Thrust bearing pad and thrust bearing for vertical hydro-generating unit

Abstract

The present invention provides a thrust bearing pad and a thrust bearing for a vertical hydraulic generator set. The thrust bearing pad includes: an upper pad body, which is internally provided with an upper cooling chamber, having an upper opening located on the upper inner wall thereof and provided with a plurality of upper support members therein, spaced apart from each other to form an interconnected upper flow channel therebetween, and an upper contact surface surrounding the upper opening is formed on the upper inner wall; a lower pad body, which is internally provided with a lower cooling chamber, having a lower opening located on the lower inner wall of the lower pad body and provided with a plurality of lower support members therein, spaced apart from each other to form an interconnected lower flow channel therebetween, and a lower contact surface surrounding the lower opening is formed on the lower inner wall, the corresponding upper and lower support members are aligned and abutted, the upper and lower contact surfaces are hermetically abutted against each other so that the upper and lower cooling chambers form a sealed cooling chamber, and there is a cooling working medium that can undergo a phase change and flow in the upper and lower flow channels in the cooling chamber, and the liquid volume thereof is smaller than the volume of the cooling chamber; a heat dissipation structure, which is arranged on the radial outer wall of the upper pad body and / or the lower pad body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of hydro-generator units, and particularly provides a thrust bearing pad and a thrust bearing for a vertical hydro-generator unit. Background Art

[0002] The thrust bearing used in a vertical hydro-generator unit is a key component for bearing axial loads such as the mass of its rotor and axial water thrust, and is one of the most important components of a vertical hydro-generator unit. The thrust bearing generally includes a thrust head or thrust disk, a mirror plate, and thrust bearing pads. The thrust head and the mirror plate are sleeved on the rotating shaft of the vertical hydro-generator unit and rotate with it. At the same time, the mirror plate presses on the stationary thrust bearing pads. The axial force generated when the rotating shaft of the vertical hydro-generator unit rotates is transmitted from the thrust head to the mirror plate, and then to the thrust bearing pads, and the thrust bearing pads transmit the axial force to the frame on which the thrust bearing is installed. During this process, an oil film of lubricating oil is formed on the pad surface that mates with the mirror plate. Therefore, the heat generated by the friction between the thrust bearing pads and the mirror plate is carried away by the lubricating oil, and the lubricating oil returns to the oil tank of the thrust bearing after being cooled by a cooler. The losses of the thrust bearing mainly consist of the friction loss of the pad surface oil film of the thrust bearing pads and the stirring loss generated by rotating components such as the mirror plate. With the continuous increase in the single-unit capacity of vertical hydro-generator units and the continuous increase in their rotational speeds, the losses of the thrust bearing will increase rapidly, and the lubricating oil temperature and the temperature of the thrust bearing pads during the operation of the thrust bearing will continue to rise, resulting in the accelerated aging of the lubricating oil. The performance and reliability of the thrust bearing will thus decrease, which will directly affect the operating stability of the thrust bearing. Therefore, the cooling and heat dissipation technology of the thrust bearing is crucial for the operating safety of vertical hydro-generator units.

[0003] The single-layer bearing pad is a common structural form of thrust bearing pads. However, due to the relatively thick pad blank, the cooling effect of this single-layer bearing pad is not good, and the temperature distribution difference on the bearing pad is relatively large, which easily leads to the problem of thermal deformation.

[0004] There is also a water-cooled bearing pad structure in the prior art. The water-cooled bearing pad structure is to cast cooling pipes between the bearing alloy layers on the pad surface or to machine cooling water channels in the pad body to make a water-cooled Babbitt alloy pad. The water-cooled bearing pad has a good cooling effect, and the temperature of the bearing pad is lower than that of ordinary pads. However, the temperature gradient along the thickness direction of the bearing pad still varies greatly, resulting in uneven deformation of the bearing pad. If not properly controlled, it will cause a bearing burning accident, and the manufacturing process of the water-cooled pad is complex.

