Compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing with a tilting pad underspring

Abstract

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.

What I claim is:  
     
       1. A method of rotatably supporting a thrust disk on a thrust plate comprising the steps of: 
       providing a compliant foil bearing between said thrust disk and said thrust plate, said compliant foil bearing including an annular compliant fluid foil member having a plurality of converging ramps and diverging joggles to form alternating converging and diverging wedge channels on the surface of said annular compliant fluid foil member facing said thrust disk;  
       mounting a spring foil member between said compliant fluid foil bearing member and said thrust plate;  
       providing said spring foil member with a plurality of spring foil elements having a number of narrow width spring foils and a plurality of spring foil elements having a number of wide spring pads; and  
       creating a tilting pad support for said compliant fluid foil bearing member by alternating individual ones of said plurality of said narrow width spring foil elements and individual ones of said plurality of wide spring pad spring foil elements.  
     
     
       2. A compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing comprising: 
       a thrust disk rotatably supported by a non-rotating thrust bearing surface; and  
       a compliant foil bearing operably disposed between said rotatable thrust disk and said non-rotating thrust bearing surface and mounted on said thrust bearing surface, said compliant foil bearing including a fluid film member having a plurality of converging ramps and diverging joggles to form alternating converging and diverging wedge channels on the surface of said compliant fluid foil member facing said rotatable thrust disk, and a spring foil member mounted on said thrust bearing surface and disposed between said thrust bearing surface and said fluid foil member,  
       said spring foil member including means to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member.  
     
     
       3. The compliant foil fluid film bearing of  claim 2  wherein said means to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member has circumferentially closer spacing between support/pivot lines moving up the individual converging ramps of said fluid foil member to the trailing edge of the individual converging ramps of said fluid foil member. 
     
     
       4. The compliant foil fluid film bearing of  claim 3  wherein said support/pivot lines moving up the individual converging ramps of said fluid foil member to the trailing edge of the individual converging ramps of said fluid foil member number three. 
     
     
       5. The compliant foil fluid film bearing of  claim 3  wherein said support/pivot lines moving up the individual converging ramps of said fluid foil member to the trailing edge of the individual converging ramps of said fluid foil member number four. 
     
     
       6. The compliant foil fluid film bearing of  claim 2  wherein said means to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member has increasing support forces and support spring rates moving up the individual converging ramps of said fluid foil member to the trailing edge of the individual converging ramps of said fluid foil member. 
     
     
       7. The compliant foil fluid film bearing of  claim 2  wherein said means to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member assures retention of a reasonably hydrodynamically optimized scoop shape for the individual converging ramps of said fluid foil member over a wide range of bearing operating speeds and bearing thrust loads. 
     
     
       8. A compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing comprising: 
       a thrust disk rotatably supported by said thrust bearing surface; and  
       a compliant foil bearing operably disposed between said rotatable thrust disk and said thrust bearing surface and mounted on said thrust bearing surface, said compliant foil bearing including a fluid foil member having a plurality of converging ramps and diverging joggles to form alternating converging and diverging wedge channels on the surface of said compliant fluid foil member facing said rotatable thrust disk, and a spring foil member mounted on said thrust bearing surface and disposed between said thrust bearing surface and said fluid foil member,  
       said spring foil member including means to provide narrow pivot supports and to provide flexure and tilting supports for said fluid foil member.  
     
     
       9. The compliant foil fluid film bearing of  claim 8  wherein said narrow pivot supports are radially curved. 
     
     
       10. The compliant foil fluid film bearing of  claim 9  wherein said narrow pivot supports have a generally chevron shape with a generally blunt nose. 
     
