Turbocharger bearing housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12516611-B2
Application number	US-202418673618-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2024
Priority date	May 25, 2023
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A turbocharger bearing housing is disclosed. The turbocharger bearing housing comprises a main body extending radially outwardly forming a turbine end. The turbine end is formed having a complementary geometry with a turbine wheel. A passage is formed extending through the bearing housing to allow fluid communication with the exterior of the bearing housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A radial turbine, comprising:
a radial turbine wheel attached to a shaft; a main body that includes a first end and an opposing second end, wherein the main body includes a bore extending between the first end and the second end, wherein the bore includes bearings configured to support the shaft, wherein at least a portion of the shaft is disposed in the bore, and wherein the turbine wheel is disposed proximate to the first end of the main body; a heat shield attached to the main body, wherein the heat shield includes a portion that is disposed between the first end of the main body and the turbine wheel, wherein the heat shield includes an opening that is coaxial with the bore of the main body such that a portion of the shaft is received in the opening, wherein a first volume is defined between the first end of the main body of a bearing housing and the portion of the heat shield and a second volume is defined between the portion of the heat shield and the turbine wheel, and wherein the first volume and the second volume are in fluid communication via a radial gap between the portion of the heat shield and the shaft; a surface of the portion of the heat shield facing the second volume has a cross-sectional shape that is complimentary to a cross-sectional shape of a backwall of the turbine wheel; at least one air passageway disposed in the bearing housing, wherein the at least one air passageway terminates at the first end of the main body of the bearing housing and is in communication with the first volume, wherein during operation air flows from the at least one air passageway into the first volume and then into the second volume.

2 . The radial turbine of claim 1 , further comprising
a turbine wheel body having a backwall proximate the shaft formed as a circular disk having a backwall thickness; a plurality of blades formed into the turbine wheel body; a blade zone where each of the plurality of blades extends from the back wall, having a blade diameter measured from a center of the turbine wheel body; a scallop zone in the back wall, formed as a rounded surface in a radially outermost surface of the back wall and having a scallop diameter dimensioned such that the scallop diameter is as close as possible to the blade diameter while being radially inboard of a grinding or milling tool that sets the blade diameter; and a transition zone from the scallop zone to the blade zone, the transition zone formed tangential to the scallop diameter and having a transition radius.

3 . The radial turbine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one air passageway includes a flared portion proximate to the first end of the main body of the bearing housing, wherein the cross-sectional area of the at least one air passageway increases to a maximum cross-sectional area at the first end of the main body of the bearing housing.

4 . The radial turbine of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the bearing housing includes a rounded cross-sectional profile at the opening.

5 . The radial turbine of claim 4 , wherein the portion of the heat shield includes a first surface facing the first volume and a second surface facing the second volume, and wherein the rounded cross-section profile defines a semicircular cross-sectional profile connecting the first surface and the second surface.

6 . The radial turbine of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the main body of the bearing housing includes a recessed portion that is disposed radially outboard of the bore and radially inboard of the at least one air passageway.

7 . The radial turbine of claim 6 , wherein a first portion of the bearing housing includes a rounded cross-sectional profile at the opening, wherein the portion of the heat shield includes a first surface facing the first volume and a second surface facing the second volume, and wherein the rounded cross-section profile defines a semicircular cross-sectional profile connecting the first surface and the second surface.

8 . The radial turbine of claim 1 , further comprising a seal disposed between the shaft and the bore proximate to the first end of the main body of the bearing housing.

9 . The radial turbine of claim 8 , wherein the seal is at least one chosen from the group consisting of a labyrinth seal and a piston ring.

10 . The radial turbine of claim 1 , wherein the turbine end is covered with a thermal barrier coating made of a thermal insulating material, the thermal insulating material is chosen from one of a metal-matrix composite, an aluminum-matrix composites, a titanium diboride, an aluminum oxide, an alumina-silica, a boron nitride, a silicon carbide, a vitrium oxide, a yttria-stabilized zirconia, a gadolinium zirconate, a MCrAlY coatings, a plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coating, an electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD) thermal barrier coating, and a zirconium oxide.

11 . A turbocharger system comprising:
a bearing housing having a main body extending radially outwardly forming a turbine end, the turbine end having a complementary geometry with a turbine wheel; a shaft rotatably mounted in a shaft bore within the bearing housing, the turbine wheel being provided at an end of the shaft proximate to the turbine end; at least one air passageway extending through the bearing housing to allow fluid communication with an exterior of the bearing housing; a heat shield attached to the turbine end, wherein the heat shield includes a portion disposed between the turbine end and the turbine wheel, and a first volume is defined between the turbine end and the heat shield, and a second volume is defined between the heat shield and the turbine wheel, with the first volume and the second volume in fluid communication via a radial gap between the heat shield and the shaft; and a surface of the portion of the heat shield facing the second volume has a cross-sectional shape that is complimentary to a cross-sectional shape of a backwall of the turbine wheel.

12 . The turbocharger system of claim 11 , the at least one air passageway disposed in the bearing housing, wherein the at least one air passageway terminates at the turbine end of the bearing housing and is in communication with the first volume, wherein during operation air flows from the at least one air passageway into the first volume and then into the second volume.

13 . The turbocharger system of claim 12 , wherein:
the at least one air passageway includes a flared portion proximate to the turbine end of the bearing housing, wherein the cross-sectional area of the air passageway increases to a maximum cross-sectional area at the first turbine end of the bearing housing; a first portion of the bearing housing includes a rounded cross-sectional profile at the opening; and the turbine end of the bearing housing includes a recessed portion that is disposed radially outboard of the bore and radially inboard of the at least one air passageway.

14 . The turbocharger system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one passageway is one chosen from the following:
the at least one passageway is a circumferential slot; the at least one passageway extends perpendicular to an axis of the shaft in the bearing housing; and the at least one passageway extends parallel to an axis of the shaft in the bearing housing.

15 . The turbocharger system of claim 11 , further comprising a seal disposed between the shaft and the bore proximate to the turbine end of the bearing housing.

16 . A method of forming a bearing housing for a turbocharger having the bearing housing have a main body extending radially outwardl

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Cooley Matthew
• Schreiber Sebastian
• Schön Martin Philipp
• Weldon Samuel Whitney
• Karamavruc Aliihsan

Classifications

• F05D2220/40

  in turbochargers · CPC title

• F05D2300/611

  Coating · CPC title

• F05D2240/58

  Piston ring seals · 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