Bearing housing assembly structure with ring-shaped air inlet cavity and compressor

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a bearing housing assembly structure and a compressor. The bearing housing assembly structure comprises a bearing housing (20) internally provided with a gas supply passage (21), and a gas bearing (30) arranged on the bearing housing (20) and used for supporting a rotor (10), wherein an annular gas inlet cavity (40) is arranged between the bearing housing (20) and the gas bearing (30), and the annular gas inlet cavity (40) is in communication with the gas supply passage (21). The embodiment of the present disclosure can improve the load capacity and stiffness of the gas bearing.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of bearings, and in particular to a bearing housing assembly structure with an annular gas inlet cavity and a compressor. BACKGROUND

[0002] A centrifugal compressor is a kind of compressor that uses high-speed impeller rotation to generate centrifugal force to compress gas. At present, centrifugal compressors mainly use oil lubricated bearings and electromagnetic bearings to support the rotor. Among them, oil lubricated bearings need to be matched with an additional oil supply system, resulting in a complex structure of the centrifugal compressor. Moreover, friction occurs between the oil and the rotor, which causes energy loss. In addition, lubricating oil may leak into the refrigerant, causing contamination of the refrigerant. Electromagnetic bearings have high control requirements and poor resistance to system impact, and in addition, an additional power-off protection system is required.

[0003] A hydrostatic gas bearing is a kind of bearing that uses gas pressure to support the rotor and belongs to oil-free bearings. This kind of bearing has a simple structure and small friction between the gas and the rotor, and does not require a complex control system. The hydrostatic gas bearing uses external gas supply, and its gas pressure is easy to adjust and can continuously supply gas during the start-stop stage of the compressor, avoiding the contact friction between the rotor and the bearing due to insufficient gas supply during the start-stop stage, thereby improving the stability of the system. SUMMARY

[0004] The inventors have found that the load capacity and stiffness of the hydrostatic gas bearing using external gas supply affect the advantages and disadvantages of its working performance, and there is still a lack of suitable bearing housing structures to improve the load capacity and stiffness of the hydrostatic gas bearing in the related art.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a bearing housing assembly structure and a compressor, which can improve the load capacity and stiffness of the gas bearing.

[0006] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a bearing housing assembly structure is provided, comprising:

[0007] a bearing housing, which is internally provided with a gas supply channel; and

[0008] a gas bearing, which is arranged on the bearing housing and used to support a rotor;

[0009] wherein an annular gas inlet cavity is arranged between the bearing housing and the gas bearing, and the annular gas inlet cavity is in communication with the gas supply channel.

[0010] In some embodiments, the bearing housing comprises a bearing mounting hole, the gas bearing is located in the bearing mounting hole, and the annular gas inlet cavity comprises a first annular groove arranged on the hole wall of the bearing mounting hole.

[0011] In some embodiments, the annular gas inlet cavity further comprises: a group of gas inlet holes arranged on the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing and in communication with the first annular groove.

[0012] In some embodiments, at least part of the orifices on one side of the circumferential outer wall of the group of gas inlet holes are directly opposite to the first annular groove.

[0013] In some embodiments, the group of gas inlet holes comprises a plurality of gas inlet holes distributed along the circumference of the gas bearing.

[0014] In some embodiments, the plurality of gas inlet holes are uniformly distributed along the circumference of the gas bearing.

[0015] In some embodiments, the annular gas inlet cavity further comprises: a second annular groove arranged on the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing and in communication with the first annular groove.

[0016] In some embodiments, at least part of the slots on one side of the circumferential outer wall of the second annular groove are directly opposite to the first annular groove.

[0017] In some embodiments, the bearing seat comprises a bearing mounting hole in which the gas bearing is located, and the annular gas inlet cavity comprises: a second annular groove arranged on the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing.

[0018] In some embodiments, a sealing structure is further arranged between the bearing seat and the gas bearing, and the sealing structure is located on at least one side of the annular gas inlet cavity.