[0005] In the prior art, the thrust bearing pads of large and medium-capacity vertical hydraulic generator sets often adopt a double-layer pad structure, which consists of a thrust bearing pad and a supporting pad. This double-layer pad structure facilitates the maintenance and replacement of the thrust bearing pad. Cooling oil grooves are opened on the top surface of the supporting pad, so the temperature difference in the thickness direction of the supporting pad is small, and the thermal deformation of the supporting pad is small. For example, the Chinese Utility Model Patent CN210714906U discloses such a double-layer pad structure. However, when this double-layer pad structure is applied to large-capacity and high-speed vertical hydraulic generator sets, with the increase in the capacity of the vertical hydraulic generator set, there is still a problem that the thrust bearing pad is deformed due to the large amount of heat generated by the thrust bearing.

[0006] Therefore, a new technical solution is needed in the art to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In order to solve the technical problem that the shaft bearing of the thrust bearing of a vertical hydraulic generator set is thermally deformed due to high heat generation, the present invention provides a thrust bearing pad. The thrust bearing pad includes: an upper pad body, in which an upper cooling chamber is provided. The upper cooling chamber has an upper opening located on the upper inner wall of the upper pad body and is provided with a plurality of upper support members therein. The upper support members are spaced apart from each other to form an interconnected upper flow channel therebetween. An upper contact surface surrounding the upper opening is formed on the upper inner wall; a lower pad body, in which a lower cooling chamber is provided. The lower cooling chamber has a lower opening located on the lower inner wall of the lower pad body and is provided with a plurality of lower support members therein. The lower support members are spaced apart from each other to form an interconnected lower flow channel therebetween. A lower contact surface surrounding the lower opening is formed on the lower inner wall, wherein each upper support member is aligned with and abuts against the corresponding lower support member, and the upper contact surface and the lower contact surface are hermetically abutted against each other so that the upper cooling chamber and the lower cooling chamber form a sealed cooling chamber. A cooling working medium that can undergo a phase change and flow in the upper flow channel and the lower flow channel is accommodated in the cooling chamber. The volume of the cooling chamber is greater than the volume of the liquid cooling working medium; and a heat dissipation structure, which is arranged on the radial outer side wall of the upper pad body and / or the lower pad body.

[0008] In the thrust bearing pad of the present invention, a single thrust bearing pad belonging to the single-layer bearing pad structure is divided into two parts: an upper pad body and a lower pad body. An upper cooling chamber and a lower cooling chamber are respectively arranged in the upper pad body and the lower pad body. At the same time, an upper support member and a lower support member are respectively arranged in the upper cooling chamber and the lower cooling chamber. Interconnected upper flow channels are spaced between the upper support members, and interconnected lower flow channels are spaced between the lower support members. After the upper pad body and the lower pad body are combined together, the upper cooling chamber and the lower cooling chamber form a sealed cooling chamber, and the upper support member and the corresponding lower support member are aligned and abutted, so as to ensure that the axial load generated during the operation of the thrust bearing is evenly distributed to the entire pad body through the upper support member and the lower support member, preventing the thrust bearing pad from being deformed due to uneven force. A phase-changeable cooling working medium is accommodated in the cooling chamber, and the volume of the cooling chamber is larger than the volume of the liquid cooling working medium. Therefore, the heat generated during the operation of the thrust bearing is transferred to the cooling working medium, which will cause the liquid cooling working medium to evaporate (absorbing heat during evaporation) into a gaseous cooling working medium, resulting in a rapid cooling effect on the bearing pad surface between the thrust bearing pad and the mirror plate. The heat dissipation structure formed on the radial outer sidewall of the upper pad body and / or the lower pad body helps to conduct the heat of the evaporated gaseous cooling working medium to the cooling lubricating oil outside the thrust bearing pad, and the gaseous cooling working medium is condensed into a liquid cooling working medium. It can be seen that through the above settings of the thrust bearing pad of the present invention, the cooling working medium can continuously absorb heat in the thrust bearing pad, and the upper and lower flow channels facilitate the circulating flow of the cooling working medium. When reaching the boiling point of the cooling working medium, the liquid cooling working medium undergoes a phase change, changing from liquid to gas, and absorbing the heat of the thrust bearing pad during this process; when the gaseous cooling working medium moves to the radial sidewalls of the upper pad body and the lower pad body inside the sealed cooling chamber, it exchanges heat with the lubricating oil outside the thrust bearing pad through the heat dissipation structure, undergoes a phase change again, changes from gas to liquid, and flows back to the bottom of the sealed cooling chamber to complete the entire phase change cycle. Therefore, compared with the prior art cooling solutions relying on heat conduction, the present invention greatly improves the thermal conductivity while ensuring the axial load bearing capacity, realizes more efficient cooling, and thus enhances the operating stability of the bearing.

