Self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing

Abstract

To provide a self-dehumidification type hydrostatic air bearing which solves a problem that the bearing becomes unable to operate in a reliable manner by a gas-liquid mixture being liquefied and changed to water droplets in a process that the gas-liquid mixture undergoes a throttling expansion.SOLUTION: The invention relates to a bearing, in particular, a self-dehumidification type hydrostatic air bearing. The self-dehumidification type hydrostatic air bearing includes a bearing holder, a rotary shaft, a magnetic material, and a throttling vaporization structure. In the bearing holder, a cavity is provided therein and a suction pipe is provided on an outer surface. The rotary shaft is provided fitted in the bearing holder. The magnetic material is fitted on an exterior of the rotary shaft. The throttling vaporization structure is provided in the cavity and forms a first gap with the magnetic material. The first gap penetrates through the bearing holder to form an exhaust passage. The throttling vaporization structure is configured to decrease a temperature of a medium by constricting flow of the medium placed in the cavity and generate eddy current through magnetic field induction to heat and vaporize the medium after the temperature of the medium is decreased.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to bearings, and more particularly to self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearings. [Background technology]

[0002] Bearings are one of the core components of power machinery. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an aerostatic bearing. Aerostatic bearings have a strong load-bearing capacity, and to further improve compatibility with power systems, high-pressure gas inside the power system may be used as the bearing medium. Compared to conventional oil-lubricated bearings, this eliminates the need for an oil supply system and reduces bearing friction loss, thereby simplifying the power system and improving energy efficiency. In some power systems, for example, in steam systems in nuclear power plants, water vapor liquefies and turns into water droplets during throttling and expansion.

[0003] If such a medium is supplied as the medium for an aerostatic bearing, the pressure and temperature of the gas will decrease during the throttling process of the aerostatic bearing, causing it to liquefy, and the gas-liquid mixture may enter the gaps in the bearing, preventing the bearing from operating reliably. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-300576 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing that overcomes the drawback of the prior art in that the gas-liquid mixture liquefies and turns into water droplets during the process of throttling and expansion, preventing the bearing from operating reliably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing of the present invention comprises a bearing holder having a cavity inside and an intake pipe on its outer surface that communicates with the cavity, a rotating shaft drilled into the bearing holder, a magnetic body that is fitted radially outside the rotating shaft and generates a magnetic field when the rotating shaft rotates, and a throttling vaporization structure that is provided within the cavity and has a first gap between it and the magnetic body, the first gap forming an exhaust passage that passes through the bearing holder, the throttling vaporization structure throttling the medium that has entered the cavity to lower its temperature, and after the temperature of the medium has been lowered, generating eddy currents by magnetic field induction to heat and vaporize the medium, and the exhaust passage is used to exhaust gas.

[0007] In the present invention, the throttle vaporization structure includes a plurality of annular throttles and a plurality of annular carburetors, the plurality of annular throttles and the plurality of annular carburetors are alternately fitted on the outside, the intake pipe is installed adjacent to the radially outermost annular throttle, the magnetic body is installed adjacent to the radially innermost annular throttle, and the first gap is formed between the innermost annular throttle and the magnetic body.

[0008] In the present invention, a second gap is formed between the outermost annular throttle and the inner wall of the bearing holder, the second gap forms an intake passage, and the intake passage communicates with the intake pipe.

[0009] In the present invention, each annular restrictor is a non-metallic annular restrictor, and said annular restrictor is made of a material having a porous structure in order to restrict the medium and thereby reduce the temperature.

[0010] In the present invention, each of the annular vaporizers is a metal annular vaporizer, and a plurality of first through holes are provided on the surface of the annular vaporizer. The annular vaporizer is configured to generate eddy currents using a magnetic field, thereby heating and vaporizing a medium whose temperature has been reduced.

[0011] In the present invention, the annular vaporizer is a wire mesh.

[0012] In the present invention, each of the annular vaporizers includes a plurality of the wire meshes, which are stacked and installed such that the meshes of each wire mesh are offset from one another.

[0013] In the present invention, adjacent meshes of the wire mesh have different shapes.

[0014] In the present invention, the magnetic body further includes a sheath fitted around the outside of the magnetic body.