[0019] In some embodiments, the sealing structure comprises: a sealing ring and a third annular groove arranged on the gas bearing, and the sealing ring is arranged in the third annular groove.

[0020] In some embodiments, the bearing seat comprises a bearing mounting hole in which the gas bearing is located, and the sealing structure comprises a plurality of third annular grooves arranged along the axial direction of the gas bearing.

[0021] In some embodiments, the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing is further provided with a fourth annular groove distributed between adjacent third annular grooves along the axial direction of the gas bearing.

[0022] In another aspect of the present disclosure, a compressor is provided, comprising:

[0023] a housing;

[0024] a rotor; and

[0025] the aforementioned bearing seat assembly structure arranged inside the housing.

[0026] In some embodiments, the gas supply passage arranged inside the bearing seat of the bearing seat assembly is in operable communication with a gas source outside the housing.

[0027] In some embodiments, the compressor is a centrifugal compressor.

[0028] Therefore, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, by arranging the annular gas inlet cavity between the gas bearing and the bearing seat and making the annular gas inlet cavity in communication with the gas supply passage inside the bearing seat, the working gas from the gas supply passage can be gathered in the annular gas inlet cavity to increase its own pressure, and the working gas can be made more uniform in the circumferential direction of the gas bearing through the annular gas inlet cavity, thereby improving the stiffness, load capacity and working stability of the gas bearing, and effectively improving the working performance of the gas bearing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0030] The present disclosure can be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and wherein:

[0031] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of some embodiments of the bearing seat assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0032] Fig. 2(a) and Fig. 2(b) are respectively a cross-sectional schematic diagram and an external structural schematic diagram of a gas bearing in some embodiments of the bearing seat assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiments of the bearing seat assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0034] Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b) are respectively a cross-sectional schematic diagram and an external structural schematic diagram of a gas bearing in another embodiments of the bearing seat assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a bearing seat in some embodiments of the bearing seat assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 6 is Figure 5 a schematic diagram of AA section in Fig. 3.

[0037] It should be understood that the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to scale. In addition, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application or uses. The disclosure can be implemented in numerous different forms, not just the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the relative arrangement of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments should be interpreted as merely exemplary, and not as a limitation unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0039] The terms "first", "second", and similar terms used in the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are used to distinguish different parts. The terms "comprise", "include" or "contain" and similar terms mean that the elements before the term encompass the elements listed after the term, and do not exclude the possibility of also encompassing other elements. "Up", "down", "left", "right", and the like are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, which can change accordingly when the absolute position of the described object changes.

[0040] In the present disclosure, when it is described that a specific device is located between a first device and a second device, there can be an intervening device between the specific device and the first device or the second device, or there can be no intervening device. When it is described that a specific device is connected to other devices, the specific device can be directly connected to the other devices without an intervening device, or can not be directly connected to the other devices with an intervening device.

[0041] All terms used in the present disclosure, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meanings as those understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless specifically defined as such herein.

[0042] Techniques, methods, and devices known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art can not be discussed in detail, but should be considered as part of the specification where appropriate.

[0043] As Figure 1 shown is a structural schematic diagram according to some embodiments of the bearing seat assembly structure of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the bearing seat assembly structure includes a bearing seat 20 and a gas bearing 30. The bearing seat 20 is internally provided with a gas supply passage 21, which can be in communication with a gas source outside or inside the device in which the bearing seat assembly structure is arranged. The gas bearing 30 can be arranged on the bearing seat 20 to support the rotor 10. In Figure 1In some embodiments, the gas bearing 30 is a radial gas bearing, which can be installed on the radial inner side of the bearing seat 20 to support the rotor 10 in the radial direction by static pressure gas. In other embodiments, the gas bearing 30 is a thrust gas bearing, which can be installed on the axial left or right side of the bearing seat 20 to support the rotor 10 in the axial direction by static pressure gas.

