Segmented Guide Vane Bearing for Water-Side Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guide vane bearings in hydraulic machines require complex service procedures and large designs, necessitating either external accessibility or disassembly of the machine cover for installation and removal, which is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A segmented guide vane bearing design with a wedge-shaped segment and a bearing seal that can be installed and removed from the water side, eliminating the need for external accessibility and reducing the complexity of service operations by using a smaller cavity in the bottom ring and no special mounting devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If guide vane bearings are designed to allow service from outside the water flow path, then accessibility for maintenance is improved, but the hydraulic machine requires a larger design with more space
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing is divided into multiple segments (typically three) that can be independently removed from the bottom ring. This segmentation allows the bearing to be serviced from the water side without requiring external accessibility, as each segment can be individually accessed and removed through the water flow path opening.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing external accessibility for bearing maintenance, the invention inverts the approach by enabling service from the internal water side. The bearing segments are designed to be removable from within the water flow path, eliminating the need for external access points and reducing overall machine size.
2Device complexity
If guide vane bearings are removed from the water side, then service complexity is reduced and cover disassembly is eliminated, but the bearing requires a specific segmented design with wedge-shaped segments
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing is segmented into multiple removable sections, with at least one wedge-shaped segment that can be individually extracted through the water side opening. This segmentation simplifies service procedures by eliminating the need for cover disassembly, while the manufacturing complexity is managed through standardized segment designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing includes a wedge-shaped segment with asymmetric geometry, wider on the water-side edge than on the opposite edge. This asymmetric design enables the segment to be removed through the water side opening while maintaining structural integrity and proper fitting when installed, balancing service simplicity with manufacturing feasibility.
3Reliability
If a bearing seal is added to prevent water ingress, then sealing performance is improved, but the installation procedure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing seal is pre-installed on the trunnion before the bearing segments are assembled to the bottom ring. This preliminary action ensures proper sealing performance while simplifying the overall installation procedure, as the seal is already in position when the segments are put together, eliminating the need for complex sealing operations during assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
A guide vane bearing for a hydraulic machine is provided, which may be serviced from the side of the water flow path, and a method for installing and removing a bearing of this type. The guide vane bearing includes a bearing support and a layer of bearing material and at least three segments, which are separately connectable to the bottom ring of the hydraulic machine, each segment including one part of the bearing support and one part of the layer of bearing material, and a joint between the segments being obliquely formed with respect to the bearing axis, so that one segment has a wedge shape, and the bearing furthermore including a bearing seal, and the bearing seal being rotatably fixedly connected to the trunnion of the guide vane, and the bearing support including a surface, which is designed as a running surface for the lip of the bearing seal.