[0015] In the present invention, the bearing holder includes a ring-shaped member and a pair of end caps, each of which is installed at both ends of the ring-shaped member. Each of the end caps has a second through hole through which the rotating shaft is drilled. In order to form the exhaust passage, the diameter of the second through hole is larger than the diameter of the magnetic body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, the magnetic material and throttling vaporization structure are installed, which reduces the temperature and pressure of the medium through a throttling effect, and the liquid phase in the medium is vaporized into gas through the principle of electromagnetic induction. This prevents liquid from entering the first gap during operation of the hydrostatic air bearing, which could disrupt stable operation of the hydrostatic air bearing, improving the reliability of its operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions of the present invention or the prior art, the following briefly introduces the accompanying drawings necessary for describing the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other accompanying drawings based on these accompanying drawings without any creative efforts. [Figure 1] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the annular vaporizer shown in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art can obtain all other embodiments without any creative effort, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] The terms "first" and "second" in the present specification and claims may expressly or implicitly include one or more of the elements. In the present description, unless otherwise stated, "plurality" means two or more than two.

[0020] The self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, a self-dehumidifying hydrostatic bearing according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a bearing holder 10, a rotating shaft 20, a magnetic body 30, and a throttling vaporization structure. Hereinafter, the direction in which the rotating shaft 20 extends is referred to as the axial direction, and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is referred to as the radial direction of the rotating shaft 20. A cavity is provided inside the bearing holder 10, and an intake pipe 50 communicating with the cavity is provided on the radial outer surface of the bearing holder 10. The rotating shaft 20 is drilled through the bearing holder 10. In other words, a through-hole penetrating the bearing holder 10 in the axial direction is formed, and the rotating shaft 20 is inserted into the through-hole. The magnetic body 30 is fitted onto the outside (outer peripheral surface) of the rotating shaft 20. The magnetic body 30 generates a magnetic field when the rotating shaft 20 rotates. The throttling vaporization structure is provided within the cavity, and a first gap 101 is formed between the throttling vaporization structure and the magnetic body 30. The first gap 101 forms an exhaust passage that penetrates the bearing holder 10 in the axial direction. The throttling vaporization structure is configured to throttle the medium that has entered the cavity to lower the temperature of the medium, and after the medium temperature is lowered, to generate eddy currents by magnetic field induction, thereby heating and vaporizing the medium. The exhaust passage is used to exhaust the gas (vaporized medium) to the outside of the bearing holder 10.

[0022] Specifically, when the rotating shaft 20 rotates, the magnetic body 30 also rotates. That is, when the rotating shaft 20 rotates, the magnetic body 30 rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 20. The rotation of the magnetic body 30 generates a magnetic field. The intake pipe 50 is used to pass (supply) a medium into the cavity of the bearing holder 10. In this embodiment, a gaseous medium or a gas-liquid medium that is easily liquefied is used as the medium. The restrictor-evaporator structure has a layered structure. When the medium passes through the restrictor-evaporator structure, a throttling effect occurs, reducing the pressure and temperature of the medium. The restrictor-evaporator structure then induces and generates eddy currents through the magnetic field, heating the liquid phase in the medium and vaporizing it into a gas, which is then discharged through the exhaust passage. This allows the aerostatic bearing to perform a self-dehumidifying function during operation, preventing liquid from entering the first gap 101 of the aerostatic bearing and disrupting stable operation.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic body 30 is a permanent magnet with an annular structure, and when the rotating shaft 20 rotates, the magnetic body 30 also rotates, generating a magnetic field. The throttle vaporization structure uses the principle of electromagnetic induction to generate eddy currents, which then heat and vaporize the liquid phase in the medium.

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of intake pipes 50 are provided sequentially along the circumferential surface of the bearing holder 10 .

[0025] In the self-dehumidifying aerostatic bearing provided by the embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic material 30 and the throttling evaporation structure are installed, which reduces the temperature and pressure of the medium through the throttling effect, and through the principle of electromagnetic induction, the liquid phase in the medium can be evaporated into gas. During the operation of the aerostatic bearing, the situation where the aerostatic bearing cannot operate stably after liquid enters the first gap 101 is avoided, thereby improving the reliability of the operation of the aerostatic bearing.