[0009] In the preferred technical solution of the above thrust bearing pad, each of the upper support members extends towards the upper opening to be flush with the upper contact surface, and each of the lower support members extends towards the lower opening to be flush with the lower contact surface. This configuration of the upper and lower support members can not only reduce the manufacturing difficulty of the upper and lower pad bodies, but also make it easier for the upper and lower pad bodies to be aligned and combined together.

[0010] In the preferred technical solution of the above thrust bearing pad, the upper pad body includes opposite first upper radially outer side walls and second upper radially outer side walls; the upper pad body includes opposite first lower radially outer side walls and second lower radially outer side walls; the heat dissipation structure is heat dissipation fins distributed on at least one of the first upper radially outer side wall, the second upper radially outer side wall, the first lower radially outer side wall, and the second lower radially outer side wall. Through the heat dissipation fins, the heat dissipation effect of the lubricating oil on the thrust bearing pad can be improved. Moreover, according to the actual heat dissipation requirements, the heat dissipation fins can be selectively arranged on one or more of the first upper radially outer side wall, the second upper radially outer side wall, the first lower radially outer side wall, and the second lower radially outer side wall.

[0011] In the preferred technical solution of the above thrust bearing pad, the heat dissipation fins are integrally formed with the upper pad body or the lower pad body, or welded to the upper pad body or the lower pad body. The integral formation of the heat dissipation fins with the upper and lower pad bodies helps to reduce the manufacturing cost, while the welding connection method is easier to operate.

[0012] In the preferred technical solution of the above thrust bearing pad, the cross-section of each of the upper support member and the lower support member is square, rectangular, trapezoidal, or circular. As long as the support member can play a predetermined supporting role, any suitable cross-sectional shape can be selected.

[0013] In the preferred technical solution of the above thrust bearing pad, the upper support member and the lower support member are respectively integrally formed with the upper pad body and the lower pad body, or respectively form a welded connection with the upper pad body and the lower pad body. By processing the support members in an integral formation manner, with the contact surface between the upper pad body and the lower pad body as the reference, it is convenient to control the tolerance, making the docking between the upper support member and the lower support member tight; while using the welding method can reduce the processing difficulty.

[0014] In the preferred technical solution of the above thrust bearing pad, a closable liquid injection hole communicating with the upper cooling chamber and / or the lower cooling chamber is provided on the upper pad body and / or the lower pad body, and the liquid injection hole is configured to inject the cooling working medium into the cooling chamber. Therefore, the opening position can be selected according to the heights of the upper pad body and the lower pad body. The setting of the closable liquid injection hole facilitates the replacement of the cooling working medium, the cleaning of the cooling chamber, and can avoid reducing the heat exchange efficiency due to the aging or scaling of the cooling working medium.

[0015] In the preferred technical solution of the above thrust bearing pad, a removable plug is provided on the liquid injection hole. Through the removable plug, the liquid injection hole is completely sealed to prevent the cooling working medium from leaking from the liquid injection hole; and the liquid injection hole can be opened when needed to discharge or replace the cooling working medium.

