Radial Sliding Bearing Assembly for Axial Misalignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional radial-bearing assemblies in subterranean drilling systems face performance degradation and potential failure due to axial misalignment of the rotor with respect to the stator, caused by repeated deflection of the output shaft during drilling operations.

Innovation Solution

The proposed bearing assembly includes a support ring with superhard bearing elements having a partial-ellipsoidal surface shape, oriented at an oblique angle and distributed in multiple rows around the central bearing axis, allowing for improved contact and movement between opposing bearing surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional radial-bearing assemblies use standard bearing elements with flat or cylindrical surfaces, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the bearing performance degrades under axial misalignment conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebearing performanceVSAvoidbearing element geometry

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bearing elements are equipped with partial-ellipsoidal bearing surfaces instead of flat or cylindrical surfaces. The curved surfaces have radii of curvature that allow them to maintain contact under axial misalignment conditions, with the center of curvature positioned to accommodate rotor-stator tilting while preserving bearing functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The bearing element geometry is modified by changing the surface curvature parameters. The partial-ellipsoidal surfaces are configured with specific radii of curvature (e.g., 0.5 to 2 times the bearing element diameter) and orientation angles (e.g., 15 to 45 degrees from the radial direction) to optimize performance under misalignment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the bearing elements are configured with partial-ellipsoidal surfaces and oblique orientations, then the bearing maintains contact under tilt conditions, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact maintenance under tiltVSAvoidbearing element fabrication

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The bearing assembly is divided into multiple discrete bearing elements (typically 6 to 12 elements) distributed around the circumference. Each element is independently manufactured with the partial-ellipsoidal surface, allowing for modular fabrication and assembly while achieving the overall misalignment compensation function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bearing elements are oriented at asymmetric oblique angles (e.g., 15 to 45 degrees) relative to the radial direction rather than symmetrically perpendicular to it. This asymmetric orientation enables the curved surfaces to maintain contact under axial misalignment while the elements themselves remain identical, simplifying manufacturing through repetition

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentUS12222001B2Bearing assemblies and apparatuses and related methods

Publication Date: 2025.02.11 US SYNTHETIC CORP

AI summary

Methods of manufacturing a radial sliding bearing may include coupling superhard contact elements to support rings where each superhard contact element includes a superhard contact surface and forming at least some of the superhard contact surfaces to comprise an arcute or a planar surface.