Split Bearing Assemblies, Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers and Related Methods

Abstract

Bearing assemblies are provided that include a bearing having a split bearing body that includes a material such as a composite or a thermoplastic; and at least one recess configured for receiving a rotary seal assembly; and at least one rotary seal assembly comprising an energizing component. The bearing assemblies may further include at least two recesses and/or an energizing component that is an o-ring.

1 . A bearing assembly comprising:
 (a) a bearing having:
 a split bearing body that comprises material chosen from a composite or a thermoplastic; and 
 at least one recess configured for receiving a rotary seal assembly; and 
   (b) at least one rotary seal assembly comprising an energizing component that comprises an elastomeric material.   
   
   
       2 . The bearing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the energizing component is an o-ring. 
   
   
       3 . The bearing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric material is chosen from a nitrile rubber, a hydrogenated nitrile rubber, a fluoroelastomer, a tetrafluoroethylene/propylene rubber, a perfluoroelastomer, and copolymers thereof. 
   
   
       4 . The bearing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the bearing body comprises a material chosen from polytetrafluoroethylene, polyimide, polyarylene ketones, polyamides, polyetherimides, polyetheramides, polysulfones, polyethersulfones, and derivatives and copolymers thereof. 
   
   
       5 . The bearing assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the bearing body comprises a polyarylene ketone chosen from polyether ketone, polyether ether ketone, and polyether ketone ketone. 
   
   
       6 . The bearing assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the bearing body comprises polytetrafluoroethylene or polyetherimide. 
   
   
       7 . The bearing assembly of  claim 1 , comprising at least two recesses configured for receiving a rotary seal assembly. 
   
   
       8 . The bearing assembly of  claim 7 , comprising at least two rotary seal assemblies. 
   
   
       9 . The bearing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the rotary seal assembly is chosen from a split spring-energized seal assembly, a split rubber spring-actuated seal assembly or a split rotolip seal assembly. 
   
   
       10 . The bearing assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the split spring-energized seal assembly comprises:
 a seal assembly body having a first seal assembly body portion and a second seal assembly body portion, the first seal assembly body portion and the second seal assembly body portion each having a generally semi-circular cross-sectional configuration when viewed in an axial direction of the bearing assembly so that when the first and the second seal assembly body portions are joined to form the seal assembly body, they also form a generally circular cross-sectional configuration in the axial direction of the bearing assembly and   
     wherein the seal assembly body portions are shaped so as to define a groove within each of the first and the second seal assembly body portions, wherein the grooves in the first and the second seal assembly body portions together are configured to meet in generally facing engagement;
 a spring element configured to be received within the grooves, the spring element having an opening configured so as to receive the energizing component, wherein the energizing component is that is sized so as to fit within the opening in the spring element within the grooves in the first and the second seal assembly body portions so as to form a ball-and-socket o-ring configuration within the split metal spring-energized seal assembly. 
 
   
   
       11 . The bearing assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one recess in the bearing body has an enlarged width, measured in the axial direction of the bearing assembly, that accommodates an enlarged joining area in the seal assembly body. 
   
   
       12 . A bearing assembly comprising:
 (a) a bearing having:
 a split bearing body that comprises material chosen from a composite or a thermoplastic; and 
   at least one recess configured for receiving a split metal spring-energized seal assembly; and   (b) at least one split metal spring-energized seal assembly, wherein each split metal spring-energized seal assembly comprises:
 a seal assembly body having a first seal assembly body portion and a second seal assembly body portion, the first seal assembly body portion and the second seal assembly body portion each having a generally semi-circular cross-sectional configuration when viewed in an axial direction of the bearing assembly so that when the first and the second seal assembly body portions are joined to form the seal assembly body, they also form a generally circular cross-sectional configuration in the axial direction of the bearing assembly and 
   
     wherein the seal assembly body portions are shaped so as to define a groove within each of the first and the second seal assembly body portions, wherein the grooves in the first and the second seal assembly body portions together are configured to meet in generally facing engagement;
 a spring element configured to be received within the grooves, the spring element having an opening configured so as to receive an energizing component; and 
 an energizing component. 
 
   
   
       13 . The bearing assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the energizing component is an o-ring. 
   
   
       14 . The bearing assembly of  claim 13 , that is sized so as to fit within the opening in the spring element within the grooves in the first and the second seal assembly body portions so as to form a ball-and-socket o-ring configuration within the split metal spring-energized seal assembly. 
   
   
       15 . The bearing assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the o-ring comprises an elastomeric material chosen from a nitrile rubber, a hydrogenated nitrile rubber, a fluoroelastomer, a tetrafluoroethylene/propylene rubber, and a perfluoroelastomer. 
   
   
       16 . The bearing assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the bearing body comprises a material chosen from polytetrafluoroethylene, polyimide, polyarylene ketone, polyether ketone, polyether ether ketone, polyether ketone ketone, polyamides, polyetherimides, polyetheramides, polysulfones, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyetherimide, polyethersulfones, and copolymers thereof. 
   
   
       17 . The bearing assembly of  claim 12 , comprising at least two recesses configured for receiving a rotary seal assembly. 
   
   
       18 . The bearing assembly of  claim 12 , comprising at least two rotary seal assemblies. 
   
   
       19 . A bearing assembly comprising:
 (a) a bearing having:
 a split bearing body that comprises material chosen from a composite or a thermoplastic; and 
 at least one recess configured for receiving a split metal spring-energized seal assembly; and 
   (b) at least one split metal spring-energized seal assembly.   
   
   
       20 . A bearing assembly comprising:
 (a) a bearing having:
 a split bearing body that comprises material chosen from a composite or a thermoplastic; and 
 at least two recesses, each configured for receiving a rotary seal assembly; and 
   (b) at least two rotary seal assemblies that comprise an energizing component.   
   
   
       21 . The bearing assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the energizing component is an elastomeric o-ring. 
   
   
       22 . An air-cooled heat exchanger, comprising a bearing assembly that comprises:
 (a) a bearing having:
 a split bearing body that comprises material chosen from a composite or a thermoplastic; and 
 at least one recess configured for receiving a rotary seal assembly; and 
   (b) at least one rotary seal assembly that comprises an energizing component that comprises an elastomeric material.   
   
   
       23 . The air-cooled heat exchanger of  claim 22 , wherein the split bearing body has at least two recesses that are each configured for receiving a split metal spring-energized seal assembly. 
   
   
       24 . A method of manufacturing an air-cooled heat exchanger comprising providing to the air-cooled heat exchanger a bearing assembly that comprises:
 (a) a bearing having:
 a split bearing body that comprises material chosen from a composite or a thermoplastic; and 
 at least one recess configured for receiving a rotary seal assembly; and 
   (b) at least one rotary seal assembly that comprises an energizing component that comprises an elastomeric material.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the split bearing body has at least two recesses that are each configured for receiving a split metal spring-energized seal assembly.