     
       11. The compliant foil fluid film bearing of  claim 8  wherein said narrow pivot supports are radially straight. 
     
     
       12. A compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing comprising: 
       a thrust disk rotatably supported by said thrust bearing surface; and  
       a compliant foil bearing operably disposed between said rotatable thrust disk and said thrust bearing surface and mounted on said thrust bearing surface, said compliant foil bearing including a fluid foil member having a plurality of converging ramps and diverging wedge channels on the surface of said compliant fluid foil member facing said rotatable thrust disk, and a spring foil member mounted on said thrust bearing surface and disposed between said thrust bearing surface and said fluid foil member,  
       said spring foil member including a plurality of narrow width spring foil elements and at least one wide spring pad element with said wide spring elements disposed between adjacent narrow width spring foil elements to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member.  
     
     
       13. The compliant foil fluid film bearing of  claim 12 A compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing comprising: 
       
         a thrust disk rotatably supported by said thrust bearing surface; and  
       
       
         a compliant foil bearing operably disposed between said rotatable thrust disk and said thrust bearing surface and mounted on said thrust bearing surface, said compliant foil bearing including a fluid film member having a plurality of converging ramps and diverging joggles to form alternating converging and diverging wedge channels on the surface of said compliant fluid foil member facing said rotatable thrust disk, and a spring foil member mounted on said thrust bearing surface and disposed between said thrust bearing surface and said fluid foil member,  
       
       
         said spring foil member including a plurality of narrow width spring foil elements and at least one wide spring pad element with said wide spring elements disposed between adjacent narrow width spring foil elements to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member, 
       
       wherein said spring foil member includes three narrow width spring foil elements and two wide spring pad elements.  
     
     
       14. A compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing comprising: 
       a thrust disk rotatably supported by said thrust bearing surface; and  
       a compliant foil bearing operably disposed between said rotatable thrust disk and said thrust bearing surface and mounted on said thrust bearing surface, said compliant foil bearing including a fluid foil member having a plurality of converging ramps and diverging joggles to form alternating converging and diverging wedge channels on the surface of said compliant fluid foil member facing said rotatable thrust disk, and a spring foil member mounted on said thrust bearing surface and disposed between said thrust bearing surface and said fluid foil member,  
       said spring foil member including means to provide single narrow pivot supports and single flexure and tilting supports for said fluid foil member, pairs of pivot supports and pairs of flexure and titling supports, and trios of narrow pivot supports, said single narrow pivot supports, single flexure and tilting supports, pairs of pivot supports, pairs of flexure and titling supports, and trios of narrow pivot supports sequentially arranged together to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member.  
     
     
       15. A compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing comprising: 
       a bearing housing having a thrust bearing surface and a generally opposed thrust bearing plate;  
       a shaft rotatably supported within said bearing housing and including a thrust disk radially extending between said thrust bearing surface and said opposed thrust bearing plate;  
       a pair of annular compliant fluid foil members with one of said pair of members disposed on either side of said thrust disk and each of said pair of annular compliant fluid foil members including a plurality of converging ramps and diverging joggles to form alternating converging and diverging wedge channels on the surface facing said thrust disk;  
       a pair of annular spring foil members with one of said pair of members disposed between an annular compliant fluid foil member and said thrust bearing surface and the other of said pair of annular spring foil members disposed between said other of said pair of annular compliant fluid foil members and said thrust bearing plate and each of said annular spring foil members including means to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member.  
     
     
       16. The compliant foil fluid film bearing of  claim 15  wherein the periphery of each of said pair of annular compliant fluid foil members includes a self-shimming peripheral ring and the periphery of each of said pair of annular spring foil members includes a self-shimming peripheral ring: 
       in addition a bearing spacer disposed between said pair of annular compliant fluid foil members at the outer periphery of said thrust disk and said bearing spacer having an axial thickness slightly greater than the axial thickness of said thrust disk such that the thickness of said pair of annular compliant fluid foil member peripheral rings, the thickness of said pair of annular spring foil member peripheral rings and the thickness of said bearing spacer together establishing a clearance between the annular compliant fluid foil elements and said rotating thrust disk; and  
       wherein each of said pair of annular compliant fluid foil members and each of said pair of annular spring foil members include a plurality of peripheral tabs having indexing openings therein and, in addition, said bearing includes a like plurality of pins with individual pins extending from said bearing housing through said annular compliant fluid foil members, said annular spring foil members, said bearing spacer and into said thrust bearing plate.  
     
