Enhanced flow compact foil bearings

Abstract

The present invention relates to an enhanced flow compact foil bearing, which relates to the technical field of air bearings, and specifically to an enhanced flow compact foil bearing that can provide a certain radial support. The present invention comprises: a bearing seat, a corrugated foil and a flat foil; the bearing seat is a tubular structure, and a corrugated foil and a flat foil are assembled inside it; a positioning groove and a positioning hole are processed on the bearing seat, which are used to cooperate with the positioning structure on the corrugated foil and the flat foil to position the corrugated foil and the flat foil. The corrugated foil and the flat foil are both rectangular structures, and one end of both is provided with a positioning structure; the positioning structure includes a positioning portion that cooperates with the positioning groove and a protrusion that cooperates with the positioning hole. The technical solution of the present invention solves the problems of uneven gas pressure distribution and poor fluidity in the bearing in the prior art, which lead to poor bearing stability, severe dry friction, rapid bearing temperature rise, and low maximum operating speed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention discloses an enhanced flow compact foil bearing, which relates to the technical field of air bearings, and in particular is an enhanced flow compact foil bearing capable of providing certain radial support. Background Art

[0002] With the development of science and technology, the speed and performance requirements of rotating machinery in modern industry are getting higher and higher. The development of gas foil bearings carries an important mission of the development of the times.

[0003] The radial gas foil bearing is a new type of bearing that relies on gas lubrication technology. It is a dynamic pressure-activated air bearing with a highly flexible support surface, composed of one or more layers of corrugated and flat foil. The bearing relies on the mutual motion of the shaft and the flat foil surface of the bearing. Due to the elasticity of the corrugated foil, a wedge-shaped space is formed between the shaft and the flat foil surface of the bearing. As the shaft rotates, it draws a viscous gas into this wedge, squeezing it and forming a lubricating gas film with a certain pressure. When the shaft rotates at a high enough speed and the pressure of the gas film is high enough, the shaft floats, reducing or even eliminating the friction between the shaft and the bearing.

[0004] The technical fields involved in gas foil bearings include materials science, heat transfer, engineering mechanics, rotor dynamics, and other disciplines, representing a complex, multidisciplinary problem. Compared to traditional rolling bearings and oil-lubricated sliding bearings, gas foil bearings offer high operating speeds, excellent stability, low wear and pollution, and a long lifespan. They are widely used in machines such as air cycle machines, air blowers, fuel cell compressors, and micro gas turbines.

[0005] However, in the existing technology, radial gas foil bearings have problems such as complex processing and assembly, severe dry friction, rapid temperature rise, insufficient air film bearing capacity resulting in low maximum operating speed of the bearings, etc. Therefore, providing a radial gas foil bearing with a simple structure, good stability and high maximum operating speed is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field.

[0006] In view of the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, it is very necessary to research and design a new type of enhanced flow compact foil bearing to overcome the problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In response to the technical problems raised in the prior art, such as uneven gas pressure distribution and poor fluidity within the bearing, which lead to poor bearing stability, severe dry friction, rapid bearing temperature rise, and low maximum operating speed, a flow-enhanced compact foil bearing is provided. The present invention primarily utilizes positioning grooves and positioning holes machined into the bearing seat to circumferentially and axially secure the corrugated foil and flat foil, making processing and assembly more convenient. The corrugated foil described in the present invention adopts a bifurcated structure, where the bifurcated gap of the corrugated foil gradually decreases along the direction of axial rotation, forming a certain gradient along the direction of airflow. This allows airflow to enter each stage of the corrugated foil more smoothly, thus resolving the problem of uneven gas distribution within the bearing. The positioning holes on the bearing seat described in the present invention function as air intake holes, allowing static pressure airflow to enter the bearing through the positioning holes, thereby improving the fluidity of the airflow within the bearing and the stability of the bearing air film.

