JP2013541680A - Tilting pad bearing - Google Patents

Abstract

The tilting pad bearing includes a piston carrier ring that may include a plurality of spaces spaced around the piston carrier ring, and a passage that may be formed on a surface of the piston carrier ring that faces the plurality of spaces. The carrier end plate may be disposed in the passage and fixed to the piston carrier ring. The recess may be formed on the upper surface of the carrier end plate. The piston may be disposed in each space. The bottom surface of each piston is disposed adjacent to the recess. The piston may be substantially fixed using a plurality of membranes in the space. One membrane corresponds to one piston and one space. Alternatively, the piston may be formed in two parts that are fixed via a membrane. Each piston may engage a bearing pad and / or interface member in the bearing pad carrier ring.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a hydraulic thrust bearing, and more particularly to a tilting pad thrust bearing.

Cross-reference of related applications This patent application claims priority based on Patent Document 1 filed on Dec. 7, 2010, and is a continuation-in-part application. Patent Document 1 claimed the priority based on Patent Document 3 filed on Apr. 13, 2007, which is currently Patent Document 2, and was a continuation application. This patent application also claims priority based on Patent Document 4 filed on November 29, 2007, and is a continuation-in-part of the application. This patent application also claims priority based on Patent Document 6 filed on June 4, 2010, claiming priority based on Patent Document 5 filed on June 8, 2009, and is a continuation-in-part application thereof. . This patent application also claims priority based on Patent Document 7 filed on January 13, 2011, and is a continuation-in-part application. All of these documents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Applicant also claims the priority of US Pat. No. 6,057,054, filed Sep. 24, 2010, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

  Tilting pad thrust bearings typically generate thrust from rotating shafts through hydrodynamically generated films between individual bearing pads and cooperating collars (or runners) that rotate with the shaft. Transmits to the bearing pad ring. The thickness of this film depends on many factors and may be less than 5 microns in certain applications.

  Because the film thickness between the bearing pad and the collar is thin, it is important that all the individual bearing pads are on the collar surface. To that end, the parts of the tilting pad bearing are generally machined to be very resistant, and the construction of the machine consists of a collar surface and a bearing support (to which the tilting pad bearing is mounted). It is necessary for the alignment between the two to be accurate. Accurate alignment of related elements becomes more difficult as the machine size increases.

  Prior art tilting pad bearings disclose a mechanism between a bearing pad and a bearing support designed to compensate for the above difficulties. A partial solution to a small tilting pad thrust bearing is disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,057,096 which teaches filling a sealed chamber between two axially spaced annular plates with fluid. Thus, each plate can move at an angle relative to the other plates, but resists any change in the mid-axis position relative to each other due to the fluid interface. Due to manufacturing considerations, this type of tilting pad bearing is limited to use only in machines that require a bearing having an outer diameter of up to about 200 millimeters.

  A similar device using individual capsules is taught in US Pat. Each capsule was constructed in a manner similar to the combined annular plate described above, and each capsule had one bearing pad. The capsule was placed in a ring housing and fluidly coupled through a series of hydraulic tubes. However, the associated coupling and piping greatly increased the potential for fluid leakage compared to other systems.

US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 962,430 US Pat. No. 7,845,855 US patent application Ser. No. 11 / 787,146 US patent application Ser. No. 11 / 998,279 US provisional patent application 61 / 217,989 US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 793,983 US Patent Application No. 13 / 005,997 US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 386,054 British Patent 1,140,773 British Patent 1,458,660

  For a better understanding of the advantages of the present invention, a more specific description of the invention briefly described above will now be described with reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that these figures are only illustrative of exemplary embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, and that the invention will be more specifically and Describe and explain in detail.

FIG. 3 is a diameter cross-sectional view of two spaces and a piston according to a first embodiment of a tilting pad bearing. FIG. 3 is a view of the shaft of the first embodiment of the tilting pad bearing with the retaining plate removed for clarity. FIG. 3 is a diameter cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a tilting pad bearing with the pad removed for clarity. FIG. 2 is a detailed axial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a carrier ring that may be used with certain embodiments of a tilting pad bearing, with the piston and carrier endplate removed for clarity. FIG. 4 is a detailed axial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a piston, carrier ring, carrier endplate, and related elements that may be used with certain embodiments of a tilting pad bearing. FIG. 6 is a diametrical sectional view of a two-part and two-part piston according to a second embodiment of a tilting pad bearing. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a tilting pad bearing that engages a shaft collar. FIG. 6 is an axial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a tilting pad bearing that engages an axial collar. It is a perspective view of 3rd Embodiment of a tilting pad bearing. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a tilting pad bearing, with the bearing pad removed for clarity. FIG. 10 is a perspective exploded view of a third embodiment of a tilting pad bearing. FIG. 6 is a detailed axial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a tilting pad bearing bearing pad and piston. FIG. 6 is a detailed axial cross-sectional view of the region between two adjacent bearing pads and a piston of a third embodiment of a tilting pad bearing. FIG. 6 is a detailed axial cross-sectional view of the space in the piston carrier ring of the third embodiment of the tilting pad bearing, with the piston, interface member, bearing pad, and carrier endplate removed for clarity. FIG. 6 is a top perspective exploded view of a bearing pad carrier ring, piston carrier ring, and carrier endplate that may be used with a tilting pad bearing. FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective exploded view of a bearing pad carrier ring, piston carrier ring, and carrier endplate that may be used with a tilting pad bearing. FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a bearing pad that may be used with a tilting pad bearing. FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of a bearing pad that may be used with a tilting pad bearing. FIG. 6 is a side view of one embodiment of a two-part piston that may be used with a tilting pad bearing. It is sectional drawing of embodiment of the piston which consists of 2 components shown to FIG. 12A.

