Segmented Thrust Disc Embossing Eliminates Weld Warpage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of thrust discs for aircraft fluid film hydrodynamic thrust bearings is costly and prone to warpage due to localized heating during welding, requiring precise and expensive fixturing and tooling, and resulting in potential machine failure from poor weld quality and distortion.
Innovation Solution
A thrust disc with a segmented design featuring a planar body and regions with textured features, such as corrugated patterns, formed from a single piece of material, where sides are cut and integrally connected, allowing for reduced processing time and cost, and minimizing warpage risks through a hydraulic press for feature pressing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If welding is used to attach foils to the thrust disc, then the thrust bearing assembly can be constructed, but the thrust disc becomes warped due to localized heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the bump foil component from the traditional thrust bearing assembly. By integrating the bump structure directly into the thrust disc through embossing rather than welding separate foils, the source of welding-induced warpage is eliminated while maintaining the necessary hydrodynamic bearing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal welding process with a mechanical embossing process. The bump structures are formed by mechanically pressing or embossing the thrust disc material itself, substituting the harmful thermal field with a mechanical forming process that does not cause warpage.
2Reliability
If multiple individual welds are required per foil set, then the thrust bearing can be assembled, but the processing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (thrust disc and multiple bump foils) into a single integrated component. The bump structures are formed as part of the thrust disc itself through embossing, eliminating the need for separate welding operations for each foil and significantly reducing assembly time and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
While integrating components, the patent maintains functional segmentation by creating distinct embossed regions on the thrust disc surface. These segmented embossed areas provide the necessary hydrodynamic features while being formed as a single integrated piece, avoiding the need for multiple separate welding operations.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise fixturing and tooling are used to locate foils, then accurate radial and circumferential positioning is achieved, but the equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for separate foil components that require positioning and fixturing. By integrating the bump structures directly into the thrust disc through embossing, the complex fixturing and tooling required for precise foil location is removed entirely.
4Weight of moving object
If the thrust disc material is made thin, then the weight is reduced, but the disc becomes more susceptible to warping during welding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the welding process with mechanical embossing, which does not generate localized heat. This allows thin-weight thrust discs to be manufactured without the warpage susceptibility that would result from welding, as the forming process is thermal-free and applies distributed mechanical pressure instead.
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 approach reduces manufacturing costs, processing time, and the risk of machine failure by eliminating the need for precise fixturing and minimizing distortion, while improving the manufacturability and performance of thrust bearings.
Implementation Method 1
pressing a textured feature into the region
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A thrust disc (100) for an aircraft and methods of making and using the thrust disc are provided. The thrust disc includes a planar body, and a region (110) unitarily formed from a portion of the body, wherein the region (110) has a plurality of sides defining the region on the planar body, wherein the region (110) has a textured feature, and wherein a subset of the plurality of sides (112) are cut and at least one of the plurality of sides is integrally connected to the body.