A wedge-shaped entry height-adjustable active gas thrust foil bearing

Abstract

This application discloses an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge-shaped inlet height, comprising a bearing housing, an adjustment device, multiple flat foil assemblies, and multiple corrugated foil assemblies. Along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing, one end of the bearing housing is provided with multiple spaced-apart corrugated foils. Along the thickness direction of the corrugated foils, each corrugated foil is connected to one end of the bearing housing. The multiple flat foils are located on the side of the corrugated foils facing away from the bearing housing, and the multiple flat foils form a ring plate structure along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing, covering the multiple corrugated foils. The bearing housing is provided with multiple adjustment devices, each of which is driven by a flat foil to move along the thickness direction of the corrugated foils. One end of the multiple flat foils can be moved along the thickness direction of the corrugated foils via the adjustment device, which can change the size of the wedge-shaped inlet. The size of the wedge-shaped inlet directly affects the load-bearing capacity of the gas thrust foil bearing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pneumatic bearing technology, specifically to an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge-shaped inlet height. Background Technology

[0002] Gas thrust foil bearings are thrust bearings that use gas as the lubricating medium. Due to their numerous advantages, such as high speed, resistance to high and low temperatures, no need for specialized oil lubrication devices, and simple structure, they have been widely used in micro-turbine machinery such as aerators and centrifugal air compressors for providing axial load. However, traditional gas thrust foil bearings have relatively weak load-bearing capacity, and the load-bearing capacity cannot be adjusted. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention at least solves the problem of the inability to adjust the wedge-shaped inlet of the gas thrust foil bearing.

[0004] The first aspect of the present invention provides an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge-shaped inlet height, comprising a bearing housing, an adjustment device, multiple flat foil assemblies, and multiple corrugated foil assemblies. Along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing, one end of the bearing housing is provided with multiple spaced-apart corrugated foils. Along the thickness direction of the corrugated foils, each corrugated foil is connected to one end of the bearing housing. Multiple flat foils are located on the side of the corrugated foils away from the bearing housing, and the multiple flat foils form a ring plate structure along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing, covering the multiple corrugated foils. The bearing housing is provided with multiple adjustment devices, each of which is drivenly connected to one end of a flat foil along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing, for driving the flat foil to move along the thickness direction of the corrugated foils. The other end of the flat foil along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing rests on the corrugated foils. A thrust disk is located on the side of the flat foils away from the corrugated foils, and a wedge-shaped inlet is formed between the thrust disk and the flat foils.

[0005] According to the present invention, an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height comprises multiple flat foils, one end of which can be moved along the thickness direction of the corrugated foil via an adjusting device. One end of each flat foil is moved via the adjusting device, while the other end rests on the corrugated foil. By adjusting one end of the flat foil, the flat foil is tilted relative to the thrust disc, i.e., the flat foil is not perpendicular to the axis of the bearing housing, thus changing the size of the wedge inlet. The size of the wedge inlet directly affects the load-bearing capacity of the active gas thrust foil bearing. Therefore, by actively adjusting the movement of the flat foils via the adjusting device, the active gas thrust foil bearing can achieve a better load-bearing capacity.

[0006] In some embodiments, each adjusting device includes a driving mechanism and a connector. The connector is located between two adjacent corrugated foils and is slidably connected to a bearing housing along the thickness direction of the corrugated foil. The connector is connected to a flat foil and is drivenly connected to the driving mechanism. The driving mechanism is disposed in the bearing housing and is used to drive the connector to move relative to the bearing housing along the thickness direction of the corrugated foil.

[0007] The drive mechanism drives the connecting piece to move along the thickness direction of the corrugated foil, thereby causing the flat foil to move along the thickness direction of the corrugated foil. This allows the wedge-shaped inlet of the gas thrust foil bearing to reach a preset width, enabling the active gas thrust foil bearing to achieve better load-bearing capacity. It also reduces the installation accuracy of the active gas thrust foil bearing (gas thrust foil bearings require installation according to a predetermined gap due to the high installation accuracy of both the flat and corrugated foils).

[0008] In some embodiments, the dimensions of the connector gradually increase from the inside to the outside along the radial direction of the bearing housing.

[0009] This increases the strength of the connecting parts, thereby further improving the load-bearing capacity of the gas thrust foil bearing.

[0010] In some embodiments, the shape of the cross section of the connector along the axis perpendicular to the bearing housing is trapezoidal or sector-shaped.

[0011] The connecting parts are trapezoidal or fan-shaped, which can increase the contact area of ​​the flat foil and improve the rigidity of the flat foil compared with the rectangular structure, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the gas thrust foil bearing.