  Before describing various embodiments of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and construction of parts set forth in the following description or figures. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, as used herein, expressions and terms relating to the orientation of a device or element (eg, terms such as “front”, “back”, “top”, “bottom”, “top”, “bottom”, etc.) It should be understood that this description is only used to simplify the description of the invention and is not intended to indicate or imply that the apparatus or element referred to must have a specific orientation. Furthermore, terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” are used herein for purposes of explanation in the specification and the appended claims to indicate or imply relative importance or significance. It is not intended to be.

  Reference is now made to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts throughout the several views. FIG. 1 is a diametral cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a tilting pad bearing 10, and FIG. 1A is a view of the shaft of the first embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10. The bearing pad 20 of the illustrated embodiment is generally trapezoidal and the lower and upper sides are arcuate rather than lines. However, the bearing pad 20 may be of any shape and / or configuration, and the scope of the tilting pad bearing 10 disclosed and claimed herein is not limited thereby in any way.

  Each bearing pad 20 may include an external bearing surface 22. The outer bearing surface 22 is generally configured to cooperate with a shaft collar (shown best in FIGS. 6A and 6B) that is attached to the rotatable shaft 4. Each bearing pad 20 may also include an internal bearing surface 24. The inner bearing surface 24 may be configured to cooperate and / or join with the upper surface 32 of the piston 30 as described in detail below for the first embodiment (or the inner bearing surface 24 is , And may cooperate and / or interface with interface member 90 as described in detail for third embodiment 10 of the tilting pad bearing). Each bearing pad 20 may include a pad shoulder 26, as best shown in FIG. Thereby, the bearing pad 20 can be held at the correct position on the piston 30 by the holding plate 60. The retaining plate 60 shown in FIG. 1 is described in detail below, but has been removed from FIG. 1A for clarity. In another embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 shown and described herein, the bearing pad 20 does not use the pad shoulder 26, and these embodiments may function without the retaining plate 60. Accordingly, such variations are not intended to limit the scope of the tilting pad bearing 10 disclosed and claimed herein in any way.

  The tilting pad bearing 10 may include a piston carrier ring 50 having a center opening 51 at the center thereof. A part of the shaft 4 may penetrate the center opening 51. The piston carrier ring 50 is generally fixedly engaged with the bearing support 16 near the outer periphery of the piston carrier ring 50 (shown most clearly in FIG. 3). In another application, the spacer 18 may be disposed adjacent to the tilting pad bearing 10 on at least one axial surface of the tilting pad bearing 10, as best shown in FIG. The piston carrier ring 50 may be formed with a plurality of spaces 52 arranged around the piston carrier ring 50 in the axial surface thereof. The spaces 52 in the exemplary embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 are generally cylindrical in shape, and the longitudinal axis of each space 52 is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the center opening 51. However, the space 52 may be any non-limiting shape that is particularly useful for a particular application.

  As best seen in FIG. 3, the annular lip 54 may extend from the piston carrier ring 50 to each space 52. The piston carrier ring 50 may be formed with an annular passage 58 on the axial surface of the piston carrier ring 50 that faces the plurality of spaces 52. The space 52 shown and described herein is merely one structure for receiving the piston 30, and without departing from the spirit and scope of the tilting pad bearing 10 disclosed and claimed herein. Any structure and / or method may be used.

  The embodiment of the holding plate 60 shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of holding plate openings 62, and each holding plate opening 62 corresponds to one bearing pad 20. As clearly shown in FIG. 1, the retaining plate opening 62 may have a peripheral portion that is slightly smaller than the peripheral portion of the pad shoulder 26. Thereby, the outer bearing surface 22 may protrude through the retaining plate opening 62, but the pad shoulder 26 cooperating with the retaining plate 60 secures the bearing pad 20 in the correct position. As shown in FIG. 1, the holding plate 60 may be supported in the axial direction by a plurality of support pillars 64. The number of support pillars 64 required will vary from one embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 to another and thus is not limiting in any way.

  For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a screw or another fastener (not shown) may pass through a corresponding opening (not shown) in the retaining plate 60 and the screw opening in the piston carrier ring 50. The support pillar 64 may be configured in a tubular fashion to cooperate with and engage a portion (not shown). Alternatively, the support pillar 64 may be attached to the piston carrier ring 50 and configured with a screw internal portion that receives a screw that passes through an opening formed in the retaining plate 60 or another fastener. Further, in another embodiment (shown in FIGS. 6-12), the piston carrier ring 50 or bearing pad carrier ring 80 may be constructed with an axially extending upper ridge 85a, whereby the support pillar 64 is No longer needed. The upper ridge 85a and / or the support pillar 64 may be disposed on the inner diameter rather than on or in addition to the outer diameter of the retaining plate 60, the piston carrier ring 50, and / or the bearing pad carrier ring. Good. The retaining plate 60 may be secured to the piston carrier ring 50 and / or the bearing pad carrier ring 80 using any suitable method and / or structure. Any suitable method and / or structure includes, but is not limited to, mechanical fasteners, welding, chemical adhesives, frictional forces, and / or combinations thereof. Accordingly, the particular structure and / or method used to properly position the bearing pad 20 relative to the piston carrier ring 50 and / or the bearing pad carrier ring 80 is disclosed and claimed herein in any manner. The range of the tilting pad bearing 10 is not limited.

  The first embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 includes a plurality of pistons 30, each piston 30 corresponding to one space 52 and one bearing pad 20. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 2A, the piston 30 and the space 52 are in contact with the bearing pad 20 so that the piston 30 mainly contacts the corresponding bearing pad 20 at a position different from the geometric center of the bearing pad 20. It may be displaced from. The piston 30 in the exemplary embodiment is generally cylindrical in shape. Another embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 may have another shape of piston 30 that is not limiting.