[0016] In the preferred technical solution of the above thrust bearing pad, the upper pad body has an upper outer wall opposite to the upper inner wall, and a flat mirror plate contact surface is formed on the upper outer wall, and the mirror plate contact surface is adapted to abut against the mirror plate; and the lower pad body has a lower outer wall opposite to the lower inner wall, and a support surface for supporting the thrust bearing pad is formed on the lower outer wall. Through the above configuration, the support surface of the thrust bearing pad provided by the present invention can be fixed on the bearing support or the frame, and the mirror plate contact surface is the working surface to form an oil film.

[0017] To solve the technical problem of thermal deformation of the bearing bush caused by high heat generation of the thrust bearing, the present invention also provides a thrust bearing for a vertical hydro-generating unit. The thrust bearing includes the thrust bearing pad according to any one of the above, wherein, in the assembled state, the interface between the upper pad body and the lower pad body of the thrust bearing pad is perpendicular to the axis of the vertical hydro-generating unit. By adopting the thrust bearing pad according to any one of the above, the thrust bearing of the present invention can, while ensuring the axial load bearing capacity, greatly improve the thermal conductivity, achieve more efficient cooling, enhance the running stability of the bearing, and thus can greatly increase the capacity of the vertical hydro-generating unit while ensuring that the thrust bearing pad does not deform. The interface between the upper pad body and the lower pad body of the thrust bearing pad being perpendicular to the axis of the vertical hydro-generating unit can ensure the structural stability of the thrust bearing pad. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The following describes the preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the thrust bearing of the present invention for a vertical hydro-generating unit;

[0020] Figure 2 is a perspective schematic diagram of an embodiment of the thrust bearing pad of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the thrust bearing pad of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 is a perspective schematic diagram of an embodiment of the upper pad body of the thrust bearing pad of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 is a side view of an embodiment of the upper pad body of the thrust bearing pad of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 6 is a perspective schematic diagram of an embodiment of the lower pad body of the thrust bearing pad of the present invention.

[0025] LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0026] 1. Thrust bearing for vertical hydraulic generator set; 10. Thrust bearing pad; 11. Upper pad body; 111. Upper outer wall; 111a. Mirror plate contact surface; 112. Upper inner wall; 112a. Upper contact surface; 113. First upper radial outer wall; 114. Second upper radial outer wall; 115. Upper circumferential outer wall; 116. Upper support member; 116a. First surface; 117. Liquid injection hole; 118. Upper flow channel; 119. Upper opening; 12. Lower pad body; 121. Lower inner wall; 121a. Lower contact surface; 122. Lower outer wall; 122a. Support surface; 123. First lower radial outer wall; 124. Second lower radial outer wall; 125. Lower circumferential outer wall; 126. Lower support member; 126a. Second surface; 127. Lower flow channel; 128. Lower opening; 13. Heat dissipation structure; 131. First upper heat dissipation fin; 132. Second upper heat dissipation fin; 133. First lower heat dissipation fin; 134. Second lower heat dissipation fin; 14. Cooling chamber; 141. Upper cooling chamber; 142. Lower cooling chamber; 20. Bearing housing; 21. Bolt hole; 30. Shaft hole; 40. Lubricating oil channel; 50. Plug. Detailed implementation mode

[0027] The preferred implementation modes of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these implementation modes are only used to explain the technical principle of the present invention and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention.

