Modular Thrust Air Bearing Foil Assembly for Precise Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thrust air bearings face challenges in efficiently attaching and aligning bump foils and top foils, leading to misalignment and increased complexity in installation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A thrust air bearing design featuring integrally provided foil units with a top foil portion and a bump foil portion, where the foil units are arranged in a circle with a base plate that includes positioning grooves and a foil fixing portion to facilitate accurate alignment and attachment, allowing for easy replacement of defective units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If bump foils and top foils are individually fixed to the thrust surface by welding, then the attachment is secure, but the alignment precision deteriorates and the installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bump foil and top foil are merged into a single integral foil unit structure. The bump foil portion and top foil portion are connected as one piece, eliminating the need for separate welding operations and ensuring precise alignment between the two components while simplifying the installation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust air bearing is segmented into multiple foil units, each comprising a bump foil portion and a top foil portion. This segmentation allows for modular installation and maintenance while maintaining the integral structure within each unit, reducing overall system complexity.
2Ease of operation
If bump foils and top foils are individually attached, then flexibility in installation is improved, but misalignment occurs and attachment time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bump foil and top foil are combined into an integral foil unit, ensuring precise alignment is maintained while preserving installation flexibility through the modular nature of the unit. The integral structure eliminates misalignment issues that would arise from separate attachment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate foils are used, then the bearing can be customized, but the maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing is divided into multiple replaceable foil units, each being an integral structure. This segmentation enables easy replacement of defective units during maintenance while maintaining customization capability through the selection and arrangement of different foil unit configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
Within each foil unit, the bump foil and top foil are merged into an integral structure, simplifying maintenance by reducing the number of components that need to be handled during repair operations.
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 design simplifies the attachment process, reduces misalignment, and enables efficient maintenance by ensuring precise positioning and easy replacement of foil units, while also providing a heat removal function through air passages.
Implementation Method 1
a thrust air bearing supporting a rotating shaft, the thrust air bearing including a plurality of foil units arranged in a circle
Data Source
AI summary
A thrust air bearing includes a plurality of foil units arranged in a circle. Each foil unit includes a top foil portion, and a bump foil portion integrally provided with the top foil portion and disposed opposite the top foil portion in a circumferential direction forming the circle. The foil unit is disposed such that the top foil portion lies on top of the bump foil portion of another adjacent foil unit.