Tilting-Pad Bearing Frame Assembly for Precise Shaft Positioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Tilting-pad bearings face challenges in manufacturing complexity and assembly efficiency, as well as in accurately positioning the shaft due to the lack of a structured mechanism for pre-assembling and securely holding tilting pads in a predefined position.
Innovation Solution
A tilting-pad bearing design that incorporates a frame to pre-assemble and hold tilting pads in a defined position, with spring elements and adjustable mounting portions allowing for radial and circumferential play, and an adjusting device to fine-tune the gap between the sleeve and the tilting pad, enabling secure retention and precise positioning of the shaft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tilting pads are secured in the sleeve using a retaining element with mushroom-shaped configuration and undercuts, then the tilting pads are prevented from falling out, but the manufacturing complexity and assembly efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is divided into multiple mounting portions, each independently holding a tilting pad. This segmentation allows each mounting portion to be designed and manufactured separately, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining secure retention of each tilting pad through its own mounting structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame allows tilting pads to be pre-assembled and held in a pre-assembly position before final installation. This preliminary action enables the tilting pads to be positioned and secured in advance, reducing the complexity of the final assembly process and improving manufacturing efficiency.
2Productivity
If tilting pads are pre-assembled and held in a predefined position by the frame, then assembly efficiency is improved and production tolerances are reduced, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The frame serves multiple functions: it holds the tilting pads in predefined positions, provides mounting portions for secure attachment, enables pre-assembly, and maintains relative positioning between tilting pads. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying the overall structure while improving assembly efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame acts as an intermediary structure between the tilting pads and the sleeve, providing a standardized interface for mounting and positioning. This intermediary structure simplifies the connection process and reduces production tolerances by providing a stable reference framework.
3Adaptability or versatility
If mounting portions allow radial and circumferential play for tilting pads, then positioning flexibility of the shaft is enhanced, but the precision of tilting pad positioning is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting portions are designed to allow controlled radial and circumferential play, making the tilting pad positioning dynamic rather than fixed. This dynamic design enables the tilting pads to adjust their position within defined limits, enhancing shaft positioning flexibility while maintaining sufficient precision through the constraints of the mounting structure.
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 manufacturing and assembly, enhances the positioning flexibility of the shaft, and improves the load-bearing behavior by allowing for adjustable spring tension and precise alignment of the tilting pads, thereby reducing production tolerances and enhancing the overall performance of the tilting-pad bearing.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element (18) is provided between the inside of the sleeve (15) and the respective tilting pad (9)
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a tilting-pad bearing (7), comprising: a sleeve (15); a plurality of tilting pads (9); and a frame (8), in which the tilting pads (9) are held.