[0028] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0029] In addition, it should also be noted that in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected, indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or the internal communication of two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0030] To solve the technical problem in the prior art that the thrust bearing of a hydro-generator unit has thermal deformation of the bearing bush due to high heat generation, the present invention provides a thrust bearing bush 10. The thrust bearing bush 10 includes: an upper bush body 11, in which an upper cooling chamber 141 is provided. The upper cooling chamber 141 has an upper opening 119 located on the upper inner wall 112 of the upper bush body 11 and is provided with a plurality of upper support members 116 therein. The upper support members 116 are spaced apart from each other to form an interconnected upper flow channel 118 therebetween. An upper contact surface 112a surrounding the upper opening 119 is formed on the upper inner wall 112; a lower bush body 12, in which a lower cooling chamber 142 is provided. The lower cooling chamber 142 has a lower opening 128 located on the lower inner wall 121 of the lower bush body 12 and is provided with a plurality of lower support members 126 therein. The lower support members 126 are spaced apart from each other to form an interconnected lower flow channel 127 therebetween. A lower contact surface 121a surrounding the lower opening 128 is formed on the lower inner wall 121. Wherein, each upper support member 116 is aligned with and abuts against the corresponding lower support member 126, and the upper contact surface 112a and the lower contact surface 121a are in sealing abutment with each other so that the upper cooling chamber 141 and the lower cooling chamber 142 form a sealed cooling chamber 14. A cooling working medium that can undergo a phase change and can flow in the upper flow channel 118 and the lower flow channel 127 is accommodated in the cooling chamber 14. The volume of the cooling chamber 14 is greater than the volume of the liquid cooling working medium; and a heat dissipation structure 13, which is arranged on the radial outer side wall of the upper bush body 11 and / or the lower bush body 12.

[0031] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the thrust bearing of the present invention for a vertical hydro-generator unit. As Figure 1 shown, the thrust bearing 1 includes a bearing seat 20 and a plurality of thrust bearing bushes 10 evenly distributed circumferentially around the center line C of the bearing seat 20. In one or more embodiments, 10 thrust bearing bushes 10 are arranged on the bearing seat 20. Alternatively, the number of thrust bearing bushes 10 can be set to any other suitable number according to actual needs. A lubricating oil channel 40 with a predetermined width is formed between adjacent thrust bearing bushes 10. As Figure 1As shown, the outer peripheral edge of the bearing housing 20 is formed as a flange with a plurality of bolt holes 21 for mounting the thrust bearing 1 onto a predetermined device, for example, onto the frame of a vertical hydro-generating unit. A shaft hole 30 with the center line C as the rotation axis is formed in the center of the bearing housing 20 for receiving, for example, the rotating shaft of a vertical hydro-generating unit. When the thrust bearing 1 is installed in, for example, a vertical hydro-generating unit, each thrust bearing pad 10 abuts against a mirror plate (not shown in the figure), and each thrust bearing pad 10 is immersed in the lubricating oil in the thrust bearing oil tank. When the vertical hydro-generating unit is operating, due to the frictional loss of the oil film between the mirror plate and the thrust bearing pad 10 and the agitation loss generated by the rotating components, the contact surface between the mirror plate and the thrust bearing pad 10 continuously heats up, and then conducts to the whole of the thrust bearing pad 10. The lubricating oil flows through the surface of the thrust bearing pad 10 through the lubricating oil passage 40 to achieve cooling of the thrust bearing pad 10.

[0032] Figure 2 is a perspective schematic view of an embodiment of the thrust bearing pad of the present invention; Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the thrust bearing pad of the present invention. As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the thrust bearing pad 10 includes an upper pad body 11 and a lower pad body 12 combined together. A sealed cooling chamber 14 is formed inside the thrust bearing pad 10 for accommodating a phase-changeable cooling medium, and the volume of the cooling medium in the liquid state is smaller than the available volume of the cooling chamber 14. A heat dissipation structure 13, such as heat dissipation fins, is provided on the radially outer side wall of the thrust bearing pad 10. Referring to Figure 1 , the interface C1 between the upper pad body 11 and the lower pad body 12 is arranged such that when the thrust bearing 1 is installed on a vertical hydro-generating unit, the interface C1 is perpendicular to the axis of the vertical hydro-generating unit, that is, Figure 1 the center line C in