[0008] The technical means adopted in the present invention are as follows:

[0009] An enhanced flow compact foil bearing comprises: a bearing housing, a corrugated foil and a flat foil;

[0010] Furthermore, the bearing seat is a tubular structure, inside which the corrugated foil and the flat foil are assembled;

[0011] Further, the corrugated foil is located between the bearing seat and the flat foil.

[0012] Furthermore, a positioning groove and a positioning hole are processed on the bearing seat, which are used to cooperate with the positioning structures on the corrugated foil and the flat foil to position the corrugated foil and the flat foil.

[0013] Furthermore, the positioning groove is provided on the inner wall of the bearing seat along the axial direction of the bearing seat;

[0014] Furthermore, the positioning hole is provided in the middle of the bearing seat along the radial direction of the bearing seat;

[0015] Further, the axis of the positioning hole intersects with the center line of the positioning groove;

[0016] Furthermore, the positioning hole is connected to an external cooling gas source, which can optimize and improve the cooling gas flow path and enhance the heat transfer effect by adjusting the gas source pressure and temperature, thereby improving the temperature adaptability of the bearing.

[0017] Furthermore, the corrugated foil is a rectangular structure, and a positioning structure is provided at one end thereof;

[0018] Furthermore, the positioning structure includes a positioning portion cooperating with the positioning groove and a protruding portion cooperating with the positioning hole.

[0019] Furthermore, the corrugated foil has a bifurcated structure, and the bifurcated gap gradually decreases along the axis rotation direction;

[0020] Furthermore, the bifurcated structure is located between the bearing seat and the flat foil to form a wedge-shaped groove structure. Furthermore, the flat foil is a rectangular structure with a positioning structure provided at one end thereof;

[0021] Furthermore, the positioning structure includes a positioning portion cooperating with the positioning groove and a protruding portion cooperating with the positioning hole.

[0022] Furthermore, the positioning portions of the lower parts of the protruding structures on the corrugated foil and the flat foil cooperate with the positioning grooves on the bearing seat, so that the corrugated foil and the flat foil are circumferentially fixed during the assembly process.

[0023] Furthermore, the protrusions on the upper part of the protruding structures on the corrugated foil and the flat foil cooperate with the positioning holes on the bearing seat, so that the corrugated foil and the flat foil are axially fixed during the assembly process.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0025] 1. The enhanced flow compact foil bearing provided by the present invention uses positioning grooves and positioning holes machined on the bearing seat to fix the corrugated foil and the flat foil circumferentially and axially. Compared with existing radial gas foil bearings, the processing and assembly is more convenient and the fixing effect is better;

[0026] 2. The flow-enhanced compact foil bearing provided by the present invention adopts a bifurcated structure for the corrugated foil. The bifurcated gap of the corrugated foil gradually decreases along the direction of shaft rotation, so that the corrugated foil forms a certain gradient along the direction of airflow. During the flow process, the airflow can smoothly enter each circumferential corrugated segment of the corrugated foil. Compared with existing radial gas foil bearings, this avoids the problem of close contact between the corrugated foil, the flat foil and the bearing seat, which prevents the airflow from effectively entering, and makes the air film formed by the bearing more stable.

[0027] 3. The flow-enhanced compact foil bearing provided by the present invention introduces static pressure airflow into the bearing through the positioning hole, thereby improving the fluidity of the airflow, enhancing heat exchange, and avoiding excessive temperature rise. At the same time, it can effectively solve the problems of the bearing not being able to obtain sufficient gas to form an air film or the air film being unstable when the rotating machinery is running at high speed, thereby improving the overall performance of the bearing.

[0028] In summary, the technical solution of the present invention solves the problems in the prior art such as uneven gas pressure distribution and poor fluidity in the bearing, which lead to poor bearing stability, severe dry friction, rapid bearing temperature rise, and low maximum operating speed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0030] Figure 1 It is an exploded view of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bearing seat structure of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the flattening of the corrugated foil of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of flattening the flat foil of the present invention.