  Piston 30 includes a top surface 32 disposed adjacent to bearing pad 20 and a bottom surface 34 disposed adjacent to carrier end plate 40. The cross-sectional diameter of the top surface 32 in the exemplary embodiment is greater than the cross-sectional diameter of the bottom surface 34 due to the relief surface 36 adjacent to the bottom surface 34. The relief surface 36 serves to define a piston shoulder 38 intermediate the top surface 32 and the bottom surface 34. Both the cross-sectional diameters of the top surface 32 and the bottom surface 34 may be smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the space 52 so that the piston 30 fits within the space 52, as shown in FIG. However, as also shown in FIG. 4, the internal diameter of the lip 54 may be smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the piston 30 in the piston shoulder 38. Further, it is considered that the length of the piston 30 may be slightly longer than the depth of the space 52 so that a part of the piston 30 protrudes from the space 52, as best shown in FIG.

  Referring now to FIG. 4, the membrane 12 may be secured to the piston shoulder 38 and lip 54. In many applications, the membrane 12 is considered flexible and impermeable to certain fluids. In the illustrated embodiment, the membrane 12 may have a predetermined amount of both rotational and axial flexibility. In general, the inner bearing surface 24 is disposed adjacent to the upper surface 32 of the piston 30. Due to the rotational flexibility and axial flexibility of the membrane 12, the piston 30 may tilt a certain amount under the force exerted on the corresponding bearing pad 20. Thereby, the bearing pad 20 can be directly attached to the piston 30. That is, not only the bearing pad 20 can be tilted with respect to the structure that supports the bearing pad 20 (e.g., the piston 30 in the illustrated embodiment), but the tilting pad bearing 10 disclosed herein also provides a bearing pad. Both 20 and piston 30 can tilt. This eliminates the need for a pivot point between the bearing pad 20 and the structure that supports the bearing pad 20.

  The bearing pad 20 may be secured to the piston 30 using any suitable method and / or structure. Suitable methods and / or structures include, but are not limited to, mechanical fasteners such as welds, rivets, screws, or bolts, chemical adhesives, and / or combinations thereof. However, in general, the bearing pad 20 is not attached to the piston 30 and is disposed in contact with the piston 30 by a positioning member such as the holding plate 60. Other structures and / or methods may be used with the tilting pad bearing 10 to limit each bearing pad 20 in place relative to each piston 30 without limitation as described above.

  In 1st Embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10, although the piston 30 is hold | maintained using the some space 52, the tilting pad bearing 10 is not limited to it. In another embodiment not shown herein, raised seating surfaces (not shown) are spaced apart around the piston carrier ring 50 and / or bearing pad carrier ring 80, each raised seating surface having one piston. 30. The membrane 12 may then be connected to the upper side of the raised seat surface and to the piston 30. Accordingly, within the spirit and scope of the tilting pad bearing 10, as long as the plurality of pistons 30 are fluidly coupled to each other as described in detail below by any suitable structure and / or method, the proper structure and / or The method may be used to secure each piston 30 to the piston carrier ring 50 and / or the bearing pad carrier ring.

  Further, in another embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10, the piston 30 is formed and configured differently than the piston shown herein. For example, the piston 30 may have a square cross-sectional shape that increases or decreases in cross-sectional area along the length of the piston 30, and thus, within the spirit and scope of the tilting pad bearing 10, any suitable The tilt force from the bearing pad 20 is transmitted to the support structure (eg, piston, interface member 90) by structure and / or method, and then the support structure is tilted relative to the piston carrier ring 50 and / or the bearing pad carrier ring 80. As long as any suitable structure and / or method is used, one or more bearing pads 20 may be supported.

  The carrier endplate 40 may be disposed in and secured to the annular passage 58 of the piston carrier ring 50 by any suitable method and / or structure. Suitable methods and / or structures include, but are not limited to, mechanical fasteners, chemical adhesives, welding, and / or combinations thereof. The passage 58 may be formed with the lip shelf 54 a so that the carrier end plate 40 is positioned a predetermined distance from the bottom surface of the lip 54. This is shown most clearly in FIG. The carrier end plate 40 has been removed from the piston carrier ring 50. The carrier end plate 40 may include a bottom surface 44 that faces the piston 30 and an upper surface 42 that is adjacent to the piston 30. An annular recess 42 a may be formed in the upper surface 42 near the geometric center of the piston 30. As best shown in FIG. 4, the bottom surface 34 of the piston 30, the relief surface 36, the piston shoulder 38, the lip 54, and the top surface 42 of the carrier end plate 40 cooperate to form the gap 14. As described in more detail below, the gap 14 may be sealed through the membrane 12 from the outside environment. On the upper surface 42 of the carrier endplate 40, the recess 42 a fluidly couples the gap 14 associated with one space 52 to the gap 14 associated with the adjacent space 52.

  Membrane 12 may be secured to piston shoulder 38 and lip 54 so that each gap 14 may be filled with a suitable fluid in a manner described in detail below, with the fluid on membrane 12 It does not leak into the space 54 area. Any fluid suitable for the specific application of the tilting pad bearing 10 may be used without limitation. These fluids include, but are not limited to, water and aqueous mixtures and solutions, glycerol, synthetic oils, mineral and vegetable natural oils and / or combinations thereof.

