Vehicle Air Compressor Thrust Bearing Cooling Through Axial Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle air compressors have low cooling performance due to a narrow space adjacent to the bearing, leading to increased bearing temperature and potential damage, especially in high-pressure fuel cell vehicles.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a vehicle air compressor with a thrust bearing featuring cooling holes and a unique housing cover structure that creates auxiliary cooling paths, including first and second through holes, to enhance cooling efficiency and support the thrust bearing's load by increasing fluid flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the space adjacent to the bearing is kept narrow to maintain compact structure, then the overall size is reduced, but the cooling performance deteriorates and bearing temperature increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from planar cooling to three-dimensional cooling by introducing cooling holes through the thrust bearing in the axial direction. Cooling air is supplied from the opposite side of the runner through these holes, creating a multi-directional cooling path that effectively cools the bearing without requiring additional lateral space, thus resolving the contradiction between compact size and cooling performance.
2Device complexity
If cooling air passes through a narrow gap to cool the bearing, then the cooling path is simple, but the cooling efficiency is insufficient and bearing temperature rises
Solution Approach 1:
The invention utilizes pneumatic cooling by introducing cooling air through specifically designed cooling holes in the thrust bearing. The cooling air flows through these holes in the axial direction, creating effective convective cooling of the bearing surface. This pneumatic approach significantly improves cooling efficiency compared to relying solely on narrow gap conduction, while maintaining relatively simple structural complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration improves cooling efficiency and durability of the bearing by increasing the flow rate of cooling air and reducing system temperatures, thereby preventing damage from high temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling hole for cooling air between the thrust bearing and the runner is disposed in the thrust bearing
Implementation Method 2
The air compressor compresses air suctioned from the outside using an impeller and sends the compressed air to the fuel cell stack through an outlet
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle air compressor including a shaft provided with an impeller disposed at one side thereof and a runner disposed at the other side thereof, a motor configured to rotate the shaft, a trust bearing which supports the shaft in a longitudinal direction of the shaft and of which a surface is disposed adjacent to a surface of the runner, wherein a cooling hole for cooling air between the trust bearing and the runner is disposed in the trust bearing.