Polymer-Lined Thrust Pad Assembly With Integrated Oil Feed Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thrust bearing assemblies using polymer liners face challenges with oil lubrication efficiency and bond integrity, leading to higher part counts and costs in spray bar designs, and reduced efficiency in flooded designs.
Innovation Solution
A thrust pad assembly with a polymer liner positioned within an insert flange, featuring an oil feed configuration with output ports and a groove, allowing oil to flow through the polymer liner for lubrication, reducing the need for bonding and minimizing part count and power losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a flooded oil feed design is used, then cost is reduced, but lubrication efficiency decreases leading to higher power losses
Solution Approach 1:
The thrust pad is segmented into multiple zones with dedicated oil feed grooves in each zone, allowing oil to be distributed to specific areas rather than using a single flooded approach. This segmentation enables efficient lubrication with reduced oil consumption and lower power losses while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
Different zones of the thrust pad are provided with oil feed grooves at specific locations where lubrication is most needed. This local quality approach ensures oil is delivered precisely to high-friction areas, improving lubrication efficiency and reducing power losses compared to uniform flooded design.
2Loss of energy
If a spray bar oil feed design is used, then lubrication efficiency is improved, but device complexity and part count increase
Solution Approach 1:
The oil feed grooves are integrated directly into the thrust pad structure, merging the lubrication delivery system with the bearing surface. This eliminates the need for separate spray bars and their associated mounting hardware, reducing part count and device complexity while maintaining effective lubrication delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust pad structure itself serves as the oil delivery mechanism through its built-in grooves, making the system self-sufficient for lubrication distribution. This self-service approach eliminates external spray bar components while ensuring oil is delivered efficiently to the bearing surface.
3Productivity
If radial grooves are used in white metal bearings, then oil distribution efficiency is improved, but bond integrity concerns prevent use with polymer liners
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer liner is used as a flexible, non-metallic material that can accommodate radial grooves without the bond integrity issues associated with white metal bearings. The polymer's inherent properties allow groove formation while maintaining strong adhesion to the thrust pad substrate, enabling efficient oil distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust pad assembly uses a composite structure with a polymer liner bonded to a rigid substrate. This composite material approach provides both the bonding reliability needed for groove formation and the structural support required for bearing loads, while enabling efficient oil distribution through the grooves in the polymer layer.
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
The solution reduces power losses and costs compared to flooded designs, while lowering complexity and part count compared to spray bar designs, and enhances load-carrying capacity by optimizing oil distribution.
Implementation Method 1
The polymer liner may be made of any suitable material including, but not limited to, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE), and blends and combinations thereof
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3~5
AI summary
The present application provides a thrust pad assembly (250) for a turbomachine (5). The thrust pad assembly (250) may include a thrust pad machining (270) with an insert flange (350), a polymer liner (360) positioned within the insert flange (350), and an oil feed configuration (370). The oil feed configuration (370) includes one or more oil output ports (400) extending through the thrust pad machining (270) and an oil feed groove (430) in the polymer liner (360).