  The carrier end plate 40 may be secured to the passage 58 of the piston carrier ring 50 so that the piston carrier ring / end plate interface 56 is hermetically sealed between the top surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 of the carrier end plate 40. Form a stop. Thus, the fluid-filled gap 14 may comprise a closed system that is hermetically sealed from the external environment. The membrane 12 may be secured to the piston shoulder 38 and / or lip 54 using any suitable method and / or structure. Suitable methods and / or structures include, but are not limited to, mechanical fasteners such as welds, rivets, screws, or bolts, chemical adhesives, and / or combinations thereof. The carrier endplate 40 may be secured to the piston carrier ring 50 using any suitable method and / or structure. Suitable methods and / or structures include, but are not limited to, mechanical fasteners such as welds, rivets, screws, or bolts, chemical adhesives, interference fits, and / or combinations thereof.

  Each gap 14 is ultimately in fluid communication with all the other gaps 14 via the recesses 42 a of the carrier end plate 40, so that the force transmitted to one piston 30 is transferred to the fluid in the gap 14. This pressurizes the fluid in the gap 14 and balances the axial forces on all pistons 30 in a given tilting pad bearing 10. That is, because all pistons 30 are in fluid communication with each other, this hydraulic pressure acts equally on each piston 30 and, therefore, will generally result in the piston 30 receiving different loads. And / or tolerance differences are eliminated. Accordingly, the various gaps 14, membrane 12, piston 30, carrier end plate 40, and piston carrier ring 50 form an annular fluid chamber that may be hermetically sealed, thereby allowing the tilting pad bearing 10 to be The axial force is distributed to the average. In addition, the various bearing pads 20 may balance their respective loads by tilting, thereby creating a hydrodynamic film within each gap 14.

  A second embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 is shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the tilting pad bearing 10 operates on the same principle as the previously described embodiment, but the configuration of certain elements thereof is different. The embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 of FIG. 5 uses a two-part piston 30 'that generally includes a top part 32' and a bottom part 34 '. The two-part piston 30 ′ may be received in the space 52 formed in the piston carrier ring 50 as described above. The upper part 32 'may include a top shoulder 33' and the bottom part 34 'may include a bottom shoulder 35'. The top and bottom parts 32 ', 34' may be flexibly secured to each other to flexibly secure the piston 30 in the space 52 of the piston carrier ring 50 through the membrane 12 in a similar manner as described above. Each end of the membrane 12 may be attached to the top and bottom shoulders 33 ', 35', respectively, by any structure and / or method. Structures and / or methods include, but are not limited to, welding, chemical adhesives, and / or combinations thereof.

  The bottom part 34 ′ may be formed with a bottom spigot 38 ′ protruding from the bottom surface 34. The bottom spigot 38 ′ may be configured to fit within a hole 53 formed in the piston carrier ring 50. As shown in FIG. 5, the hole 53 may be adjacent to the passageway 58 (and consequently the carrier end plate 40 if the tilting pad bearing 10 is fully assembled). Hole 53 and bottom spigot 38 'may have any supplemental cross-sectional shape without limitation.

  It is contemplated that the bottom piece 34 'may be hermetically sealed to the piston carrier ring 50 with respect to the bottom spigot 38'. For example, a weld may be placed around the bottom spigot 38 'to secure the bottom piece 34' to the piston carrier ring 50 and hermetically seal it. The bottom piece may be secured to the piston carrier ring 50 using any structure and / or method without limitation, regardless of whether the bottom piece 34 'is formed with a bottom spigot 38'. Optional structures and / or methods include, but are not limited to, welding, chemical adhesives, mechanical fasteners, and / or combinations thereof. The bottom piece 34 'may be formed with a bore 36' extending therethrough. As shown in FIG. 5, the bore 36 'may have any cross-sectional shape without limitation and may extend to the interface between the top part 32' and the bottom part 34 '. It is contemplated that the longitudinal axis of the bore 36 ′ may generally be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the center opening 51 of the piston carrier ring 50.

  From the description and figures herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 shown in FIG. This gap 14 is formed in the membrane 12, the top and bottom shoulders 33 ', 35, the sides of the top and bottom components 32', 34, and the interface between the top and bottom components 32 ', 34'. The bore 36 ′ allows the gap 14 in the two-part piston 32 ′ to be in fluid communication with the recess 42 a of the carrier end plate 40. By means of the carrier end plate 40, the bores 36 'in the two-part piston 30' can communicate with each other. Thus, similar to the embodiments described hereinabove, in the embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 shown in FIG. 5, the gaps 14 can be in fluid communication with each other. As a result, this embodiment can also balance the load in the same manner as described above in another embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10.

  A third embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 is shown in FIGS. In the third embodiment, the tilting pad bearing 10 operates on the same principle as the above-described embodiment, but the configuration of certain elements of the third embodiment is the first and second of the tilting pad bearing 10. Different from the configuration of the embodiment. A third embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B in engagement with a collar 6 (which may be fixedly attached to the shaft 4). The collar 6 may be rotated with the shaft 4 and may engage the bearing pad 20 (and consequently the tilting pad bearing 10). This is best seen in FIG. 6B, which shows a cross-sectional view of shaft 4, collar 6 and tilting pad bearing 10.

  A third embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 may use both the piston carrier ring 50 and the bearing pad carrier ring 80, which are clearly shown in FIGS. 8, 9C, 11A, and 11B. The bearing pad carrier ring 80 may be formed with a main opening 81 at the center thereof. The shaft 4 may pass through the main opening 81. The peripheral upper ridge 85a may be formed on the upper surface (when viewed from the top of FIG. 8) and may extend in its axial direction. The plurality of positioning spaces 82 may be formed on the upper surface of the bearing pad carrier ring 80 between the main opening 81 and the upper ridge 85a. Further, the first and / or second valleys 83a, 83b may be formed in the bearing pad carrier ring 80. The first valley 83a is disposed adjacent to each positioning space 82 to accommodate wires, sensors, or other monitoring and / or control elements that may be incorporated into the tilting pad bearing 10. (It may be placed in another adjacent space 84, 87, as described in detail below). The second valleys 83b are shown to be disposed on the outer periphery of the bearing pad carrier ring 80 and are coupled to the respective positioning shafts 72 (FIG. 9B). However, the presence of valleys 83a, 83b and materials and / or elements disposed therein does not limit the scope of the tilting pad bearing disclosed and claimed herein in any way.