[0026] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the throttling vaporization structure includes a plurality of annular throttles 41 and a plurality of annular vaporizers 42, and the plurality of annular throttles 41 and the plurality of annular vaporizers 42 are alternately fitted on the outside, the intake pipe 50 is installed adjacent to the first (radially outermost) annular throttle 41, and the magnetic body 30 is installed adjacent to the last (radially innermost) annular throttle 41, and there is a first gap 101 between the last annular throttle 41 and the magnetic body 30.

[0027] Specifically, in this embodiment, the multiple annular throttles 41 and the multiple annular evaporators 42 are fitted alternately in sequence to form a multi-layer throttle structure and a multi-layer vaporization structure, and the temperature and pressure of the medium are reduced each time the medium passes through one throttle structure layer, but the liquid phase in the medium is vaporized each time the medium passes through one vaporization structure layer, turning the medium into pure gas, preventing the liquid from entering the first gap 101. Moreover, since the process of lowering the temperature and then heating is performed multiple times while the medium is flowing, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the hydrostatic air bearing from becoming too high locally, which would affect its service life.

[0028] In the self-dehumidifying aerostatic bearing according to the embodiment of the present invention, the multiple annular throttles 41 and multiple annular evaporators 42 are alternately arranged, so that the temperature and pressure are reduced multiple times as the medium flows, ensuring that the pressure of the aerostatic bearing remains normal and preventing the aerostatic bearing from becoming locally overheated, which would affect its service life. Furthermore, by heating multiple times, the liquid phase in the medium is evaporated into gas each time the medium passes through one annular evaporator 42, turning the medium into pure gas. This prevents liquid from entering the first gap 101 of the aerostatic bearing, ensuring reliable operation of the aerostatic bearing.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment of the present invention, a second gap 102 is formed between the radially outermost annular orifice 41 and the inner wall of the bearing holder 10, and the second gap 102 forms an intake passage, which communicates with the intake pipe 50.

[0030] 1, in this embodiment of the present invention, the bearing holder 10 includes an annular member 11 and a pair of end caps 12. The pair of end caps 12 are installed at both ends of the annular member 11 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. Each end cap 12 is provided with a second through hole through which the rotating shaft 20 is drilled, and the diameter of the second through hole is made larger than the diameter of the magnetic body 30 so as to form an exhaust passage.

[0031] Specifically, the pair of end caps 12 are respectively installed on both ends of the annular fitting 11, thereby defining a cavity inside the hydrostatic air bearing 10, and the annular orifice 41 and the annular evaporator 42 are alternately fitted into the cavity. A second gap 102 is formed between the annular orifice 41 and the annular fitting 11, and this second gap 102 forms an intake passage. The two end faces of the magnetic body 30 are flush with the two end caps 12, and the diameter of the magnetic body 30 is smaller than the diameter of the second through hole. As a result, a first gap 101 is formed between the magnetic body 30 and the last (innermost in the radial direction) annular orifice 41, and this first gap 101 is used to discharge the medium, which is pure gas.

[0032] 1, in this embodiment of the present invention, each annular restrictor 41 is a non-metallic annular restrictor made of a porous material to restrict the medium and thereby reduce the temperature. Each annular vaporizer 42 is a metallic annular vaporizer with a plurality of first through-holes formed on the surface of the annular vaporizer 42. The annular vaporizer 42 generates eddy currents by a magnetic field to heat and vaporize the cooled medium.

[0033] Specifically, in this embodiment, the annular orifice 41 is made of a material with a porous structure. Specifically, the annular orifice 41 is made of a non-metallic material with a more sparse structure. When a gaseous or gas-liquid medium that is easily liquefied passes through the annular orifice 41, the pressure and temperature of the medium decrease due to the throttling effect of the small holes, and liquid may be generated accordingly. When the medium flows into the annular orifice 42, the annular orifice 42 induces and generates eddy currents due to the action of a magnetic field. The eddy currents heat the medium, further vaporizing the liquid phase of the medium into gas and heating the medium to above its saturation temperature. At this time, the pressure of the medium remains almost unchanged. When the medium flows again into the radially inner annular orifice 41, the pressure and temperature of the medium decrease again due to the throttling effect of the small holes. At the same time, some of the gaseous medium may be liquefied into liquid. When the medium flows again into the radially inner annular evaporator 42, the annular evaporator 42 heats and evaporates the liquid in the medium again, turning the medium into a pure gas. By alternately arranging the annular throttles 41 and the annular evaporators 42 in this way, the pressure of the medium decreases continuously after passing through the multiple annular throttles 41 and the multiple annular evaporators 42, which meets the requirements for use of hydrostatic air bearings.

