Combination Thrust-Radial Bearing with Diamond-SiC Wear Pairing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current bearing apparatuses with polycrystalline diamond compacts (PDCs) are costly and face thermal management issues due to the uniform use of high-cost diamond surfaces, which can lead to uneven wear and potential damage to downstream equipment.

Innovation Solution

The use of bearing apparatuses with opposing surfaces made of diamond and non-diamond superhard materials, such as silicon carbide, where the non-diamond surfaces wear preferentially and can be replaced, allowing for cost-effective maintenance and improved heat transfer through diamond's higher thermal conductivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If diamond bearing surfaces are used on both stator and rotor, then wear resistance and thermal conduction are improved, but manufacturing cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewear resistanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different material qualities to different locations in the bearing assembly. Specifically, diamond bearing surfaces are applied only to the rotor or stator that requires superior wear resistance and thermal conduction, while the opposing component uses a less expensive superhard material. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing diamond's benefits only where most needed, rather than uniformly across both components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a strategy where the more expensive diamond-bearing component is designed for long service life, while the opposing component uses a cheaper superhard material that can be replaced more economically. This allows the system to benefit from diamond's superior properties in the critical component while accepting that the cheaper component may wear faster and require replacement, thus resolving the cost versus reliability contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Temperature

If diamond bearing surfaces are used on both stator and rotor, then thermal conduction is improved, but cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal conductionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies diamond bearing surfaces only to the component (rotor or stator) where superior thermal conduction is most critical for the application. The opposing component uses a less expensive superhard material with adequate but lower thermal conduction properties. This localized application of diamond resolves the contradiction by providing thermal management benefits only where most needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If non-diamond superhard materials are used for both stator and rotor, then manufacturing cost decreases, but thermal management becomes insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidthermal conduction

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces diamond bearing surfaces on one component (rotor or stator) to provide superior thermal conduction in the location where heat generation or heat dissipation is most critical. This localized diamond application resolves the thermal management insufficiency while keeping the opposing component made of less expensive superhard material, thus balancing thermal performance with manufacturing cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 reduces initial costs, allows for targeted replacement of worn parts, and enhances thermal management by utilizing diamond's superior heat dissipation properties, thereby improving the operational efficiency and longevity of bearing apparatuses.

Implementation Method 1

diamond bearing surfaces exhibit significantly higher thermal conduction than other superhard materials, such as silicon carbide

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

The diamond table is formed and bonded to a substrate using a high-pressure/high-temperature ('HPHT') process

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHigh-pressure/high-temperature bonding:

Data Source

PatentUS20240159268A1Methods of manufacturing combination thrust-bearing and radial bearing apparatuses

Publication Date: 2024.05.16 US SYNTHETIC CORP

AI summary

Embodiments of the invention relate to bearing apparatuses in which one bearing surface of the bearing apparatus includes diamond, while another bearing surface includes a non-diamond superhard material (e.g., silicon carbide). For example, a bearing apparatus may include a bearing stator assembly and a bearing rotor assembly. The bearing stator assembly and bearing rotor assembly each include a support ring and one or more superhard bearing elements generally opposed to one another. The bearing surface(s) of the rotor or stator may include diamond, while the bearing surface(s) of the other of the rotor or stator do not include diamond. Another bearing apparatus may include both thrust- and radial bearing components. The generally opposed thrust-bearing elements may include diamond, while the generally opposed radial bearing elements may not include diamond, but include a non-diamond superhard material, such as silicon carbide.