Lubricated bearing assembly with removable lubricant supply rail

Abstract

The invention relates to a lubricated bearing assembly with a removable lubricant supply rail, the assembly (10) comprising an external part (20) connected to a lubrication system (40), wherein at least one bearing (30) with a rolling element (35) is arranged on the internal face (21) of the external part, and wherein the lubrication system (40) comprises: - a hollow, removable lubricant supply rail (60) formed of at least two rail sections (65), each comprising a tubular body (653) with an internal channel (655) and at least one nozzle (656) arranged on the tubular body (653) and in fluid communication with the internal channel (655); - at least one securing device (70) per rail section (65), which immobilises each rail section (65) with respect to the internal face (21); and - at least one lubricant supply device (80) for at least one rail section (65), which brings the general supply (25) into fluid communication with the internal channel (655) of the rail section.

Description

Lubricated bearing assembly with removable lubricant supply ramp TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The technical field of the invention is that of lubrication systems for rolling bearings in rotor or stator parts.

[0002] The present invention relates to a lubricated bearing assembly comprising an external part equipped with a lubricant projection ramp comprising nozzles, and in particular an external part whose projection ramp is intended to lubricate a rolling bearing housed in said part and having a large implantation radius. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] When designing external rotor or stator parts comprising a rolling bearing with a large implantation radius, for example a radius between 20 cm and 120 cm, preferably between 50 cm and 100 cm, it is very important to size the nozzles of the lubrication system dedicated to this type of rolling bearing so that all the rolling elements of the bearing are sufficiently lubricated and the angular distribution of the bearing temperature is homogeneous while limiting lubricant losses. By sizing the nozzles, we mean the choice of their number, their size, their length, their location, the diameter of their outlet orifice and their spatial orientation.

[0004] Typically, each test with a lubrication system featuring a new nozzle size requires the design of a new external part to accommodate the new lubrication system, particularly to provide an external part with feed channels capable of supplying lubricant to the lubrication system. When several nozzle sizes need to be tested, designing a new external part each time involves a great deal of time wasted and prohibitive costs. This time wasted and costs are further increased when the lubricant feed ducts that feed the nozzles also need to be redesigned for each test.

[0005] There is therefore a need for a lubrication system that allows multiple nozzle sizing to be tested more quickly and at lower cost. Ideally, this lubrication system should be lighter and less bulky than previous lubrication systems. It must also be suitable for the lubrication of a single rolling bearing or two adjacent rolling bearings. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The invention provides a solution to the problems mentioned above, by providing a modular lubrication system comprising a removable circular projection ramp mounted inside an external part and comprising several nozzles formed in a single piece with said ramp, said ramp being in several parts in order to facilitate its mounting inside the external part, said external part comprising means for fixing and supplying lubricant to the ramp which are fixed and immutable whatever the projection ramp which is mounted.

[0007] One aspect of the invention relates to a lubricated bearing assembly comprising an external part of revolution on the internal face of which at least one rolling bearing is arranged, said external part comprising a general lubricant supply connected to a lubrication system capable of lubricating the bearing of the at least one bearing, in which the lubrication system comprises: a hollow and removable lubricant supply ramp, located at a distance from the at least one rolling bearing and formed of at least two ramp sections, each ramp section comprising a tubular body with an internal channel and at least one nozzle arranged on said tubular body and in fluid communication with the internal channel, at least one ramp fixing device per ramp section, comprising fixing members configured to be fixed on the internal face of the external part and which immobilize each ramp section with respect to the internal face,and at least one lubricant supply device for at least one ramp section, which places the general supply in fluid communication with the internal channel of the ramp section.,

[0008] Thanks to the invention, it is advantageously possible to quickly and easily replace the lubrication rail of the lubrication system with another. It is therefore sufficient to design a new lubrication rail to modify the nozzle sizing. Being made up of several low-mass sections, the lubrication ramp is easy to handle and install. The removable lubrication ramp can easily be replaced with another one to carry out other nozzle sizing tests. The elements of the fixing and supply devices provided in the external part remain identical, regardless of the ramp sections used, which advantageously simplifies the design of the external part and does not require it to be modified during the various nozzle sizing tests.