[0012] In some embodiments, a groove extending along the axial direction of the bearing housing is formed at one end of the bearing housing, and the connector is slidably engaged with the groove.

[0013] This allows the connector to be easily embedded in the bearing housing, making the structure more compact. At the same time, the connector is set in the groove, which can stably support the flat foil to ensure the load-bearing capacity of the pressure gas thrust foil bearing.

[0014] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism includes an electric push rod, which is disposed in a bearing housing and drivenly connected to a connector. The drive shaft of the electric push rod is arranged parallel to the axis of the bearing housing.

[0015] Alternatively, the drive mechanism includes a motor, which is mounted on a bearing housing, is threadedly connected to a connector, and the motor shaft is parallel to the axis of the bearing housing.

[0016] The distance between the flat foil and the corrugated foil can be adjusted more precisely by using an electric actuator or motor drive.

[0017] In some embodiments, the hydrodynamic gas thrust bearing further includes a controller, which is communicatively connected to the drive mechanism and is used to adjust the moving position of the connecting member through the drive mechanism.

[0018] The controller can automatically adjust the gap between the flat foil and the corrugated foil.

[0019] In some embodiments, the bearing housing includes a bearing housing body and a base plate, one end of the bearing housing body is connected to one side of the base plate, and the other side of the base plate opposite to the bearing housing body serves as one end of the bearing housing.

[0020] This makes it easier to assemble and manufacture the corrugated foil and bearing housing.

[0021] In some embodiments, the base plate and the bearing housing body are integrally formed, or the base plate and the bearing housing body are detachably connected.

[0022] This makes it easier to assemble and manufacture the corrugated foil and bearing housing.

[0023] In some embodiments, the number of corrugated foils and the number of flat foils are both 6 or 8. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 An exploded view of an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to an embodiment of this application is shown as an example.

[0025] Figure 2 A partial view of an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to an embodiment of this application is shown as an example;

[0026] Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional view of an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to an embodiment of this application is shown as an example;

[0027] Figure 4 An isometric view of the flat foil of an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to an embodiment of this application is shown as an example.

[0028] Figure 5 An isometric view of the corrugated foil of an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to an embodiment of this application is shown as an example.

[0029] Figure 6 An isometric view of the base plate of a bearing housing according to an embodiment of this application is shown as an example;

[0030] Figure 7 An isometric view of the connector of an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to an embodiment of this application is shown as an example.

[0031] Figure 8 An isometric view of a motor for a wedge-shaped inlet height adjustable active gas thrust foil bearing connector according to an embodiment of this application is shown as an example.

[0032] Figure label:

[0033] Bearing housing 10; bearing housing body 11; groove 111; base plate 12; adjusting device 20; motor 21; motor shaft 21a; connector 22; flat foil 30; corrugated foil 40; thrust plate 50; thickness direction A of corrugated foil; wedge-shaped inlet B. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] The terminology used in the embodiments of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in the embodiments of this invention and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. “Multiple” generally includes at least two, but does not exclude the inclusion of at least one.

[0036] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0037] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a product or system comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a product or system. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the product or system that includes that element.

[0038] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings: This embodiment is implemented under the premise of the technical solution of the present invention, and a detailed implementation method is given, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0039] Please refer to Figures 1-8 According to an embodiment of the present invention, an active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height is provided, comprising a bearing housing 10, an adjusting device 20, a plurality of flat foil 30 assemblies, and a plurality of corrugated foil 40 assemblies. Along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing 10, a plurality of spaced-apart corrugated foils 40 are provided at one end of the bearing housing 10. Along the thickness direction A of the corrugated foils, each corrugated foil 40 is connected to one end of the bearing housing 10. The plurality of flat foils 30 are located on the side of the plurality of corrugated foils 40 away from the bearing housing 10, and the plurality of flat foils 30 are arranged along the bearing... The bearing seat 10 forms a ring plate structure in the circumferential direction, and the ring plate structure covers multiple corrugated foil sheets 40. The bearing seat 10 is provided with multiple adjustment devices 20. Each adjustment device 20 is driven to one end of the flat foil sheet 30 in the circumferential direction of the bearing seat 10, and is used to drive the flat foil sheet 30 to move in the thickness direction A of the corrugated foil sheet. The other end of the flat foil sheet 30 in the circumferential direction of the bearing seat 10 is placed on the corrugated foil sheet 40. The thrust disk 50 is set on the side of the flat foil sheet 30 away from the corrugated foil sheet 40, and a wedge-shaped inlet B is formed between the thrust disk 50 and the flat foil sheet 30.

