Striped Thrust Foil Bearing Base Plate for Press-Formed Wedge Gaps
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing thrust foil bearings require high working accuracy and time to form a wedge-shaped gap between the top foil and the thrust collar, increasing the cost and complexity of manufacturing the base plate.
Innovation Solution
A base plate with alternating protrusions and recesses formed in a striped pattern, where either the top surfaces of the protrusions or bottom surfaces of the recesses gradually lower in one direction, allowing for a more efficient manufacturing process through press working, reducing the need for precise machining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If an inclined surface is formed through cutting to create a wedge-shaped gap between the top foil and thrust collar, then the desired fluid lubrication film can be formed, but the working accuracy requirements increase and manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the manufacturing method from precision cutting to press working, transforming the base plate into a convex-concave structure that can be formed through pressing. This parameter change in the manufacturing process allows the inclined surface to be created without high precision cutting, thereby reducing manufacturing time and cost while maintaining the wedge-shaped gap functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The base plate is divided into multiple convex portions and concave portions arranged in a striped pattern. This segmentation allows the inclined surface to be formed through press working of discrete regions, making the manufacturing process more efficient and less demanding on working accuracy compared to forming a continuous inclined surface through cutting
2Manufacturing precision
If an inclined surface is formed through cutting to create a wedge-shaped gap between the top foil and thrust collar, then the desired fluid lubrication film can be formed, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the manufacturing method from precision cutting to press working, transforming the base plate into a convex-concave structure that can be formed through pressing. This parameter change in the manufacturing process allows the inclined surface to be created without high precision cutting, thereby reducing manufacturing time and cost while maintaining the wedge-shaped gap functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a press working process that is simpler and less expensive than precision cutting. The convex-concave structure formed through pressing is functionally equivalent to a precision-cut inclined surface but achieves the same result through a more economical manufacturing process
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 improves the workability of the base plate, reducing manufacturing time and cost by allowing for lower-cost press working instead of precise cutting, while maintaining the necessary fluid lubrication film formation between the thrust collar and top foil.
Implementation Method 1
The rotation of the thrust collar causes lubricating fluid to flow into a gap between the top foil piece and the thrust collar. The lubricating fluid forms a wedge-shaped fluid lubrication film between the top foil piece and the thrust collar, and the load capacity of the thrust foil bearing is obtained.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A base plate (30) of a thrust foil bearing is provided with a plurality of protrusions (33) and a plurality of recesses (34) formed alternately in a first direction in a striped manner, and either one of top surfaces (33a) of the plurality of protrusions (33) and bottom surfaces (34a) of the plurality of recesses (34) gradually lower toward one side in the first direction.