Reversible spiral groove journal bearing for use on standard and reverse rotation turbochargers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10495140-B2
Application number	US-201515301783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2015
Priority date	Apr 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A journal bearing ( 51 ) has spiral grooves ( 63, 64 ) on opposite ends ( 61, 62 ) of the journal bearing ( 51 ) as to face towards the opposing shaft surface and generate a flow of oil outwardly of the journal bearing ( 51 ) during shaft rotation. One bearing end has a clockwise spiral groove ( 63 ) which pumps lubricant fluid in a first direction. The opposite bearing end includes a reverse-directed, counterclockwise spiral groove ( 64 ) which pumps fluid in a second direction, opposite to the first direction. During clockwise rotation of the shaft ( 21 ), the lubricating oil flows in the first and second directions to lubricate the turbine and compressor sides of a turbocharger. The journal bearing ( 51 ) also may be flipped endwise so as to function during opposite, counterclockwise shaft rotation.

First claim

I claim:

1. A turbocharger including a compressor having a compressor wheel in a compressor housing, the compressor wheel having a direction of rotation for compression of air, a turbine having a turbine wheel in a turbine housing, a bearing housing ( 23 ) between said compressor housing and turbine housing, said bearing housing including an oil inlet passage ( 26 ) supplying a single oil feed port ( 27 - 1 ), a turbocharger shaft ( 21 ) connecting the compressor wheel and turbine wheel and adapted for rotation about a shaft axis ( 24 B) and a floating journal bearing ( 51 ) which is provided within the bearing housing ( 23 ) to provide radial load support to the turbocharger shaft ( 21 ), said floating journal bearing ( 51 ) comprising;
a compressor side bearing end ( 61 ) having a first annular bearing flange ( 55 ) and a turbine side bearing end ( 62 ) having a second annular bearing flange ( 56 ),
wherein said first and second bearing flanges ( 55 , 56 ) are spaced axially apart by an annular bearing wall ( 57 ), said first bearing flange ( 55 ) defining an inner, bearing surface ( 53 ) and an outer bearing surface ( 54 ), said second bearing flange ( 56 ) defining an inner bearing surface ( 53 ) and an outer bearing surface ( 54 ) which inner and outer bearing surfaces ( 53 , 54 ) respectively face radially inwardly and outwardly, wherein oil flows from the single oil feed port ( 27 - 1 ) axially outwards to each of the outer bearing surfaces ( 54 ) of the first and second bearing flange ( 55 , 56 ) and from the single oil feed port ( 27 - 1 ) through radially-open oil passages ( 58 ) in said annular bearing wall ( 57 ) and axially outwards to each of the inner bearing surfaces ( 53 ) of the first and second bearing flange ( 55 , 56 ),
wherein each of said inner bearing surfaces ( 53 ) at said first and second bearing flange ( 55 , 56 ) respectively has an axially inner end and an axially outer end and spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) extending from said axially inner end to said axially outer end and axially open at said axially inner end and axially outer end, which spiral groove ( 63 ) at said first flange ( 55 ) inner bearing surface ( 53 ) is oppositely directed to said spiral groove ( 64 ) at said second flange ( 56 ) inner bearing surface ( 53 ′) to cause lubricant fluid to flow in opposite directions and out of said bearing ends ( 61 , 62 ) during shaft rotation in a first rotation direction, said journal bearing ( 51 ) being mountable in a first orientation wherein said spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) are effective for shaft rotation in said first rotation direction, and mountable in a second orientation flipped end-to-end relative to said first orientation wherein said spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) are effective for shaft rotation in a second rotation direction opposite said first rotation direction.

2. The turbocharger according to claim 1 , wherein said spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) extend circumferentially in said first orientation in opposite counterclockwise and clockwise directions as viewed from one of said bearing ends ( 61 , 62 ), and said spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) extend circumferentially in said second orientation in opposite clockwise and counterclockwise directions as viewed from the other one of said bearing ends ( 61 , 62 ) when in said second orientation.

3. The turbocharger according to claim 2 , wherein said first rotation direction is clockwise relative to said one of said bearing ends ( 61 , 62 ) in said first orientation, and said second rotation direction being counterclockwise.

4. The turbocharger according to claim 1 , wherein each of said spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) extend at more than one complete revolution about an inside circumference of each of said bearing flanges ( 55 , 56 ).

5. A turbocharger including a floating journal bearing ( 51 ) which is mounted within a bearing housing ( 23 ) of the turbocharger to provide radial load support to a turbocharger shaft ( 21 ), said journal bearing ( 51 ) comprising;
a first bearing end ( 61 ) having a first annular bearing flange ( 55 ) and a second bearing end ( 62 ) having a second annular bearing flange ( 56 ),
wherein said first and second bearing flanges ( 55 , 56 ) are joined axially together by an annular bearing wall ( 57 ), each of said first and second bearing flanges ( 55 , 56 ) defining an inner bearing surface ( 53 ) and an outer bearing surface ( 54 ) which respectively face radially inwardly and outwardly and are configured to receive lubricant fluid therealong which forms inner and outer dynamic fluid films during shaft rotation to support radial journal loads on said journal bearing ( 51 ), wherein oil flows from a single oil feed port ( 27 - 1 ) axially outwards to each of the outer bearing surfaces ( 54 ) of the first and second bearing flange ( 55 , 56 ) and from the single oil feed port ( 27 - 1 ) through radially-open oil passages ( 58 ) in said annular bearing wall ( 57 ) and axially outwards to each of the inner bearing surfaces ( 53 ) of the first and second bearing flange ( 55 , 56 ), and
wherein each of said inner bearing surfaces ( 53 ) at said first and second bearing flange ( 55 , 56 ) respectively has an axially inner end and an axially outer end and spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) extending from said axially inner end to said axially outer end and axially open at said axially inner end and axially outer end, which spiral groove ( 63 ) at said first flange ( 55 ) inner bearing surface ( 53 ) is oppositely directed to said spiral groove ( 64 ) at said second flange ( 56 ) inner bearing surface ( 53 ′) to cause lubricant fluid to flow in opposite directions and out of said bearing ends ( 61 , 62 ) during shaft rotation in a first rotation direction,
wherein each of said spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) extend at least one complete revolution about an inside circumference of each of said bearing flanges ( 55 , 56 ).

6. The turbocharger according to claim 5 , wherein said spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) effect an axial pumping effect which acts axially and continuously over an entirety of said inside circumference of said bearing flanges ( 55 , 56 )), each of said spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) having a spiral shape formed as a helix wherein a lead angle of each said spiral grooves ( 63 , 64 ) is an acute angle that is uniform along an entire circumferential length thereof.

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Hinds Shaun C

Classifications

• F16C17/24

  with devices affected by abnormal or undesired positions, e.g. for preventing overheating, for safety · CPC title

• F16C17/026 Primary

  with helical grooves in the bearing surface to generate hydrodynamic pressure, e.g. herringbone grooves · CPC title

• F04D29/056

  Bearings · CPC title

• F16C2360/24

  Turbochargers · CPC title

• F16C33/1065

  Grooves on a bearing surface for distributing or collecting the liquid · CPC title