[0033] Figure 4 is a perspective schematic view of an embodiment of the upper pad body of the thrust bearing pad of the present invention. Figure 5 is a side view of the upper pad body of the thrust bearing pad of the present invention. As Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the upper bearing shell 11 includes opposite upper inner wall 112 and upper outer wall 111, opposite first upper radially outer wall 113 and second upper radially outer wall 114, and upper circumferentially outer wall 115. A mirror plate contact surface 111a is formed on the upper outer wall 111, and an upper contact surface 112a is formed on the upper inner wall 112. Among them, the mirror plate contact surface 111a is the working surface for forming a wedge-shaped oil film. First upper heat dissipation fins 131 and second upper heat dissipation fins 132 are respectively arranged on the outer surfaces of the first upper radially outer wall 113 and the second upper radially outer wall 114. In one or more embodiments, the first upper heat dissipation fins 131 and the second upper heat dissipation fins 132 are integrally formed on the outer surfaces of the first upper radially outer wall 113 and the second upper radially outer wall 114. In an alternative embodiment, the first upper heat dissipation fins 113 and the second upper heat dissipation fins 132 are respectively fixed on the outer surfaces of the first upper radially outer wall 113 and the second upper radially outer wall 114 by welding. A liquid injection hole 117 is provided on the upper circumferentially outer wall 115. The liquid injection hole 117 is sealed by a plug 50 (see Figure 2 ). An upper cooling chamber 141 is formed inside the upper bearing shell 11. The upper cooling chamber 141 has an upper opening 119 located on the upper inner wall 112. The upper contact surface 112a surrounds the upper opening 119 of the upper cooling chamber 141.

[0034] As Figure 4 shown, a plurality of upper support members 116 are arranged inside the upper cooling chamber 141. In one or more embodiments, each upper support member 116 extends substantially along the radial direction of the upper bearing shell 11 and has a rectangular cross-section. Alternatively, each upper support member 116 has a square, or trapezoidal, or other suitable shaped cross-section. A predetermined distance is spaced between all adjacent upper support members 116 to form an upper flow channel 118. A gap is also formed between all upper support members 116 and the adjacent upper inner wall 112, so that all upper flow channels 118 communicate with each other, thereby forming the upper cooling chamber 141. The gaps between the upper support members 116 and the gaps between the upper support members 116 and the adjacent upper inner wall 112 are configured to ensure that the mirror plate contact surface 111a on the upper bearing shell 11 will not be deformed due to uneven force during operation. Each upper support member 116 has a first surface 116a flush with the upper contact surface 112. As Figure 4 shown, the first surface 116a is substantially rectangular. In one or more embodiments, the upper support member 116 is integrally formed with the upper bearing shell 11, and the upper support member 116 is formed by grooving a predetermined depth of the upper flow channel 118 vertically from the upper inner wall 112 towards the inside of the upper bearing shell 11. Alternatively, the upper support member 116 can also be fixed inside the upper cooling chamber 141 by welding or mechanical connection.

[0035] Figure 6 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of the lower bearing shell of the thrust bearing shell of the present invention. AsFigure 6 As shown, the lower bearing shell 12 includes opposite lower inner wall 121 and lower outer wall 122, opposite first lower radially outer side wall 123 and second lower radially outer side wall 124, and lower circumferentially outer side wall 125. A support surface 122a is formed on the lower outer wall 122 (see Figure 2 ), and a lower contact surface 121a is formed on the lower inner wall 121. Among them, the support surface 122a mates with the bearing housing 20 and is used to support the thrust bearing shell 10 on the bearing housing 20. First lower heat dissipation fins 133 and second lower heat dissipation fins 134 are respectively arranged on the outer surfaces of the first lower radially outer side wall 123 and the second lower radially outer side wall 124. In one or more embodiments, the first lower heat dissipation fins 133 and the second lower heat dissipation fins 134 are integrally formed on the outer surfaces of the first lower radially outer side wall 123 and the second lower radially outer side wall 124. In an alternative embodiment, the first lower heat dissipation fins 133 and the second lower heat dissipation fins 134 are respectively fixed on the outer surfaces of the first lower radially outer side wall 123 and the second lower radially outer side wall 124 by welding. A lower cooling chamber 142 is formed inside the lower bearing shell 12. The lower cooling chamber 142 has a lower opening 128 located on the lower inner wall 121. The lower contact surface 121a surrounds the upper opening 119 of the lower cooling chamber 142.