     
       17. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 15  wherein said pair of annular spring foil members includes spring foil elements which have arcuate dams at the radially outward and radially inward periphery of said tilting pad supports. 
     
     
       18. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 15  wherein said converging wedge channels are generally scoop shaped chevrons. 
     
     
       19. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 18  wherein said spring foil members includes a plurality of narrow width spring foil elements and at least one wide spring pad element with said wide spring elements disposed between adjacent narrow width spring foil elements to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member. 
     
     
       20. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 18  wherein said spring foil members include means to provide single narrow pivot supports and single flexure and tilting supports for said fluid foil member, pairs of pivot supports and pairs of flexure and titling supports, and trios of narrow pivot supports, said single narrow pivot supports, single flexure and tilting supports, pairs of pivot supports, pairs of flexure and titling supports, and trios of narrow pivot supports sequentially arranged together to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member. 
     
     
       21. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 18  wherein said spring foil members include: 
       a plurality of first narrow pivot supports;  
       a plurality of first wide flexure and tilting support pads having a trailing edge and a leading edge, with a first narrow pivot support pivotably supporting a first wide support pad intermediate the trailing edge and the leading edge of said first wide flexure and tilting support pad;  
       a plurality of pairs of second narrow pivot supports, with the trailing of a pair of second narrow pivot supports disposed on the trailing edge of a first wide flexure and tilting support pad and the leading of said pair of second narrow pivot supports disposed on the leading edge of a first wide flexure and tilting support pad;  
       a plurality of pairs of second wide flexure and tilting support pads each having a trailing edge and a leading edge, with the trailing of a pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supporting the trailing of a pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads intermediate the trailing edge and the leading edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad and the leading of said pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supporting the leading of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads intermediate the trailing edge and the leading edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad; and  
       a plurality of trios of third narrow pivot supports, with one of a trio of third narrow pivot supports disposed on the trailing edge of the trailing of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads, one of said trio of third narrow pivot supports disposed on the leading edge of by trailing of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads, and one of said trio of third narrow pivot supports disposed on the trailing edge of the leading of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads,  
       each of said generally scoop shaped chevrons supported by a trio of third narrow pivot supports and the leading edge of the leading of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads.  
     
     
       22. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 21  wherein said first narrow pivot support pivotably supports said first wide flexure and tilting support pad closer to the trailing edge of said first wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the leading edge of said first wide flexure and tilting support pad, the trailing of a pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supports the trailing of a pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads closer to trailing edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the leading edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad, and the leading of said pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supports the leading of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads closer to trailing edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the leading edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad. 
     
     
       23. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 21  wherein said first narrow pivot support pivotably supports said first wide flexure and tilting support pad closer to the trailing edge of said first wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the leading edge of said first wide flexure and tilting support pad, the trailing of a pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supports the trailing of a pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads closer to trailing edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the center said second wide flexure and tilting support pad, and the leading of said pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supports the leading of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads closer to trailing edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the center of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad. 
     
     
       24. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 15  wherein said converging wedge channels are generally annular segments having a radial leading edge and a radial trailing edge. 
     
     
       25. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 24  wherein said spring foil members include means to provide single narrow pivot supports and single flexure and tilting supports for said fluid foil member, pairs of pivot supports and pairs of flexure and titling supports, and trios of narrow pivot supports, said single narrow pivot supports, single flexure and tilting supports, pairs of pivot supports, pairs of flexure and titling supports, and trios of narrow pivot supports sequentially arranged together to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member. 
     