[0009] In addition to the characteristics which have just been mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the assembly according to one aspect of the invention may have one or more additional characteristics among the following, considered individually or according to all technically possible combinations: at least one lubricant supply device for a ramp section comprises a supply orifice in fluid communication with the general supply, shaped in the external part and opening into the internal face thereof; and a supply nipple, arranged on the external face of the tubular body of the ramp section, housed in a sealed manner in said supply orifice and having a connection conduit putting the general supply in fluid communication with the internal channel of the ramp section. the ramp sections are adjacent end-to-end so as to form an annular ramp.the feed ramp is formed of n ramp sections, with n > 2, each ramp section covering 360 / n degrees of the annular projection ramp. the tubular body of at least two adjacent ramp sections is open at at least one of its two ends so that the internal channels of the two ramp sections communicate, and one of the two adjacent ramp sections does not comprise a lubricant supply device and is supplied with lubricant by the adjacent ramp section. the tubular body of at least one ramp section is closed at its two ends. the nozzles of at least one ramp section are located at radial height of the rolling elements of the bearing. at least one fixing device comprises a fixing plate formed in one piece with the tubular body and fixed on the internal face of the external part. the fixing plate is arranged at a radial distance from the tubular body and connected to the latter by a radial skirt formed in one piece with the tubular body. at least one ramp section comprises a single supply nipple. at least one ramp section comprises at least one nozzle located on an upstream side of the tubular body and at least one nozzle located on a downstream side of the tubular body. at least one ramp section comprises at least two nozzles superimposed radially and located on the upstream or downstream side of the tubular body.

[0010] Another aspect of the invention relates to a rotating machine equipped with an assembly according to the invention.

[0011] The invention and its various applications will be better understood by reading the following description and examining the accompanying figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0012] The figures are presented for information purposes only and in no way limit the invention.

[0013] [Fig. 1] is a schematic longitudinal sectional view at the level of a nozzle of an example of a lubricated bearing assembly according to the invention.

[0014] [Fig. 2] is a view similar to [Fig. 1] at a feed nipple.

[0015] [Fig. 3] is a detail view of the part circled in [Fig. 1],

[0016] [Fig. 4] is a detail view of the part circled in [Fig. 2],

[0017] [Fig. 5] is a schematic perspective view of a projection ramp formed of two ramp sections according to an example of the invention.

[0018] [Fig. 6] is a detail view of the part framed in [Fig. 5].

[0019] [Fig. 7] to [Fig. 12] illustrate different examples of variants of the assembly according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Unless otherwise specified, the same element appearing in different figures has a single reference.

[0021] By convention, the upstream direction is defined to the left in the figures, and corresponds to the upstream of the turbomachine on which the lubricated bearing assembly is implemented. In the present application, the “upstream” parts are located on the left in the figures, and the “downstream” parts are located on the right.

[0022] Also by convention, the terms "inner" and "outer", "lower" and "upper", and "inner" and "outer" are defined radially relative to the longitudinal axis X-X' of the rotor and / or stator parts. Thus, a cylindrical part extending along the axis X-X' has an inner surface facing this axis and an outer surface, opposite its inner surface.

[0023] [Fig. 1], [Fig. 2], [Fig. 3] and [Fig. 4] illustrate an example of an assembly 10 according to the invention comprising an external part 20 of revolution, two bearings 30 with rolling bearings 35 mounted on the internal face 21 of said external part 20 and a lubrication system 40 provided for lubricating the rolling bearing 35 of the bearings 30. As will be seen later and illustrated in [Fig. 7] to [Fig. 12], the assembly 10 according to the invention may also comprise a single bearing 30 and / or two lubrication systems 40.

[0024] The external part 20 is a rotor or stator part of revolution, for example cylindrical, which may be part of a rotating machine, for example a turbomachine, a pump, a compressor, a reducer, a turbocharger, etc. It comprises a general supply 25 of lubricant, for example in the form of an annular conduit shaped in the body of the external part 20. This general supply 25 is provided to supply lubricant to the lubrication system 40. The manner in which it is itself supplied with lubricant may be conventional and will not be described here.

[0025] In the figures, the two bearings 30 with rolling bearing 35 are identical, although this is not obligatory. Each bearing 30 is mounted by its outer ring 31 on the inner face 21 of the outer part 20 and by its inner ring 32 on the outer face 51 of an inner part 50, for example a rotor or stator part of revolution. Each bearing 30 usually comprises a rolling bearing 35, with rolling elements constituted for example by balls or cylindrical or conical rollers, housed in a cage 38.

[0026] The lubrication system 40 is preferably provided to lubricate each bearing 35 with a lubricant supplied at the general supply 25. It is characterized in that it comprises a lubricant projection ramp 60, fixing devices 70 for fixing the projection ramp 60 to the internal face 21 of the external part 20 and lubricant supply devices 80 for supplying the projection ramp 60 with lubricant coming from the general supply 25.

[0027] The projection ramp 60 is hollow and removable.

[0028] It is located at a distance from each bearing 30 so as not to interfere with them, in particular so that the projection ramp 60 can be easily replaced by another without having to touch the bearings 30, and vice versa.