[0036] As Figure 6 shown, a plurality of lower support members 126 are arranged inside the lower cooling chamber 142. In one or more embodiments, each lower support member 126 extends substantially along the radial direction of the lower bearing shell 12 and has a rectangular cross-section. Alternatively, each lower support member 126 has a cross-section in the shape of a square, or a trapezoid, or other suitable shape. A predetermined distance is spaced between all adjacent lower support members 126 to form a lower flow channel 127. A gap is also formed between all the lower support members 126 and the adjacent lower inner wall 121, so that all the lower flow channels 127 communicate with each other, thus constituting the lower cooling chamber 142. Each lower support member 126 has a second surface 126a flush with the lower contact surface 121a. As Figure 6 shown, the second surface 126a is also substantially rectangular. In one or more embodiments, the lower support member 126 is integrally formed with the lower bearing shell 12, and the lower support member 126 is formed by grooving a predetermined depth of the lower flow channel 127 vertically from the lower inner wall 121 towards the inside of the lower bearing shell 12. Alternatively, the lower support member 126 can also be fixed inside the lower cooling chamber 142 by welding or mechanical connection.

[0037] The first upper heat dissipation fin 131, the second upper heat dissipation fin 132, the first lower heat dissipation fin 133 and the second lower heat dissipation fin 134 together constitute the heat dissipation structure 13. In an alternative embodiment, heat dissipation fins are provided only on parts of the first upper radially outer wall 113, the second upper radially outer wall 114, the first lower radially outer wall 123, and the second lower radially outer wall 124. This embodiment is applicable to the case where the internal space of the bearing is tight.

[0038] In an alternative embodiment, the liquid injection hole 117 and the mating plug 50 are provided on the lower bearing housing 12. Those skilled in the art can understand that although Figure 2 the liquid injection hole 117 is located at the middle position of the upper circumferential outer wall 115 in [the reference], this is not restrictive, and there is no requirement for the position of the liquid injection hole 117 in the horizontal direction.

[0039] Continuing to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , when the upper bearing housing 11 and the lower bearing housing 12 are combined together, the upper contact surface 112a and the lower contact surface 121a are in sealing abutment with each other, and the upper support member 116 and the lower support member 126 are aligned and abutted against each other, which means that the first surface 116a and the corresponding second surface 126a are aligned and abutted against each other. Therefore, the upper cooling chamber 141 and the lower cooling chamber 142 together form the cooling chamber 14. The phase-changeable cooling working fluid is filled into the cooling chamber 14 from the liquid injection hole 117. The volume of the liquid cooling working fluid must be less than the volume of the cooling chamber 14. However, if the filling amount of the cooling working fluid is too small, it will also cause the heat exchange amount per unit time to be too small, resulting in poor cooling effect. Therefore, the injection amount of the cooling working fluid is subject to the thermal calculation of the specific working conditions. The gaps between adjacent upper support members 116 and between adjacent lower support members 126 can be determined based on the thermal calculation of the specific working conditions. Generally speaking, the larger the distance between adjacent upper support members 116 and between adjacent lower support members 126, the wider the upper flow channel 119 and the lower flow channel 128, so the resistance of the cooling working fluid flowing inside the upper cooling chamber 141 and the lower cooling chamber 142 is smaller, which is more conducive to heat exchange; the smaller the distance, the stronger the supporting effect of the upper support member 116 and the lower support member 126 on the thrust bearing pad 10, the less likely the mirror plate contact surface 111a is to deform, and the stronger the stability of the thrust bearing.

[0040] When the thrust bearing pad 10 is in the working state, the heat generated by the mirror plate contact surface 111a of the upper pad body 11 is transmitted to the lower pad body 12 through the upper support member 116 and the lower support member 126. During this process, the cooling working fluid at the bottom of the cooling chamber 14 continuously absorbs heat. When the boiling point of the cooling working fluid is reached, the liquid cooling working fluid undergoes a phase change and turns from liquid to gas. During this process, it continuously absorbs heat, keeping the temperature of the thrust bearing pad 10 constant. Due to the setting of the heat dissipation structure 13, the lubricating oil has the best cooling effect on the first upper radial outer wall 113, the second upper radial outer wall 114, the first lower radial outer wall 123, and the second lower radial outer wall 124. The gaseous cooling medium naturally convects in the cooling chamber 14. When it contacts the inner surfaces of the above four radial outer walls, it liquefies and releases heat, and exchanges heat with the lubricating oil through the heat dissipation structure, and then flows back to the bottom of the sealed cooling chamber 14, thus completing the entire phase change cycle.