[0040] The wedge-shaped inlet B refers to a cross-section perpendicular to the air intake direction that is wedge-shaped.

[0041] The corrugated foil 40 can be connected to one end of the bearing housing 10 by welding, bonding or riveting, etc., without specific limitations.

[0042] Understandably, the thickness direction A of the corrugated foil is the same as the axial direction of the bearing housing 10.

[0043] Optionally, multiple corrugated foils 40 are evenly arranged at one end of the bearing housing 10 in the circumferential direction.

[0044] According to the gas thrust foil bearing of the present invention, one end of a plurality of flat foils 30 can be moved along the thickness direction A of the corrugated foil by an adjusting device 20. One end of each flat foil 30 is moved by the adjusting device 20, and the other end is mounted on the corrugated foil. By adjusting one end of the flat foil 30, the flat foil 30 is tilted relative to the thrust plate, that is, the flat foil 30 is not perpendicular to the axis of the bearing seat 10, thereby changing the size of the wedge-shaped inlet B. The size of the wedge-shaped inlet B directly affects the load-bearing capacity of the gas thrust foil bearing. Therefore, by actively adjusting the movement of the flat foils 30 by the adjusting device 20, the gas thrust foil bearing can achieve a better load-bearing capacity.

[0045] Please refer to Figures 1-3In some embodiments, each adjusting device 20 includes a driving mechanism and a connector 22. The connector 22 is located between two adjacent corrugated foils 40. The connector 22 is slidably connected to the bearing seat 10 along the thickness direction A of the corrugated foil. The connector 22 is connected to the flat foil 30. The connector 22 is drivenly connected to the driving mechanism. The driving mechanism is disposed on the bearing seat 10 and is used to drive the connector 22 to move relative to the bearing seat 10 along the thickness direction A of the corrugated foil.

[0046] The drive mechanism drives the connecting piece 22 to move along the thickness direction A of the corrugated foil, thereby causing the flat foil 30 to move along the thickness direction A of the corrugated foil. This allows the wedge-shaped inlet B of the gas thrust foil bearing to reach a preset width, enabling the gas thrust foil bearing to perform better load-bearing capacity and reducing the installation accuracy of the gas thrust foil bearing (because the installation accuracy of the flat foil 30 and the corrugated foil 40 is high, the gas thrust foil bearing needs to be installed according to a predetermined gap).

[0047] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 1-2 Along the radial direction of the bearing housing 10 from the inside to the outside, the dimension of the connecting piece 22 gradually increases along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing 10.

[0048] This increases the strength of the connector 22, thereby further improving the load-bearing capacity of the gas thrust foil bearing.

[0049] In some embodiments, the shape of the cross section of the connector 22 along the axis perpendicular to the bearing housing 10 is trapezoidal or fan-shaped.

[0050] The connector 22 is trapezoidal or fan-shaped, which, compared to a rectangular structure, increases the contact area of ​​the flat foil 30 and improves its rigidity, thereby increasing the load-bearing capacity of the gas thrust foil bearing. In other embodiments, the connector 22 may also be triangular prism-shaped.

[0051] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 1-2 One end of the bearing housing 10 is formed with a groove 111 extending along the axial direction of the bearing housing 10, and the connecting member 22 is slidably engaged with the groove 111.

[0052] Optionally, the outer contour shape of the connector 22 is the same as the outer contour shape of the groove wall of the groove 111, so that the connector 22 can slide in the groove 111.

[0053] For example, the outer contour shape of the groove wall of the groove 111 is trapezoidal, and the outer contour shape of the connector 22 is also trapezoidal. The connector 22 is slidably disposed in the groove 111.

[0054] Therefore, the connector 22 can be easily embedded into the bearing housing 10, making the structure more compact. At the same time, the connector 22 is set in the groove 111, which can stably support the flat foil 30 to ensure the load-bearing capacity of the pressure gas thrust foil bearing.

[0055] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism includes an electric actuator, which is disposed in the bearing housing 10 and drivenly connected to the connector 22. The drive shaft of the electric actuator is arranged parallel to the axis of the bearing housing 10. Optionally, the motor of the electric actuator is a stepper motor or a servo motor.

[0056] In some embodiments, the drive mechanism includes a motor 21, which is mounted on a bearing housing 10. The motor shaft 21a of the motor 21 is threadedly connected to a connector 22, and the motor shaft is parallel to the axis of the bearing housing 10. The motor can be a servo motor or a stepper motor, which can improve control accuracy.