[0034] Alternatively, the material having a porous structure may be a porous ceramic, a carbon material, or the like.

[0035] When the medium flows into the radially innermost annular vaporizer 42, the annular vaporizer 42 is closest to the magnetic body 30, and therefore the heating efficiency of the eddy current generated by induction is also maximized. This ensures that the medium remains a pure gas even after its temperature and pressure drop when it passes through the radially innermost annular throttle 41, and prevents liquid from entering the first gap 101.

[0036] 1, there are three annular throttles 41 and two annular vaporizers 42. Thus, the medium has a high temperature after passing through the second annular vaporizer 42, and even after passing through the third annular throttle 41 and the temperature drops, the medium is still not liquefied and is ensured to be a pure gas.

[0037] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the thicker the annular throttle 41, the more pronounced the throttle effect that occurs when the medium passes through the annular throttle 41, and the greater the amount of temperature and pressure reduction of the medium. Thus, by adjusting the thickness of the annular throttle 41 depending on the specific type of medium, it is possible to reduce the temperature and pressure of high-temperature and high-pressure mediums.

[0038] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the small holes in the annular throttle 41 is minimized as much as possible to increase the flow resistance of the medium and reduce the temperature and pressure of the medium.

[0039] Furthermore, the number of annular throttles 41 and annular evaporators 42 is related to the pressure required to operate the hydrostatic air bearing. Therefore, by adjusting the number of annular throttles 41 according to the pressure-reducing effect of each annular throttle 41, the pressure of the medium can be made to meet the design requirements of the hydrostatic air bearing.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the annular restrictor 41 is made of a non-metallic material, thereby preventing the annular restrictor 41 from generating eddy currents due to electromagnetic induction and from failing to perform its pressure reduction and temperature reduction functions.

[0041] 2, in this embodiment of the present invention, the annular vaporizer 42 is a wire mesh. When the medium passes through the wire mesh, the contact area between the medium and the wire mesh increases, i.e., the total heat-receiving area of ​​the medium increases, allowing the medium to receive heat uniformly and effectively remove the liquid phase in the medium.

[0042] Furthermore, each annular vaporizer 42 may be a single layer of metal wire or multiple (multi-layer) metal wires. By stacking multiple metal wires, the heating efficiency can be increased and the vaporization effect of the liquid phase can be ensured.

[0043] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the mesh shape of the metal rope may be triangular, circular, rectangular, etc., but a triangular mesh is preferred here, as the triangular mesh can further increase the contact area between the medium and the metal rope, further increasing the heat-receiving area of ​​the medium and improving the evaporation effect.

[0044] In the self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to an embodiment of the present invention, by installing a metal wire as the annular evaporator 42, the heat receiving area of ​​the medium can be increased, the medium can be ensured to receive heat uniformly, and the liquid phase in the medium can be effectively removed.

[0045] Furthermore, when there are multiple metal wires (multi-layers), the meshes of each metal wire are arranged so as to be offset, thereby improving the density of the metal wire mesh, i.e., the metal wire still exists in the cavities (gaps) of the mesh, so that when the medium passes through the mesh of the upper layer, it can still come into contact with the mesh of the lower layer, and in this case, the medium is further heated, thereby ensuring the vaporization effect on the medium.

[0046] Furthermore, when multiple (multi-layer) metal ropes are stacked and installed, the mesh shapes of adjacent metal ropes can be selected to be different shapes, which can also improve the density of the mesh.

[0047] In the self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to an embodiment of the present invention, multiple metal wires are stacked and installed, and the meshes of the multiple metal wires are installed staggered, so that the heat-receiving area of ​​the medium is further increased, and the medium can be further heated while flowing, ensuring the evaporation effect on the medium.

[0048] 1, in this embodiment of the present invention, the self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing further includes a sheath 60 provided on the outside of the magnetic body 30. The sheath 60 serves as a protective layer that protects the magnetic body 30 from the medium. Specifically, the sheath 60 is fitted onto the outside of the magnetic body 30, thereby preventing contact between the medium and the magnetic body 30.