[0041] So far, the technical solutions of the present invention have been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the protection scope of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principle of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thrust bearing pad, characterized in that, the thrust bearing pad includes: an upper pad body, in which an upper cooling chamber is provided. The upper cooling chamber has an upper opening on the upper inner wall of the upper pad body and is provided with a plurality of upper support members therein. The upper support members are spaced apart from each other to form an interconnected upper flow channel therebetween, and an upper contact surface surrounding the upper opening is formed on the upper inner wall; a lower pad body, in which a lower cooling chamber is provided. The lower cooling chamber has a lower opening on the lower inner wall of the lower pad body and is provided with a plurality of lower support members therein. The lower support members are spaced apart from each other to form an interconnected lower flow channel therebetween, and a lower contact surface surrounding the lower opening is formed on the lower inner wall. Wherein, each of the upper support members is aligned with and abuts against the corresponding lower support member, and the upper contact surface and the lower contact surface are in sealed abutment with each other so that the upper cooling chamber and the lower cooling chamber form a sealed cooling chamber. A cooling working medium that can undergo a phase change and can flow in the upper flow channel and the lower flow channel is accommodated in the cooling chamber, and the volume of the cooling chamber is greater than the volume of the liquid cooling working medium; and a heat dissipation structure, which is provided on the radial outer side wall of the upper pad body and / or the lower pad body.

2. The thrust bearing pad according to claim 1, characterized in that, each of the upper support members extends towards the upper opening to be flush with the upper contact surface, and each of the lower support members extends towards the lower opening to be flush with the lower contact surface.

3. The thrust bearing pad according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the upper pad body includes opposite first upper radial outer side walls and second upper radial outer side walls; the lower pad body includes opposite first lower radial outer side walls and second lower radial outer side walls; the heat dissipation structure is heat dissipation fins distributed on at least one of the first upper radial outer side wall, the second upper radial outer side wall, the first lower radial outer side wall and the second lower radial outer side wall.

4. The thrust bearing pad according to claim 3, characterized in that, the heat dissipation fins are integrally formed with the upper pad body or the lower pad body, or are welded to the upper pad body or the lower pad body.

5. The thrust bearing pad according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the cross-section of each of the upper support members and the lower support members is square, rectangular, trapezoidal or circular.

6. The thrust bearing pad according to claim 5, characterized in that, the upper support members and the lower support members are respectively integrally formed with the upper pad body and the lower pad body, or respectively form a welded connection with the upper pad body and the lower pad body.

7. The thrust bearing pad according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, a closable liquid injection hole communicating with the upper cooling chamber and / or the lower cooling chamber is provided on the upper pad body and / or the lower pad body, and the liquid injection hole is configured to inject the cooling working medium into the cooling chamber.

8. The thrust bearing pad according to claim 7, characterized in that, a removable plug is provided on the liquid injection hole.

9. The thrust bearing pad according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The upper tile body has an upper outer wall opposite to the upper inner wall, and a flat mirror plate contact surface is formed on the upper outer wall, and the mirror plate contact surface is adapted to abut against the mirror plate; and The lower tile body has a lower outer wall opposite to the lower inner wall, and a support surface for supporting the thrust bearing tile is formed on the lower outer wall.

10. A thrust bearing for a vertical hydraulic generator set, characterized in that the thrust bearing includes the thrust bearing tile according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein in the assembled state, the interface between the upper tile body and the lower tile body of the thrust bearing tile is perpendicular to the axis of the vertical hydraulic generator set.

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