[0029] The projection ramp 60 is characterized in particular in that it is formed of several ramp sections 65, n in number, with n > 2. In other words, the ramp is sectorized and each ramp section 65 corresponds to an angular sector of the overall projection ramp 60.

[0030] These ramp sections 65 are preferably identical, but not necessarily. They are preferably assembled end-to-end so as to form an annular projection ramp 60.

[0031] By way of example, [Fig. 5] illustrates a projection ramp 60 formed of two identical ramp sections 65. A projection ramp 60 may for example be formed of three, four, five or more ramp sections 65, preferably identical, in particular for reasons of reducing manufacturing costs.

[0032] Each ramp section 65 each comprises a tubular body 653 closing an internal channel 655, and at least one nozzle 656 formed in a single piece with said tubular body 653 and comprising an outlet orifice 6565 connected to the internal channel 655, for example by means of a small conduit 6568.

[0033] According to a variant of the invention, the tubular body 653 of at least two adjacent ramp sections 65 is open at at least one of its two ends so that the internal channels 655 of the two ramp sections 65 communicate. This variant advantageously makes it possible to do without a supply device 80 on a ramp section 65, and therefore to limit the number of supply devices 80 on the external part 20. For example, it is thus possible to provide a single supply device 80 on the external part 20 to supply two ramp sections 65 of 180° each which communicate with each other, one of the two ramp sections 65 being supplied only by the other ramp section 65.

[0034] According to another variant of the invention illustrated in [Fig. 5], the tubular body 653 of at least one ramp section 65 is closed at its two ends, that is to say that its internal channel 655 is closed at its two ends.

[0035] The number, size, proportions and dimensions, location and spatial orientation of the nozzles 656 of each ramp section 65 illustrated in the figures are given only as a non-limiting example. However, the nozzles 656 are preferably located at radial height of the rolling elements of the bearing 35 so as to be able to lubricate them by a direct jet of lubricant. For example, in [Fig. 6] the nozzles 656 are inclined relative to the external flank of the tubular body 653 which they equip. They could also be orthogonal to said external flank.

[0036] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each feed device 80 comprises a feed orifice 28 formed in the internal face 21 of the external part 20, this feed orifice 28 having a first end connected to the general feed 25 and a second end which opens at the internal face 21. According to this embodiment, each feed device 80 also comprises a feed nipple 658 formed in a single piece with the external face 6531 of the tubular body 653 of the ramp section 65 which it equips (see [Fig. 6]), the feed nipple 658 being housed in a sealed manner in the feed orifice 28 which is associated with it. Each feed nipple 658 is preferably in tight fit in the feed orifice 28 which is associated with it.

[0037] Each supply nipple 658 has a connecting conduit 6585 connecting the general supply 25 to the internal channel 655 of the ramp section 65 comprising said supply nipple 658.

[0038] Each feed nipple 658 is preferably in the form of a raised and hollow radial protuberance, shaped on the external face 6531 of the tubular body 653, and provided to supply the ramp section 65 which it equips with lubricant coming from the general supply 25.

[0039] Preferably, the supply nipples 658 each comprise one or more O-rings 6587 housed in annular grooves 6588 provided on their external periphery in order to improve the seal between the supply nipples 658 and the supply orifice 28 in which it is housed (see [Fig. 6]).

[0040] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each fixing device 70 comprises a fixing plate 75 in one piece with the tubular body 653 of a ramp section 65 which it equips (see [Fig. 6]).

[0041] Each fixing plate 75 is fixed to the internal face 21 of the external part 20. This fixing is preferably carried out by screwing, by at least one screw 76 introduced through an eyelet 751 formed in the fixing plate 75 and screwed into a screw hole 29 formed in the external part 20. This fixing can also be carried out by gluing, riveting or by any other means.

[0042] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each fixing plate 75 is connected at a distance from the tubular body 653 which it equips by a radial skirt 6535 in one piece with the tubular body 653. The supply nipples 658 are preferably embedded in the radial skirt 6535.

[0043] Thanks to the radial skirt 6535, each tubular body 653 is offset and fixed at a distance from the external part 20 so that the nozzles 656 are located substantially at the radial height of the bearing 35 which they must lubricate, and so that they do not interfere with the external part 20.

[0044] Several variants are conceivable for the lubrication system 40 of the invention. Various examples of variants are thus illustrated in [Fig. 7] to [Fig. 12],

[0045] The nozzles 656 are preferably distributed uniformly along a ramp section 65.

