Integrated turbocharger casting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10273827-B2
Application number	US-201314373485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2013
Priority date	Jan 25, 2012
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A bearing housing, or integrated turbocharger housing, with the oil, and optionally air and water galleries, included as as-cast features, thereby avoiding the problems, design limitations and expense associated with conventional post-casting machining. The method of casting preferably uses lost foam casting, or a technique similar to lost foam casting but in which a ceramic shell is formed on the foam form prior to metal casting, but can use any of a variety of casting techniques or a combination of two or more techniques.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of manufacturing a turbocharger housing for housing rotating elements of a turbocharger, the method comprising:
preparing a one-piece fugitive positive pattern of the turbocharger housing defining bearing surfaces including radial journal bearing surfaces for radially supporting first and second journal bearings and an axial thrust bearing surface for opposing an axial thrust bearing, the positive pattern further defining a common oil inlet ( 71 ) and oil internal passageways for delivering oil from the common oil inlet ( 71 ) to the first and second radial journal bearing surfaces and axial thrust bearing surface,
forming a negative refractory mold around said one-piece fugitive positive pattern, and
casting metal into the negative refractory mold to produce a one-piece cast turbocharger housing having the oil internal passageways defined therein.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said fugitive positive pattern defines a one-piece turbocharger housing including a turbine housing for housing a turbine wheel, a bearing housing, and a compressor cover for housing a compressor wheel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said fugitive positive pattern defines a turbocharger bearing housing adapted for mating to a turbocharger turbine housing and a turbocharger compressor cover.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said oil internal passageway exhibits a curved path.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said curved path is defined by a simple curve or a compound curve.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a part of said fugitive positive pattern is formed of a polymeric foam.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a ceramic shell is formed around at least a part of said polymeric foam form prior to metal casting.

8. The method as in claim 7 , wherein a ceramic shell is formed around the polymeric foam form not associated with sprues, runners and vents.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the polymeric foam form defining said turbine housing section includes a foot, wherein said foot includes bores adapted to receive bolts for securing the turbine housing to an engine manifold.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ceramic shell (G 3 , G 4 ) is formed, an outer surface of which defines the oil internal passageway, and wherein the ceramic shell is provided within the fugitive positive pattern prior to casting.

11. A method of manufacturing an integrated turbocharger housing, the method comprising:
forming positive foam forms, each positive foam form constituting a part of a turbocharger housing,
joining the positive foam forms to form a one-piece fugitive positive pattern defining a turbocharger housing including a turbine housing section, a bearing housing section, and a compressor cover section, the bearing housing section including an axial thrust surface for opposing an axial thrust bearing and first and second radial journal surfaces for radially supporting first and second journal bearings, the fugitive positive pattern further defining a common oil inlet ( 71 ) and oil internal passageways for delivering oil from the common oil inlet ( 71 ) to the first and second radial journal bearing surfaces and axial thrust bearing surface,
forming a negative refractory mold around said one-piece fugitive positive pattern, and
displacing said one-piece fugitive positive pattern and then casting metal into the refractory mold, or casting metal into the refractory mold simultaneous with displacing said fugitive positive pattern, to produce the integrated turbocharger housing including the bearing housing section having the axial thrust surface for a thrust bearing, the first and second radial journal surfaces for first and second journal bearings and said oil internal passageways connecting said oil inlet with said axial thrust surface and said first and second radial journal surfaces defined therein.

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Malins Simon
• Rylance Sean
• Finley James
• Daniels Rob

Classifications

• F01D25/162

  Bearing supports · CPC title

• F02B39/14

  Lubrication of pumps; Safety measures therefor · CPC title

• F05D2230/21

  by casting · CPC title

• F02C6/12

  Turbochargers, i.e. plants for augmenting mechanical power output of internal-combustion piston engines by increase of charge pressure · CPC title

• F01D25/24 Primary

  Casings (modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14); Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings (casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M {; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045}) · CPC title