to receive for rotation therein a rotatable shaft (16). The inner surface (20) of the opening (14) is lined by a generally cylindrical-shaped foil assembly (18) comprised of a plurality of foil sub-assemblies (24) each comprised of spring foils (26), contact foils (30) and, optionally, inner foils (32). Each foil sub-assembly (24) subtends a rotational segment, less than all, of the inner surface (20), e.g., from about 45 degrees to 120 degrees of rotation. The spring foils (26) and contact foils (30) are affixed to the retaining member (12) in such a way that sliding travel of the spring foils (26) along the inner surface (20) is in the opposite rotational direction of sliding travel of the contact foils (30) along the inner surface (20). The foil sub-assemblies (24) may be affixed to the retaining member (12) by means of keyways (22a-22e) within which the foil sub-assemblies (24) are mounted.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 08/490,976, filed Jun. 15, 1995, now abandoned in the name of Giridhari L. Agrawal, and entitled "Improved Hydrodynamic Fluid Film Bearing".
A journal bearing designed for use with a rotatable shaft of an air cycle machine is disclosed. The bearing includes a journal bearing housing, air bearings for facilitating rotation of the shaft, and a journal bearing shell positioned in the housing. The shell includes a single piece body structure having a first half integral with a second half. The first half includes a first outside end and the second half includes a second outside end. The first half is sufficiently spaced from the second half for supporting and aligning the air bearing for supporting the rotatable shaft. The first and second integral halves define a continuously formed inner diameter adapted to receive the air bearings between the rotatable shaft and the inner diameter for facilitating rotation of the shaft relative to the body structure. The continuously formed inner diameter extends from the first outside end to the second outside end and an outer surface for placement and securement in the journal bearing housing of the air cycle machine is provided.
The present invention is to provides a foil gas bearing which has sufficient damping effects due to a frictional force and a sufficient stiffness to support the rotary shaft. The foil gas bearing has a rotary shaft retainer for retaining a rotary shaft; and a back spring for preventing the displacement of the rotary shaft, which is provided between rotary shaft and rotary shaft retainer. Plural protrusions are formed at one element, which is either the rotary shaft retainer or the back spring. Plural recesses are formed at the other elements, which is either the back spring or the rotary shaft retainer at places which correspond to the protrusions. The protrusions partially fit into the recesses.
A thrust bearing designed to support a rotational shaft within a turbo compressor, and including foils subjected to a friction with gas. The bearing includes a plurality of elastic foils having different stiffnesses from each other.
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).
An improved and enhanced hydrodynamic fluid film bearing for rotatably supporting a shaft journal is provided and includes a stationary retaining member, at least two generally cylindrical foil elements attached to one another and forming an anti-rotation fin, and a generally cylindrical resilient backing member. The retaining member has an inner surface defining a cylindrical opening for receiving a shaft journal. The inner surface also includes a longitudinally extending slot in which the anti-rotation fin formed by the foil elements is mounted so that the foil elements line at least a portion of the cylindrical opening. The resilient member is also disposed within the cylindrical opening generally concentric to and radially outward from the foil elements. The foil elements may be discrete elements attached together to form the anti-rotation fin, or alternatively formed from a single foil with a bend defining the anti-rotation fin.