[0034] In the figure: 1, bearing seat 2, corrugated foil 3, flat foil 4, positioning groove 5, positioning hole 6, positioning structure 61, positioning part 62, protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is actually only illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention and its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0038] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps, the numerical expressions and the numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. At the same time, it should be clear that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The techniques, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the techniques, methods and equipment should be considered as part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as being merely exemplary and not as limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar numbers and letters represent similar items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0039] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention: the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0040] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature to other devices or features as shown in the figures. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figures. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below their position devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below". The device can also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0041] In addition, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] like Figure 1-4As shown, the present invention provides a flow-enhanced compact foil bearing comprising a bearing seat 1, a corrugated foil 2, and a flat foil 3. The bearing seat 1 is a tubular structure, while the corrugated foil 1 and the flat foil 2 are tubular structures formed by rolling a rectangular structure. Positioning portions 61 and protrusions 62 provided thereon cooperate with positioning grooves 4 and positioning holes 5 to restrict movement, securing the flat foil to the bearing seat 1 and forming a complete foil bearing structure.

[0043] The flat foil 3 is in direct contact with the shaft. During high-speed rotation, the elasticity of the corrugated foil 2 creates a wedge-shaped space on the bearing surface. The shaft's rotation continuously drives gas into the wedge-shaped groove, forming a dynamic lubricating air film with a certain pressure. Positioning holes 5 in the bearing seat 1 are connected to a stable air source, introducing a constant-pressure airflow. This enhances gas flow and heat transfer, while also ensuring the formation and stability of the air film, thereby improving the bearing's impact resistance and load-bearing capacity.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the above embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An enhanced flow compact foil bearing, characterized by: The enhanced flow compact foil bearing comprises: a bearing seat (1), a corrugated foil (2) and a flat foil (3); The bearing seat (1) is a tubular structure, and a corrugated foil (2) and a flat foil (3) are assembled inside the bearing seat; The corrugated foil (2) is located between the bearing seat (1) and the flat foil (3); The corrugated foil (2) is a bifurcated structure, and the bifurcated gap gradually decreases along the axial rotation direction; The bifurcated structure is located between the bearing seat (1) and the flat foil (3), forming a wedge-shaped groove structure.

2. The flow-enhanced compact foil bearing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing seat (1) is machined with a positioning groove (4) and a positioning hole (5) for cooperating with the positioning structure (6) on the corrugated foil (2) and the flat foil (3) to position the corrugated foil (2) and the flat foil (3).

3. The flow-enhanced compact foil bearing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning groove (4) is provided on the inner wall of the bearing seat (1) along the axial direction of the bearing seat (1); The positioning hole (5) is arranged in the middle of the bearing seat (1) along the radial direction of the bearing seat (1); The axis of the positioning hole (5) intersects with the center line of the positioning groove (4); The positioning hole (5) is connected to an external cooling gas source, and the cooling gas flow path can be optimized and improved and the heat transfer effect can be enhanced by adjusting the gas source pressure and temperature, thereby improving the temperature adaptability of the bearing.

4. The flow-enhanced compact foil bearing according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flat foil (3) is a rectangular structure, and a positioning structure (6) is provided at one end thereof; The positioning structure (6) comprises a positioning portion (61) cooperating with the positioning groove (4) and a protruding portion (62) cooperating with the positioning hole (5).

5. The flow-enhanced compact foil bearing according to claim 4, characterized in that: The positioning portion (61) of the lower portion of the positioning structure (6) on the corrugated foil (2) and the flat foil (3) cooperates with the positioning groove (4) on the bearing seat (1) to circumferentially fix the corrugated foil (2) and the flat foil (3) during assembly.

6. The flow-enhanced compact foil bearing according to claim 4, characterized in that: The protrusions (62) on the upper parts of the positioning structures (6) on the corrugated foil (2) and the flat foil (3) cooperate with the positioning holes (5) on the bearing seat (1) to axially fix the corrugated foil (2) and the flat foil (3) during assembly.

Images