[0044] Referring to Figure 1 An annular gas inlet cavity 40 can be provided between the bearing seat 20 and the gas bearing 30, which is in communication with the gas supply passage 21. By providing the annular gas inlet cavity 40 between the gas bearing 30 and the bearing seat 20 and making the annular gas inlet cavity 40 in communication with the gas supply passage 21 inside the bearing seat 20, the working gas from the gas supply passage 21 can be gathered in the annular gas inlet cavity 40 to increase the pressure of the working gas itself, achieving the effect of pressure boosting to improve the stiffness and load capacity of the gas bearing 30. Moreover, the annular gas inlet cavity 40 makes the working gas more uniform in the circumferential direction of the gas bearing 30, thereby improving the working stability of the gas bearing 30. In this way, the working performance of the gas bearing is effectively improved.

[0045] In Figure 1 In some embodiments, the rotor 10 can be supported by the primary and secondary gas bearings 30 and bearing seats 20. The gas inlet passages 21 in the bearing seat 20 can be arranged according to the shape of the bearing seat, for example, the bearing seat 20 on the left side (primary) can include gas inlet passages 21 arranged in the vertical direction (perpendicular to the axis of the rotor 10) and the horizontal direction (parallel to the axis of the rotor 10) and in communication with each other. For example, the bearing seat 20 on the right side (secondary) can include gas inlet passages 21 arranged in the horizontal direction, the vertical direction and the oblique direction (at an acute or obtuse angle to the axis of the rotor 10) and in communication with each other.

[0046] In Figure 1 In the secondary bearing seat in Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the bearing seat 20 can include a bearing mounting hole 23. The bearing mounting hole 23 can be formed in the hollow structure of the bearing seat 20 in the direction of the axis of the rotor 10. The gas bearing 30 is located in the bearing mounting hole 23 to achieve radial support of the rotor 10. A plurality of airflow channels 22 can be provided on the bearing seat 23, which are in communication with the bearing mounting hole 23 and the outside of the bearing seat. One end of the airflow channel 22 near the bearing mounting hole 23 is located on the right side of the secondary gas bearing 30, and the other end is located on the left side of the bearing seat 20, so that the gas on the right side of the gas bearing 30 can flow to the left side of the bearing seat 20 through the airflow channel 22. For example, the left side of the bearing seat 20 is in communication with the suction device of the compressor, and the high-pressure stage gas on the right side of the bearing seat 20 flows to the left side of the bearing seat 20 through the airflow channel 22 under the action of the suction device and is recovered by the suction device.

[0047] Reference is made to Figure 1 In some embodiments, the annular gas inlet cavity 40 comprises a first annular groove 41 disposed on the hole wall of the bearing mounting hole 23. Since the first annular groove 41 is in communication with the gas inlet passage 21 in the bearing housing 20 and is close to the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing 30, the working gas entering the first annular groove 41 can be gathered at the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing 30 to achieve pressurization. The pressure of the working gas can form a uniform distribution on the entire circumference of the gas bearing 30 in the first annular groove 41, improving the stability of the operation of the gas bearing 30.

[0048] Reference is made to Figure 1 , FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b), in some embodiments, the annular gas inlet cavity 40 further comprises a gas inlet hole group 42. The gas inlet hole group 42 is disposed on the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing 30 and is in communication with the first annular groove 41. The gas inlet hole group 42 can guide the pressurized working gas gathered through the first annular groove 41 into the gas bearing 30 to form static pressure.

[0049] In order to better guide the working gas, at least part of the orifices of the gas inlet hole group 42 on one side of the circumferential outer wall can be directly opposite the first annular groove 41. Preferably, all the orifices of the gas inlet hole group 42 on one side of the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing 30 are directly opposite the first annular groove 41, so that the working gas can enter the gas bearing 30 more smoothly.

[0050] In FIG. 2(b), the gas inlet hole group 42 can comprise a plurality of gas inlet holes (for example, 5 or more) distributed circumferentially along the gas bearing 30. In this way, the working gas can enter from multiple circumferential positions of the gas bearing 30, improving the efficiency and uniformity of the working gas entering. Accordingly, it is preferable to uniformly distribute the plurality of gas inlet holes circumferentially along the gas bearing 30, thereby further improving the uniformity of the working gas entering the gas bearing 30 and improving the stability of the operation of the gas bearing 30.