  The plurality of interface member spaces 84 may be formed on the upper surface of the bearing pad carrier ring 80 adjacent to each positioning space 82. The interface member space 84 and the positioning space 82 in the illustrated embodiment are generally cylindrical in shape and have a longitudinal axis for each space 82, 84 that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main opening 81. In the exemplary embodiment of the third embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10, eight bearing pads 20 are used, resulting in a piston 30 ′ consisting of two two parts, a space 52 in the piston carrier ring 50. , Positioning member 70, positioning member space 82, interface member space 84, piston space 87, and interface member 90 in bearing pad carrier ring 80, respectively. However, other embodiments of the tilting pad bearing 10 may be used without limiting other numbers of bearing pads 20 (and related elements).

  An axially extending bottom ridge 85b (which may be formed in part by a recess (not shown) that may be formed on the bottom surface of the bearing pad carrier ring 80) is formed on the bottom surface of the bearing pad carrier ring 80. May be. The bottom ridge 85b may be configured to provide a fixed surface at a portion of the bearing pad carrier ring / piston carrier ring interface 86. The piston space 87 may also be formed on the bottom surface. Thereby, a part of the piston 30 ′ composed of each two parts may be arranged in each piston space 87. The piston space 87 in the illustrated tilting pad bearing 10 embodiment is generally cylindrical in shape and has a longitudinal axis for each space 87 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main opening 81. Any of the spaces 52, 82, 84, 87 within the tilting pad bearing 10 may have any non-limiting shape that is particularly useful for a particular application.

  A portion of the piston carrier ring 50 may be secured to the bottom side of the bearing pad carrier ring 80 about the bottom ridge 85b as shown in FIGS. 9A-9C. The exemplary piston carrier ring 50 shown in the third embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 is similar in construction and function to the previously described embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10. Therefore, the piston carrier ring 50 may be formed together with the center opening 51. A plurality of circular spaces 52 may be distributed around the center opening 51. Lips 54 may extend into each space 52, and lip shelves 54 a may be formed on the bottom surface of each lip 54. The passage 58 may be formed in the bottom surface of the piston carrier ring 50. The carrier end plate 40 is secured within the piston carrier ring 50 such that the side of the passage 58 forms a piston carrier ring / end plate interface 56 when the carrier end plate 40 is disposed in the passage 58. Also good.

  Similar to another embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 previously disclosed herein, the carrier endplate 40 may be secured to the passage 58 of the piston carrier ring 50 of the third embodiment. Thereby, the piston carrier ring / end plate interface 56 forms a hermetic seal between the top surface 42 and the bottom surface 44 of the carrier end plate 40. Accordingly, the fluid filled gap 14 may comprise a closed system that is hermetically sealed from the outside environment. The membrane 12 may be secured to the top and bottom shoulders 33 ', 35' using any suitable method and / or structure. Any suitable method and / or structure includes, but is not limited to, mechanical fasteners such as welds, rivets, screws, or bolts, chemical adhesives, and / or combinations thereof. The carrier endplate 40 may be secured to the piston carrier ring 50 using any suitable method and / or structure. Any suitable method and / or structure includes, but is not limited to, mechanical fasteners such as welds, rivets, screws, or bolts, chemical adhesives, interference fits, and / or combinations thereof.

  In the third embodiment, the mobility of the bearing pad 20 on the radial surface may be limited via the bearing pad carrier ring 80 and the upper ridge 85a of the positioning member 70. Each positioning member 70 may be formed with a positioning shaft 72 that fits in the positioning space 82 and a positioning head 74 that engages two adjacent bearing pads 20. Each bearing pad 20 of the third embodiment may be formed with a positioning groove 28 on either side thereof (as best shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B). The positioning head 74 of the positioning member 70 may be fitted in the positioning groove 28. In the exemplary embodiment, each positioning member 70 engages two adjacent bearing pads 20, although this configuration is different in other embodiments. The upper ridge 85a of the bearing pad carrier ring 80 may serve as a limit for the radially outward movement of any bearing pad 20 that engages the radially outer surface of any bearing pad 20. Thus, certain embodiments of the tilting pad bearing 10 may function without the retaining plate 60.

  The interface member 90 may be used to transmit the axial force from the bearing pad 20 to the two-part piston 30 ', as best shown in FIG. 9A. The interface member 90 may comprise a top part 92 and a bottom part 94, as shown in the third embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10, or may comprise a single unified structure. In the embodiment illustrated herein, the upper part 92 engages the inner bearing surface 24 of the bearing pad 20 at the upper surface 92 a of the upper part 92. The nipple 92 b may be formed on the bottom surface of the upper part 92. The nipple 92b may engage a recess 94a formed in the bottom part 94 to fix the relative position of the top and bottom parts 92, 94 of any interface member 90. The tab 94b may be formed on the bottom surface of the bottom part 94a.

  The function of the two-part piston 30 'shown in the third embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 is similar to the function of the tilting pad bearing 10 shown in FIG. The two-part piston 30 'of the third embodiment may include a top part 32' and a bottom part 34 '(as best seen in FIGS. 12A and 12B). The upper part 32 ′ may be mainly disposed in the piston space 87 of the bearing pad carrier ring 80 when the tilting pad bearing 10 is assembled (FIG. 9A). Conversely, the bottom part 34 may be mainly disposed in the space 52 of the piston carrier ring 50 when the tilting pad bearing 10 is assembled.

