Thrust Bearing Metal Blocks for Vehicle Air Compressor Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas foil thrust bearings face challenges in achieving high speed stability and load bearing capacity while preventing permanent deformation of bump foils, especially in compact and high-speed air compressors for vehicles.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates metal blocks on a thrust plate with a disc shape, spaced apart from bump foils and top foils, to act as an additional gas dynamic pressure rigid bearing, generating hydrodynamic pressure and supporting loads to prevent excessive deformation and enhance load bearing capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal blocks are added to increase load bearing capacity, then device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing surface is segmented into multiple functional zones: bump foils for light load support, metal blocks for heavy load support, and transition regions. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific load conditions, increasing overall load bearing capacity while maintaining manageable complexity through modular functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The thrust bearing employs a composite structure combining flexible bump foils with rigid metal blocks on the thrust plate. This composite approach leverages the advantages of both materials: the bump foils provide compliance and hydrodynamic pressure generation, while the metal blocks provide rigid support for heavy loads, thereby increasing load bearing capacity without excessive complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If bump foils are made more compliant to improve hydrodynamic pressure generation, then they become more prone to permanent deformation under heavy loads
Solution Approach 1:
The metal blocks are positioned in advance on the thrust plate to serve as protective elements against excessive deformation. When heavy loads are applied, these pre-positioned metal blocks act as a cushioning support that prevents the bump foils from undergoing permanent deformation, while allowing the foils to maintain their compliant nature for hydrodynamic pressure generation during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the thrust plate are assigned different properties: areas with bump foils have compliant, flexible characteristics optimized for hydrodynamic pressure generation, while areas with metal blocks have rigid, high-strength characteristics for preventing deformation. This local differentiation of material properties allows the system to simultaneously achieve both hydrodynamic efficiency and deformation resistance.
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 configuration increases load bearing capacity and stability at high speeds while preventing permanent deformation of bump foils, providing reliable support against heavy loads and maintaining bearing integrity.
Implementation Method 1
metal blocks radially disposed on the top surface of the thrust plate and formed to be spaced apart from the bump foils... act as an additional gas dynamic pressure rigid bearing when a heavy load is applied... hydrodynamic pressure is also generated between the metal block and the thrust collar when a heavy load is applied
Implementation Method 2
a thrust collar thereof is supported by gas fluid film generated between the thrust collar and a top foil when the thrust collar rotates at a state that the bearing is close thereto
Data Source
AI summary
A thrust bearing includes: a thrust plate in a disc shape having an outer diameter and an inner diameter formed by perforating a central portion of the thrust plate; a plurality of bump foils disposed radially on a top surface of the thrust plate; a plurality of top foils in a panel shape covering each of the bump foils, where bottom surfaces of the top foils are in contact with upper ends of the bump foils; and metal blocks radially disposed on the top surface of the thrust plate and formed to be spaced apart from the bump foils. The thrust bearing can be included in an air compressor of a vehicle.