[0051] In addition to providing a gas inlet hole group on the gas bearing 30, other structures for assisting the pressurization and uniform entry of working gas into the gas bearing 30 can also be provided. For example, Figure 3 As shown, it is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the bearing housing assembly structure according to the present disclosure. Reference is made to Figure 3In some embodiments, the annular gas inlet cavity 40 further comprises a second annular groove 43. The second annular groove 43 is arranged on the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing 30 and is in communication with the first annular groove 41. The second annular groove 43 and the first annular groove 41 can jointly collect the working gas from the gas inlet passage 21 and guide the working gas into the gas bearing 30 more uniformly in the circumferential direction, thereby improving the rigidity, load capacity and working stability of the gas bearing and effectively improving the working performance of the gas bearing.

[0052] In order to enable the second annular groove 43 to guide the working gas more effectively, at least a part of the slot of the second annular groove 43 on one side of the circumferential outer wall can be directly opposite the first annular groove 41. Preferably, the entire second annular groove 43 is directly opposite the first annular groove 41 so as to make the working gas more smoothly enter the gas bearing 30.

[0053] Reference is made to Figure 3 Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b), in some embodiments, the width of the second annular groove 43 can be the same as the width of the first annular groove 41, while in other embodiments, the width of the second annular groove 43 can also be different from the width of the first annular groove 41. In addition, in some embodiments, the gas bearing 30 is arranged in the bearing mounting hole 23, the annular gas inlet cavity 23 can comprise the second annular groove 43 and the outlet of the gas inlet passage 21 is in communication with the second annular groove 43. The first annular groove 41 arranged in the bearing mounting hole 23 can be omitted, so that the effect of collecting and uniformly guiding the working gas can also be achieved through the second annular groove 43, and the machining of the bearing seat 20 can be simplified.

[0054] In some embodiments, a sealing structure can be further arranged between the bearing seat 20 and the gas bearing 30, and the sealing structure is arranged on at least one side of the annular gas inlet cavity 40. The sealing structure can prevent the working gas from leaking during the process of entering the gas bearing 30, thereby improving the efficiency of the working gas and the working stability of the gas bearing.

[0055] Reference is made to Fig. 2(a), Fig. 2(b), Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b), in some embodiments, the sealing structure comprises a sealing ring (not shown in the figures) and a third annular groove 32 arranged on the gas bearing 30, and the sealing ring is arranged in the third annular groove 32. The sealing ring can be compressed between the surface of the gas bearing 30 and the bearing seat 20, so as to separate the annular gas inlet cavity 40 from the outside of the gas bearing 30 and the bearing seat 20 and form a gas-tight effect.

[0056] In some embodiments, the gas bearing is a radial gas bearing, and the sealing ring can be arranged on the radial outer side of the gas bearing. In other embodiments, the gas bearing is a thrust gas bearing, and the sealing ring can be arranged on the side of the gas bearing close to the bearing seat in the axial direction.

[0057] Referring to Fig. 4(b), in some embodiments, the bearing housing 20 comprises bearing mounting holes 23, the gas bearing 30 is located in the bearing mounting holes 23, and the sealing structure comprises a plurality of the third annular grooves 32, which are arranged along the axial direction of the gas bearing 30. A sealing ring can be arranged in each third annular groove 32. Preferably, third annular grooves and sealing rings are arranged on both sides of the axial direction of the annular gas inlet cavity 40 to increase the sealing effect and simplify or eliminate the arrangement of the sealing structure outside the bearing housing and the gas bearing.

[0058] In order to facilitate the assembly of the sealing ring, a fourth annular groove 33 can also be arranged on the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing 30. The fourth annular groove 33 can be distributed between adjacent third annular grooves 32 along the axial direction of the gas bearing 30. For example, in Fig. 4(b), two third annular grooves 32 are arranged on both sides of the second annular groove 43, and a fourth annular groove 33 is arranged between the two adjacent third annular grooves 32. The fourth annular groove 33 can be machined to be wider, and its depth can be the same as, shallower than, or deeper than that of the third annular groove 32, as long as it can facilitate the passage of the sealing ring when the sealing ring is sleeved.