  The top part 32 'may be formed with a curved surface 32a' facing the bottom part 34 'and a recess 32b' facing the bottom part 34 '. The recess 32b 'may engage the tab 94b of the interface member 90 to fix the relative position of the interface member 90 and the corresponding two-part piston 30'. As described above in the embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 shown in FIG. 5, the upper and bottom parts 32 ′, 34 ′ of the two-part piston 30 ′ are located at the positions of the upper shoulder 33 ′ and the bottom shoulder 35 ′, respectively. , May engage each other through membrane 12 attached to both parts 32 ′, 34. In the two-part piston 30 ′ shown in the third embodiment, the membrane 12 may be formed by welding a plurality of layers. Alternatively, the membrane 12 may be formed hydraulically from a single piece of material. Accordingly, the scope of the tilting pad bearing 10 is not limited in any way by the method and / or structure used to form the membrane 12 used together. The top and bottom parts 32 ', 34 cooperating with the membrane 12 form a gap 14 therebetween, and the fluid may be sealed therebetween.

  A spigot 38 ′ may be formed at the bottom of the bottom piece 34 ′ so as to fit into the hole 53 of the piston carrier ring 50. The holes 53 may be concentric with the space 52 or may be otherwise oriented / configured as described above with respect to the embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 shown in FIG. The bottom piece 34 'may be secured to the piston carrier ring 50 in any manner, as described above with respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. Further, the bottom piece 34 'may be formed with a bore 36' that extends from the top surface of the bottom piece 34 'through the spigot 38'. The bore 36 ′ allows the gap 14 to be in fluid communication with the recess 42 a of the carrier end plate 40. Thereby, all the gaps 14 of the tilting pad bearing 10 are in fluid communication with each other. A groove 39 'may be formed in the top surface of the bottom piece 34' to hold the fluid in the gap 14.

  From the description and figures previously described herein, it will be apparent that the third embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 shown in FIGS. 6-12 allows each gap 14 to be in fluid communication with each other. As a result, the third embodiment can also balance the load in the same manner as described above with respect to another embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10. Like the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the two-part piston 30 ′ may be fixed to the piston carrier ring 50 by welding the periphery of each bottom spigot 38 ′ to the periphery of the lip 54. Conceivable. Further, as best shown in FIG. 10B, the carrier end plate 40 is secured to the piston carrier ring 50 by welding the inner and outer diameters of the carrier end plate 40 to the inner and outer diameters of the passage 58. Also good. At this point, fluid may be introduced into the tilting pad bearing 10 via at least one fill opening 57 formed in the piston carrier ring 50. Each fill opening 57 may be subsequently sealed with a plug 57a (shown best in FIG. 8). As a result, the portion of the tilting pad bearing 10 filled with the fluid is hermetically sealed from the environment.

  Membrane 12, gap 14, bearing pad 20, piston 30, two-part piston 30 ', carrier end plate 40, piston carrier ring 50, holding plate 60, positioning member 70, bearing pad carrier ring 80, and interface member 90 The optimum dimensions and / or configuration will depend on the embodiment of the tilting pad bearing 10 and thus is not limited to that range in any way. The various elements of the tilting pad bearing 10 may be formed of any material suitable for the application in which the tilting pad bearing 10 is used. Such materials include, but are not limited to, metals and their metal alloys, polymer materials, and / or combinations thereof.

  The particular embodiment shown and described herein includes eight or ten bearing pads 20, pistons 30, membranes 12, and spaces 52 that are evenly spaced around the periphery of the piston carrier ring 50, retaining plate 60, positioning. Although the tilting pad bearing 10 has a member 70, bearing pad carrier ring 80, and / or interface member 90, the tilting pad bearing 10 may be configured in a different orientation and / or have a different shape and / or It may be configured with a different number of different elements having orientation. Therefore, the range of the tilting pad bearing 10 is, in any sense, the membrane 12, the gap 14, the bearing pad 20, the piston 30, the piston 30 'composed of two parts, the carrier end plate 40, the piston carrier ring 50, the holding plate 60, It is not limited by the particular shape and / or dimensions of the positioning member 70, bearing pad carrier ring 80, and / or interface member 90, or their relative amounts and / or relative positions.

  While preferred embodiments have been described, other features, advantages, and / or advantages of the tilting pad bearing 10 do not depart from the spirit and scope of the tilting pad bearing 10 disclosed and claimed herein. In addition, many variations and modifications of the disclosed embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The tilting pad bearing 10 is not limited to the particular embodiment shown and described herein, and the axial load is evenly distributed to the plurality of bearing pads 20, pistons 30, piston carrier rings 50, and / or bearing pad carrier rings 80. Note that it is intended to apply to all similar devices to convey to Variations and modifications to the described embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the tilting pad bearing 10.

4 shaft 6 shaft collar 10 tilting pad bearing 12 membrane 14 gap 16 bearing support 18 spacer 20 bearing pad 22 external bearing surface 24 internal bearing surface 26 pad shoulder 28 positioning groove 30 piston 32 upper surface 34 bottom surface 36 flank 38 piston piston 30 ' Two-part piston 32 'Upper part 32a' Curved surface 32b 'Recess 33' Upper shoulder 34 'Bottom part 35' Bottom shoulder 36 'Bore 38' Bottom spigot 39 'Groove 40 Carrier end plate 42 Upper surface 42a Recess 44 Bottom face 50 Piston carrier ring 51 Center opening 52 Space 53 Hole 54 Lip 54a Lip shelf 56 Piston carrier ring / end plate interface 57 Filling hole 57a Plug 58 Passage 60 Holding plate 62 Holding plate opening 64 Support pillar 70 Positioning member 7 2 Positioning member shaft 74 Positioning member head 80 Bearing pad carrier ring 81 Main opening 82 Positioning space 83a First valley 83b Second valley 84 Interface member space 85a Top ridge 85b Bottom ridge 86 Bearing pad carrier ring / piston carrier ring Interface 87 Piston space 90 Interface member 92 Upper part 92a Upper surface 92b Nipple 94 Bottom part 94a Recess 94b