[0046] Each nozzle 656 may have a single outlet orifice 6565 (see [Fig. 6]), or several (variant not shown), for example two outlet orifices 6565 connected to a small common conduit 6568, which then makes it possible to spray lubricant onto the bearing 35 in two distinct directions, for example in the direction of the outer ring 31 and the inner ring 32 of each bearing 30.

[0047] When the assembly 10 comprises only one bearing 30 with rolling bearing 35 (see [Fig. 9] to [Fig. 12]), each nozzle 656 can be located on the upstream side and / or the downstream side of the tubular body 653 depending on the position of the bearing 30 which it must lubricate.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the invention illustrated in [Fig. 9] to [Fig. 12], when the same ramp 65 comprises several nozzles 656, these can all be provided on the same side of the tubular body 653. The nozzles 656 can also be provided on at least two sides of the tubular body 653, for example two opposite sides, as illustrated in [Fig. 7] and [Fig. 8].

[0049] According to another embodiment of the invention, the nozzles 656 are provided in pairs, preferably distributed uniformly along a ramp section 65. According to a variant, within each pair, the two nozzles 656 may be radially superimposed and located on the upstream or downstream side of the tubular body 653 (see [Fig. 8], [Fig. 10] and [Fig. 12]). According to another variant, within each pair, the two nozzles 656 may each be provided on two different sides of the tubular body 653, namely with one nozzle 656 located on the upstream side of the tubular body 653 and one nozzle 656 located on the downstream side of the tubular body 653 (see [Fig. 1], [Fig. 2] and [Fig. 7])-

[0050] According to an additional embodiment of the invention, the assembly 10 may also comprise several lubrication systems 40, for example two, with a lubrication system 40 located on the upstream side of the tubular body 653 and a lubrication system 40 located on the downstream side of the tubular body 653 (see [Fig. 11] and [Fig. 12]).

[0051] Although described through a number of examples, variations and embodiments, the assembly 10 according to the invention includes various variations, modifications and improvements which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, it being understood that these variations, modifications and improvements are part of the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. Lubricated bearing assembly (10) comprising an external part (20) of revolution on the internal face (21) of which is arranged at least one bearing (30) with rolling bearing (35), said external part (20) comprising a general supply (25) of lubricant connected to a lubrication system (40) capable of lubricating the rolling bearing (35) of the at least one bearing (30), characterized in that the lubrication system (40) comprises: - a hollow and removable lubricant supply ramp (60), located at a distance from the at least one rolling bearing (30) and formed of at least two ramp sections (65), each ramp section (65) comprising a tubular body (653) with an internal channel (655) and at least one nozzle (656) arranged on said tubular body (653) and in fluid communication with the internal channel (655), - at least one fixing device (70) for the ramp (60) per ramp section (65), comprising fixing members (76) configured to be fixed to the internal face (21) of the external part (20) and which immobilize each ramp section (65) with respect to the internal face (21), and - at least one lubricant supply device (80) for at least one ramp section (65), which places the general supply (25) in fluid communication with the internal channel (655) of the ramp section (65).

2. Assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one device (80) for supplying lubricant to a ramp section (65) comprises: - a supply orifice (28) in fluid communication with the general supply (25), formed in the external part (20) and opening into the internal face (21) thereof, and - a supply nipple (658), arranged on the external face (6531) of the tubular body (653) of the ramp section (65), housed in a sealed manner in said supply orifice (28) and having a connection conduit (6585) putting the general supply (25) into fluid communication with the internal channel (655) of the ramp section (65).

3. An assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ramp sections (65) are adjacent end-to-end so as to form an annular ramp (60).

4. Assembly (10) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the tubular body (653) of at least two adjacent ramp sections (65) is open at at least one of its two ends so that the internal channels (655) of the two ramp sections (65) communicate, and in that one of the two adjacent ramp sections (65) does not comprise a lubricant supply device (80) and is supplied with lubricant by the adjacent ramp section (65). [Claim s] Assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tubular body (653) of at least one ramp section (65) is closed at its two ends.

6. Assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the nozzles (656) of at least one ramp section (65) are located at radial height of the rolling elements of the bearing (35).

7. Assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one fixing device (70) comprises a fixing plate (75) formed in a single piece with the tubular body (653) and fixed on the internal face (21) of the external part (20).

8. Assembly (10) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the fixing plate (75) is arranged at a radial distance from the tubular body (653) and connected to the latter by a radial skirt (6535) formed in a single piece with the tubular body (653).

9. Assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one ramp section (65) comprises at least one nozzle (656) located on an upstream side of the tubular body (653) and at least one nozzle (656) located on a downstream side of the tubular body (653).

10. An assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one ramp section (65) comprises at least at least two nozzles (656) superimposed radially and located on the upstream or downstream side of the tubular body (653).

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