     
       26. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 24  wherein said spring foil members include: 
       a plurality of first narrow pivot supports;  
       a plurality of first wide flexure and tilting support pads having a trailing edge and a leading edge, with a first narrow pivot support pivotably supporting a first wide support pad intermediate the trailing edge and the leading edge of said first wide flexure and tilting support pad;  
       a plurality of pairs of second narrow pivot supports, with the trailing of a pair of second narrow pivot supports disposed on the trailing edge of a first wide flexure and tilting support pad and the leading of said pair of second narrow pivot supports disposed on the leading edge of a first wide flexure and tilting support pad;  
       a plurality of pairs of second wide flexure and tilting support pads each having a trailing edge and a leading edge, with the trailing of a pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supporting the trailing of a pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads intermediate the trailing edge and the leading edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad and the leading of said pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supporting the leading of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads intermediate the trailing edge and the leading edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad; and  
       a plurality of trios of third narrow pivot supports, with one of a trio of third narrow pivot supports disposed on the trailing edge of the trailing of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads, one of said trio of third narrow pivot supports disposed on the leading edge of the trailing of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads, and one of said trio of third narrow pivot supports disposed on the trailing edge of the leading of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads,  
       each of said radially sided annular segments supported by a trio of third narrow pivot supports and the leading edge of the leading of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads.  
     
     
       27. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 26  wherein said first narrow pivot support pivotably supports said first wide flexure and tilting support pad closer to the trailing edge of said first wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the leading edge of said first wide flexure and tilting support pad, the trailing of a pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supports the trailing of a pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads closer to trailing edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the leading edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad, and the leading of said pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supports the leading of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads closer to trailing edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the leading edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad. 
     
     
       28. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 26  wherein said first narrow pivot support pivotably supports said first wide flexure and tilting support pad closer to the trailing edge of said first wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the leading edge of said first wide flexure and tilting support pad, the trailing of a pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supports the trailing of a pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads closer to trailing edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the center said center wide flexure and tilting support pad, and the leading of said pair of second narrow pivot supports pivotably supports the leading of said pair of second wide flexure and tilting support pads closer to trailing edge of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad than to the center of said second wide flexure and tilting support pad. 
     
     
       29. The compliant foil fluid film thrust bearing of  claim 24  wherein said spring foil members includes a plurality of narrow width spring foil elements and at least one wide spring pad element with said wide spring elements disposed between adjacent narrow width spring foil elements to form a tilting pad support for said fluid foil member. 
     
     
       30. A compliant foil thrust bearing comprising: 
       
         an aerofoil disk having a plurality of fluid foils; and  
       
       
         a spring assembly providing flex and tilt support to the plurality of fluid foils comprising at least one independent flex and tilt support. 
       
     
     
       31. The thrust bearing of  claim 30  wherein the aerofoil disk further comprises: 
       
         a shim ring having an inner diameter;  
       
       
         a plurality of fluid foils formed on an annular ring concentric with the shim ring and having a smaller diameter than the shim ring inner diameter;  
       
       
         a plurality of web elements, each web element connecting the shim ring and the plurality of fluid foils. 
       
     
     
       32. The thrust bearing of  claim 30  wherein the spring assembly further comprises: 
       
         means for supporting each of the plurality of fluid foils;  
       
       
         first means for providing flex and tilt support for the means for supporting each of the plurality of fluid foils;  
       
       
         first means for providing pivotal support for the first means for providing flex and tilt support;  
       
       
         second means for providing flex and tilt support for the first means for providing pivotal support; and  
       
       
         second means for providing pivotal support for the second means for providing flex and tilt support. 
       
     
     
       33. The thrust bearing of  claim 30  wherein the spring assembly further comprises: 
       
         a plurality of spring foils disks. 
       