Claims (27)

A tilting pad bearing,
a. Piston carrier ring,
b. A piston configured to support a bearing pad and disposed on the piston carrier ring;
c. A membrane disposed adjacent to the piston, wherein the membrane is configured to flexibly secure the piston to the piston carrier ring, whereby a gap is formed between the piston, the membrane, and the piston carrier ring; The gap is hermetically sealable from the outside environment; and
A tilting pad bearing.   The tilting pad bearing according to claim 1, wherein the interface between the piston and the corresponding bearing pad is further defined as a non-pivoting interface. The tilting pad bearing according to claim 1,
a. A second piston disposed on the piston carrier ring;
b. A second membrane disposed adjacent to the second piston, wherein the second membrane is configured to flexibly secure the second piston to the piston carrier ring, thereby A second gap is defined by the second piston, the second membrane, and the piston carrier ring, the second gap being hermetically sealed from the external environment, the gap and the The second gap is a second membrane in fluid communication with each other;
A tilting pad bearing. A tilting pad bearing,
a. A piston carrier ring having a plurality of spaces distributed circumferentially around the piston carrier ring, wherein a passage is formed on a surface of the piston carrier ring facing the plurality of spaces; and
b. A carrier end plate disposed in the passage and cooperating with the piston carrier ring, a carrier end plate having a recess formed on an upper surface of the carrier end plate;
c. A plurality of pistons distributed circumferentially around the piston carrier ring, wherein one of the pistons is disposed in one of the spaces, and a bottom surface of each piston is disposed toward the recess; A piston to be
d. A plurality of membranes distributed circumferentially around the piston carrier ring, one of each of the membranes being disposed adjacent to the corresponding piston and space, each membrane being in the corresponding space A membrane configured to flexibly secure the corresponding piston in the
e. A plurality of bearing pads distributed circumferentially around the piston carrier ring, wherein each of the bearing pads is disposed adjacent to an upper surface of a corresponding piston;
A tilting pad bearing.   5. The tilting pad bearing of claim 4, further comprising a fluid, wherein the fluid is disposed between the plurality of membranes and the carrier end plate upper surface. A tilting pad bearing,
a. A piston carrier ring,
i. A space formed in the piston carrier ring and including an annular lip extending radially inward from the piston carrier ring;
ii. A passage formed in the surface of the piston carrier ring facing the space;
A piston carrier ring comprising:
b. A carrier end plate disposed in the passage and fixed to the piston carrier ring, wherein the recess is formed on an upper surface of the carrier end plate such that the recess is adjacent to the space;
c. A piston disposed in the space,
i. An upper surface facing the carrier end plate;
ii. A bottom surface adjacent to the carrier end plate;
iii. An intermediate piston shoulder between the top and bottom surfaces;
iv. A flank formed adjacent to the piston shoulder and extending to the bottom surface;
A piston comprising:
d. A membrane cooperating with the lip and the piston shoulder, wherein the membrane allows a predetermined amount of axial and rotational relative motion between the piston and the piston carrier ring;
e. A bearing pad cooperating with the upper surface of the piston;
f. A holding plate cooperating with the piston carrier ring;
A tilting pad bearing. The tilting pad bearing according to claim 6,
a. A second space formed in the piston carrier ring;
b. A second piston disposed in the second space,
i. An upper surface facing the carrier end plate;
ii. A bottom surface adjacent to the carrier end plate;
iii. An intermediate piston shoulder between the top and bottom surfaces;
iv. A flank formed adjacent to the piston shoulder and extending to the bottom surface;
A second piston comprising:
c. A second membrane cooperating with the lip and the second piston shoulder, wherein the second membrane provides axial and radial relative motion between the second piston and the piston carrier ring. The gap between the bottom surface of the piston and the upper surface of the carrier end plate is a second gap between the bottom surface of the second piston and the upper surface of the carrier end plate, and the gap between the carrier end plate and the carrier end plate. A second vignette in fluid communication through the recess;
A tilting pad bearing. A tilting pad bearing,
a. A rotationally fixed piston carrier ring, having a piston configuration for mounting a plurality of bearing pads adjacent to a plurality of pistons, at least one corresponding to the at least one piston and the at least one piston A piston carrier ring enabling axial displacement of the bearing pad;
b. A plurality of gaps for receiving fluid, each gap corresponding to the at least one piston and the at least one bearing pad, wherein the gaps of the plurality of gaps are fluidly coupled to each other and airtight from the external environment; A gap to be sealed,
A tilting pad bearing.   The tilting pad bearing according to claim 8, further comprising a fluid disposed in the plurality of gaps. A tilting pad bearing,
a. Piston carrier ring,
b. A plurality of pistons circumferentially spaced around the piston carrier ring;
c. A plurality of circumferentially spaced films around the piston carrier ring, wherein the piston carrier ring, the plurality of pistons, and the plurality of films cooperate to form a plurality of gaps, The gap is a membrane that fluidly couples with each other
A tilting pad bearing.   The tilting pad bearing according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of gaps are further defined to be hermetically sealed from an external environment.   12. A tilting pad bearing according to claim 11, wherein each said membrane is further defined to be secured in a respective space formed in one said piston and said piston carrier ring. .   12. A tilting pad bearing according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of pistons are further defined to be formed as a plurality of two-part pistons comprising a top part and a bottom part. bearing.   14. The tilting pad bearing of claim 13, wherein the plurality of membranes are further defined to couple to both the top part and the bottom part, and the bottom part is further coupled to the piston carrier ring. A tilting pad bearing, defined to A tilting pad bearing,