[0057] The distance between the flat foil 30 and the corrugated foil 40 can be adjusted more precisely by means of an electric push rod or motor drive.

[0058] In some embodiments, the hydrodynamic gas thrust bearing further includes a controller, which is communicatively connected to the drive mechanism and is used to adjust the moving position of the connecting member 22 through the drive mechanism.

[0059] Optionally, the controller can communicate with the display screen, and input the gap parameter between the flat foil 30 and the corrugated foil 40 through the display screen. The controller drives the motor to adjust the movement of the connector 22 according to the parameter so that the flat foil 30 reaches the predetermined position.

[0060] The gap between the flat foil 30 and the corrugated foil 40 can be automatically adjusted by the controller.

[0061] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 1-2 The bearing housing 10 includes a bearing housing body 11 and a base plate 12. One end of the bearing housing body 11 is connected to one side of the base plate 12, and the other side of the base plate 12 away from the bearing housing body 11 serves as one end face of the bearing housing 10.

[0062] This makes it easier to assemble and manufacture the corrugated foil 40 and the bearing housing 10.

[0063] In some embodiments, the base plate 12 is integrally formed with the bearing housing body 11, or the base plate 12 and the bearing housing body 11 are detachably connected.

[0064] This makes it easier to assemble and manufacture the corrugated foil 40 and the bearing housing 10.

[0065] In some embodiments, the number of corrugated foils 40 and the number of flat foils 30 are both 6 or 8.

[0066] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been specifically shown and described above. It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the detailed structures, arrangements, or implementations described herein; rather, this disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements contained within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge-shaped inlet height, characterized in that... The bearing housing includes a bearing housing, a thrust plate, an adjustment device, multiple flat foil assemblies, and multiple corrugated foil assemblies. Along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing, one end of the bearing housing is provided with multiple spaced-apart corrugated foils. Along the thickness direction of the corrugated foils, each corrugated foil is connected to one end of the bearing housing. Multiple flat foils are located on the side of the corrugated foils opposite to the bearing housing, and the multiple flat foils form a ring plate structure along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing. The ring plate structure covers the multiple corrugated foils. The bearing housing is provided with multiple adjustment devices, each of which is driven to one end of a flat foil along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing, for actively driving the flat foil to move along the thickness direction of the corrugated foil. The other end of the flat foil along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing rests on the corrugated foil. The thrust plate is located on the side of the flat foils opposite to the corrugated foils, and a wedge-shaped inlet is formed between the thrust plate and the flat foils. Each of the adjustment devices includes a drive mechanism and a connector. The connector is located between two adjacent corrugated foils and is slidably connected to the bearing housing along the thickness direction of the corrugated foil. The connector is connected to the flat foil and is drivenly connected to the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism is disposed on the bearing housing and is used to drive the connector to move relative to the bearing housing along the thickness direction of the corrugated foil, so that the flat foil is tilted relative to the thrust plate, thereby making the flat foil not perpendicular to the axis of the bearing housing, so as to change the size of the wedge-shaped inlet.

2. The active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to claim 1, characterized in that... Along the radial direction of the bearing housing from the inside to the outside, the dimension of the connecting member gradually increases along the circumferential direction of the bearing housing.

3. The active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to claim 2, characterized in that... The shape of the cross section of the connector along the axis perpendicular to the bearing seat is trapezoidal or sector-shaped.

4. An active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that... One end of the bearing housing is formed with a groove extending along the axial direction of the bearing housing, and the connecting member is slidably engaged with the groove.

5. An active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that... The driving mechanism includes an electric push rod, which is disposed on the bearing seat and drivenly connected to the connector. The drive shaft of the electric push rod is parallel to the axis of the bearing seat. Alternatively, the driving mechanism includes a motor, which is disposed on the bearing seat and threadedly connected to the connector. The motor shaft is parallel to the axis of the bearing seat.

6. An active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that... The active gas thrust foil bearing also includes a controller, which is communicatively connected to the drive mechanism. The controller is used to adjust the moving position of the connecting member through the drive mechanism.

7. An active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that... The bearing housing includes a bearing housing body and a base plate. One end of the bearing housing body is connected to one side of the base plate, and the other side of the base plate opposite to the bearing housing body serves as one end of the bearing housing.

8. The active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to claim 7, characterized in that... The base plate is integrally formed with the bearing housing body, or the base plate is detachably connected with the bearing housing body.

9. An active gas thrust foil bearing with adjustable wedge inlet height according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that... The number of corrugated foils and the number of flat foils are both 6 or 8.

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