[0049] The self-dehumidifying aerostatic bearing according to the embodiment of the present invention has a compact structure and fully utilizes the inherent structure of the bearing. During rotation of the rotating shaft 20, eddy currents are generated within the metal mesh between the multi-layer annular restrictors 41 using the principle of electromagnetic induction, which heats the liquid phase in the medium, automatically dehumidifying the medium during operation. This eliminates the need for additional heating equipment and reduces the manufacturing costs of the aerostatic bearing. Furthermore, the self-dehumidifying aerostatic bearing according to the embodiment of the present invention has an excellent dehumidifying effect, keeps the maximum temperature of the medium low, and performs the restricting and heating of the medium in multiple stages. In each stage, the temperature is lowered by the annular restrictors 41 and then heated by the dense metal mesh. This increases the total heat-receiving area, ensuring uniform heat absorption and effectively removing the liquid phase from the medium. Furthermore, the process of first lowering the temperature of the medium and then heating it multiple times avoids localized high temperatures in the bearing structure, which could adversely affect the service life of the aerostatic bearing.

[0050] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely for the purpose of illustration and not for the purpose of limiting the technical solutions (technical ideas) of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the technical solutions described in the above embodiments may still be modified or equivalent replacements may be made for some of the components therein. Moreover, even if such modifications or replacements are made, the corresponding technical solutions will not essentially deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10...bearing holder, 11...annular fitting, 12...end cap, 20...rotating shaft, 30...magnetic body, 41...annular throttle, 42...annular carburetor, 50...intake pipe, 60...sheath, 101...first gap, 102...second gap

Claims

1. a bearing holder having a cavity formed therein and an intake pipe formed on an outer surface thereof and communicating with the cavity; a rotating shaft drilled through the bearing holder; a magnetic body fitted radially outside the rotating shaft and generating a magnetic field when the rotating shaft rotates; a restricting vaporization structure provided in the cavity and having a first gap between the restricting vaporization structure and the magnetic body; the first gap forms an exhaust passage that penetrates the bearing holder; the throttling vaporization structure is configured to throttle the medium that has entered the cavity to lower the temperature of the medium, and after the temperature of the medium is lowered, to heat and vaporize the medium by generating an eddy current through magnetic field induction; The exhaust passage is used to exhaust gas. A self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing.

2. the throttle vaporization structure includes a plurality of annular throttles and a plurality of annular vaporizers; the plurality of annular throttles and the plurality of annular vaporizers are fitted alternately on the outside of the annular throttles and the annular vaporizers; the intake pipe is disposed adjacent to the radially outermost annular throttle; the magnetic body is disposed adjacent to the radially innermost annular aperture, the first gap is provided between the innermost annular throttle and the magnetic body; 2. The self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to claim 1.

3. a second gap is formed between the outermost annular throttle and an inner wall of the bearing holder; The second gap forms an intake passage, and the intake passage communicates with the intake pipe.

3. The self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to claim 2.

4. each annular restriction is a non-metallic annular restriction; The annular throttle is formed of a material having a porous structure to reduce the temperature by restricting the medium.

3. The self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to claim 2.

5. each annular vaporizer is a metallic annular vaporizer; a plurality of first through holes are provided on a surface of the annular vaporizer; The annular vaporizer is configured to generate an eddy current by a magnetic field to heat and vaporize the medium whose temperature has been reduced.

3. The self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to claim 2.

6. 6. The self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to claim 5, wherein said annular evaporator is a wire mesh.

7. the annular vaporizer includes a plurality of the wire meshes; The plurality of wire meshes are stacked and installed so that the meshes of each wire mesh are offset.

7. The self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to claim 6.

8. 8. The self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to claim 7, wherein adjacent meshes of said wire mesh have different shapes.

9. 2. The self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to claim 1, further comprising a sheath fitted over the outside of said magnetic body.

10. The bearing holder includes: a ring member and a pair of end caps, The pair of end caps are respectively installed on both ends of the annular member, Each end cap is provided with a second through hole through which the rotation shaft is drilled, In order to form the exhaust passage, the diameter of the second through hole is made larger than the diameter of the magnetic body.

2. The self-dehumidifying hydrostatic air bearing according to claim 1.

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