a. Piston carrier ring,
b. A plurality of pistons circumferentially spaced around the piston carrier ring;
c. Bearing pad carrier ring,
d. A plurality of bearing pads circumferentially spaced around the bearing pad carrier ring, wherein the plurality of bearing pads and the plurality of pistons are such that at least one piston exerts a physical force on at least one corresponding piston. A bearing pad configured to communicate with the
e. A fluid disposed and sealed within the piston carrier ring, wherein the fluid is in fluid communication with the plurality of pistons simultaneously;
A tilting pad bearing. A tilting pad bearing,
a. Bearing pad carrier ring,
b. A bearing pad disposed on the bearing pad carrier ring;
c. A piston carrier ring and a piston carrier ring configured so that a relative position between the piston carrier ring and the bearing pad carrier ring is substantially fixed;
d. A space formed in the piston carrier ring;
e. A piston composed of two parts arranged in the space,
i. An upper part in mechanical communication with the bearing pad;
ii. A bottom part cooperating with the piston carrier ring, wherein the two part piston and the bearing pad are configured so that their relative positions are substantially fixed;
A piston comprising:
f. A membrane cooperating with the top part and the bottom part, whereby the top part and the bottom part of the two-part piston and the membrane form a gap;
A tilting pad bearing. The tilting pad bearing of claim 16, further comprising:
a. A second space formed in the piston carrier ring;
b. A piston comprising a second two parts disposed in the second space,
i. An upper part in mechanical communication with the bearing pad;
ii. A bottom part cooperating with the piston carrier ring;
A piston comprising a second two parts comprising:
c. A membrane cooperating with the top and bottom parts of the second two-part piston, whereby the top and bottom parts and the membrane of the second two-part piston are A film forming a second gap;
d. A fluid disposed and sealed within the piston carrier ring, wherein the fluid is in fluid communication with the two-part piston and the second two-part piston simultaneously;
A tilting pad bearing. The tilting pad bearing of claim 17, wherein the bearing pad carrier ring is
a. An upper ridge extending axially from a first axial surface of the bearing pad carrier ring;
b. First and second positioning spaces formed on the surface of the first shaft;
c. First and second interface spaces formed on the first shaft surface;
d. A bottom ridge extending axially from a second axial surface of the bearing pad carrier ring;
e. First and second piston spaces formed on the surface of the second shaft, wherein a part of the upper part of the piston composed of the two parts and a part of the upper part of the piston composed of the second two parts First and second piston spaces disposed in the first and second piston spaces, respectively,
A tilting pad bearing. The tilting pad bearing according to claim 18,
a. First and second positioning members at least partially disposed in the first and second positioning spaces, respectively;
b. First and second interface members at least partially disposed in the first and second interface member spaces, respectively;
A tilting pad bearing. The tilting pad bearing according to claim 19, further comprising a first bearing pad, wherein the first bearing pad comprises:
a. An external bearing surface;
b. An inner bearing surface facing the outer bearing surface;
c. A positioning groove formed on a side portion of the first bearing pad, wherein the inner bearing surface cooperates with the first interface member, and the positioning groove cooperates with the first positioning member. When,
A tilting pad bearing. 21. The tilting pad bearing according to claim 20, further comprising a second bearing pad, wherein the second bearing pad is
a. An external bearing surface;
b. An inner bearing surface facing the outer bearing surface;
c. A positioning groove formed on a side of the second bearing pad, wherein the inner bearing surface cooperates with the second interface member, and the positioning groove cooperates with the second positioning member. When,
A tilting pad bearing. The tilting pad bearing according to claim 21, wherein the piston carrier ring is
a. A first space in which a part of the bottom part of the two-part piston is disposed;
b. A second space in which a part of the bottom part of the piston composed of the second two parts is disposed;
c. A passage formed in a first shaft surface of the piston carrier ring, wherein the first shaft surface is opposed to the second shaft surface of the bearing pad carrier ring;
A tilting pad bearing defined to further comprise:   23. The tilting pad bearing according to claim 22, wherein the tilting pad bearing further includes a carrier end plate, and the relative position of the carrier end plate and the piston carrier ring is substantially fixed. The tilting pad bearing is configured so that the recess is formed on the upper surface of the carrier end plate.   24. The tilting pad bearing of claim 23, wherein the bottom part of the two-part piston is further adjacent to the carrier end plate from a first surface of the bottom part adjacent to the gap. A tilting pad bearing defined to include a bore extending to a second surface of the bottom part.   25. The tilting pad bearing of claim 24, wherein the bottom part of the second two-part piston is further from a first surface of the bottom part facing the carrier end plate, the second part. A bore extending to the second surface of the bottom part adjacent to the gap of the carrier, wherein the recess of the carrier end plate is formed with the bore of the second two-part piston and the two-part A tilting pad bearing that fluidly couples the bore of the piston.   26. The tilting pad bearing of claim 25, wherein the piston carrier ring further comprises a filling opening and a corresponding plug, the filling opening comprising the first and second gaps, and the A tilting pad bearing in fluid communication with the recess in the carrier end plate. A method of balancing thrust across a plurality of bearing pads within a tilting pad bearing, the method comprising:
a. A plurality of pistons are secured to the piston carrier ring via a corresponding plurality of flexible membranes, and the corresponding plurality of gaps are defined by the piston, the membrane, and the piston carrier ring;
b. Placing an appropriate fluid in the plurality of gaps;
c. Each of the gaps in fluid communication with each other;
Including the method.

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