     
     
       34. The thrust bearing of  claim 33  wherein each of the plurality of spring foil disks further comprises: 
       
         a shim ring having an inner diameter;  
       
       
         a plurality of support elements formed concentric with the shim ring and within the shim ring inner diameter;  
       
       
         a plurality of web elements, each web element connecting the shim ring and one of the plurality of support elements. 
       
     
     
       35. The thrust bearing of  claim 30  wherein the spring assembly further comprises: 
       
         a plurality of foil supports;  
       
       
         a plurality of first flex and tilt supports, each first flex and tilt support supporting one or two of the plurality of foil supports;  
       
       
         a plurality of first pivot supports, each first pivot support supporting one of the plurality of first flex and tilt supports;  
       
       
         a plurality of second flex and tilt supports, each second flex and tilt support supporting two of the plurality of first pivot supports; and  
       
       
         a plurality of second pivot supports, each second pivot support supporting one of the plurality of second flex and tilt supports. 
       
     
     
       36. The thrust bearing of  claim 35  wherein: 
       
         the plurality of foil supports are generally radial;  
       
       
         the plurality of first pivot supports are generally radial; and  
       
       
         the plurality of second pivot supports are generally radial. 
       
     
     
       37. The thrust bearing of  claim 30  wherein said bearing is hydrodynamic. 
     
     
       38. The thrust bearing of  claim 30  wherein said bearing is hydrostatic. 
     
     
       39. A compliant foil thrust bearing comprising: 
       
         a fluid foil member having a plurality of fluid foils;  
       
       
         a spring assembly providing flex and tilt support to the plurality of fluid foils comprising at least one independent flex and tilt support. 
       
     
     
       40. The thrust bearding of  claim 39  wherein the fluid foil member further comprises: 
       
         a shim ring having an inner diameter;  
       
       
         a plurality of fluid foils formed on an annular ring concentric with the shim ring and having a smaller diameter than the shim ring inner diameter;  
       
       
         a plurality of web elements, each web element connecting the shim ring and the plurality of fluid foils. 
       
     
     
       41. The thrust bearing of  claim 39  wherein the spring assembly further comprises: 
       
         means for supporting each of the plurality of fluid foils;  
       
       
         first means for providing flex and tilt support for the means for supporting each of the plurality of fluid foils;  
       
       
         first means for providing pivotal support for the first means for providing flex and tilt support;  
       
       
         second means for providing flex and tilt support for the first means for providing pivotal support; and  
       
       
         second means for providing pivotal support for the second means for providing flex and tilt support. 
       
     
     
       42. The thrust bearding of  claim 39  wherein the spring assembly further comprises: 
       
         a plurality of spring foil disks. 
       
     
     
       43. The thrust bearding of  claim 42  wherein each of the plurality of spring foil disks further comprises: 
       
         a shim ring having an inner diameter;  
       
       
         a plurality of support elements formed concentric with the shim ring and within the shim ring inner diameter;  
       
       
         a plurality of web elements, each web element connecting the shim ring and one of the plurality of support elements. 
       
     
     
       44. The thrust bearing of  claim 39  wherein the spring assembly further comprises: 
       
         a plurality of foil supports;  
       
       
         a plurality of first flex and tilt supports, each first flex and tilt support supporting one or two of the plurality of foil supports;  
       
       
         a plurality of first pivot supports, each first pivot support supporting one of the plurality of first flex and tilt supports;  
       
       
         a plurality of second flex and tilt supports, each second flex and tilt support supporting two of the plurality of first pivot supports; and  
       
       
         a plurality of second pivot supports, each second pivot support supporting one of the plurality of second flex and tilt supports. 
       
     
     
       45. The thrust bearing of  claim 44  wherein: 
       
         the plurality of foil supports are generally radial;  
       
       
         the plurality of first pivot supports are generally radial; and  
       
       
         the plurality of second pivot supports are generally radial. 
       
     
     
       46. The thrust bearing of  claim 39  wherein said bearing is hydrodynamic. 
     
     
       47. The thrust bearing of  claim 39  where said bearing is hydrostatic.