[0059] The above-mentioned bearing housing assembly structure of the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various types of equipment that need to assemble a gas bearing, such as a compressor. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a compressor, which comprises a housing, a rotor 10, and any one of the above-mentioned bearing housing assembly structure embodiments. The bearing housing assembly structure is arranged inside the housing. Here, the compressor can be a centrifugal compressor. In other embodiments, it can also be other compressors that include a rotor, such as a screw compressor, a sliding vane compressor, etc. In order to simplify the gas supply structure inside the housing, the gas supply passage 21 arranged inside the bearing housing 20 of the bearing housing assembly structure can be in operable communication with a gas source outside the housing.

[0060] So far, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail. In order to avoid obscuring the concept of the present disclosure, some details known in the art are not described. Those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein according to the above description.

[0061] Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail through examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are only for illustration, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments can be modified or some technical features can be replaced equivalently without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bearing housing assembly structure, characterized in that, include: The bearing housing (20) has an internal air supply channel (21); and A gas bearing (30) is disposed on the bearing housing (20) for supporting the rotor (10). An annular air inlet chamber (40) is provided between the bearing housing (20) and the gas bearing (30), and the annular air inlet chamber (40) is connected to the air supply channel (21); a sealing structure is also provided between the bearing housing (20) and the gas bearing (30), and the sealing structure is located on at least one side of the annular air inlet chamber (40); the sealing structure includes: a sealing ring and a third annular groove (32) disposed on the gas bearing (30), and the sealing ring is disposed in the third annular groove (32); the bearing housing ( 20) includes a bearing mounting hole (23) and multiple airflow channels (22) connecting the bearing mounting hole (23) and the outer side of the bearing housing (20), the gas bearing (30) is located in the bearing mounting hole (23), the sealing structure includes multiple third annular grooves (32), the multiple third annular grooves are arranged along the axial direction of the gas bearing (30); the bearing housing (20) includes a bearing mounting hole (23), the gas bearing (30) is located in the bearing mounting hole (23), the annular air inlet chamber (40) includes: The first annular groove (41) is provided on the wall of the bearing mounting hole (23) and is connected to the air supply channel (21); An air inlet assembly (42) is disposed on the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing (30) and communicates with the first annular groove (41). At least a portion of the opening of the air inlet assembly (42) on one side of the circumferential outer wall is directly opposite the first annular groove (41).

2. The bearing housing assembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air inlet group (42) includes multiple air inlets distributed circumferentially along the gas bearing (30).

3. The bearing housing assembly structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The plurality of air inlets are evenly distributed along the circumference of the gas bearing (30).

4. The bearing housing assembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular air intake chamber (40) further includes a second annular groove (43), which is disposed on the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing (30) and communicates with the first annular groove (41).

5. The bearing housing assembly structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, At least a portion of the opening of the second annular groove (43) on one side of the circumferential outer wall is directly opposite the first annular groove (41).

6. The bearing housing assembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing housing (20) includes a bearing mounting hole (23), the gas bearing (30) is located in the bearing mounting hole (23), and the annular air intake chamber (40) includes a second annular groove (43) disposed on the circumferential outer wall of the gas bearing (30).

7. The bearing housing assembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gas bearing (30) is further provided with a fourth annular groove (33) on its circumferential outer wall, which is distributed along the axial direction of the gas bearing (30) between adjacent third annular grooves (32).

8. A compressor, characterized in that, include: case; Rotor (10); and The bearing housing assembly structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is disposed inside the housing.

9. The compressor according to claim 8, characterized in that, The air supply channel (21) inside the bearing housing (20) of the bearing housing assembly structure is operably connected to an air source outside the housing.

10. The compressor according to claim 8, characterized in that, The compressor is a centrifugal compressor.

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