Rotating shaft support structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759255-B2
Application number	US-201314777144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2013
Priority date	Mar 19, 2013
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a rotary shaft supporting structure which is capable of supporting a rotary shaft for a longer period. This rotary shaft supporting structure, which supports a rotary shaft on which a thrust collar that protrudes outwards in the radial direction is formed, has: thrust bearings which face the thrust collar, and support, using support surfaces, the thrust collar surfaces that are orthogonal to the axial direction of the rotary shaft; and support mechanisms which support the thrust bearings in the axial direction from the surface side of support surfaces at the opposite side to the thrust collar. The sides of the support mechanisms that face the end surfaces of the thrust bearings are inclined in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the rotary shaft tilts.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotating shaft support structure for supporting a rotating shaft having a thrust collar protruding radially outward therefrom, the rotating shaft support structure comprising:
a thrust bearing which faces the thrust collar and supports the surface of the thrust collar orthogonal to the axial direction of the rotating shaft by a support surface; and
a support mechanism which supports the thrust bearing in the axial direction from the side opposite to the support surface supporting the thrust collar, wherein
the side of the support mechanism facing the end surface of the thrust bearing is inclined in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the rotating shaft inclines.

2. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the thrust bearing is disposed on both sides in the axial direction across the thrust collar so as to face two surfaces, an upstream-side surface and a downstream-side surface, respectively, of the thrust collar orthogonal to the axial direction,
the support mechanism is composed of a first support mechanism disposed, in an extension direction of the rotating shaft, further on the downstream side than the thrust bearing disposed on the downstream side of the thrust collar, and a second support mechanism disposed, in the extension direction of the rotating shaft, further on the upstream side than the thrust bearing disposed on the upstream side of the thrust collar,
the first support mechanism is disposed such that the surface facing the upstream side faces the end surface in the axial direction of the thrust bearing disposed on the downstream side of the thrust collar, and that the surface facing the upstream side inclines toward the upstream side as it extends radially downward, and
the second support mechanism is disposed such that the surface facing the downstream side in the axial direction faces the end surface in the axial direction of the thrust bearing disposed on the upstream side of the thrust collar, and that the surface facing the downstream side inclines toward the downstream side in the axial direction as it extends radially upward.

3. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the first support mechanism and the second support mechanism each include an adjusting liner fixed on the thrust bearing,
the adjusting liner changes gradually in thickness from the end in the radial direction toward the opposite end in the radial direction around the rotating shaft, and
the adjusting liner of the first support mechanism is disposed such that the direction in which the thickness changes radially is opposite to that of the adjusting liner of the second support mechanism.

4. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 3 , wherein
the thrust bearing has:
a plurality of pads which are disposed on the support surface in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft and slide with the thrust collar; and
pad support means which supports the pads from the surface opposite to the support surface and is supported by the support mechanism, and

the pad support means supports the pads so as to be movable relative to a plane perpendicular to the rotating shaft.

5. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the thrust bearing has:
a plurality of pads which are disposed on the support surface in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft and slide with the thrust collar; and
pad support means which supports the pads from the surface opposite to the support surface and is supported by the support mechanism, and

the pad support means supports the pads so as to be movable relative to a plane perpendicular to the rotating shaft.

6. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the support mechanism includes an adjusting liner fixed on the thrust bearing, and
the adjusting liner changes gradually in thickness from the end in the radial direction toward the opposite end in the radial direction around the rotating shaft.

7. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 6 , wherein the thrust bearing has:
a plurality of pads which are disposed on the support surface in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft and slide with the thrust collar; and
pad support means which supports the pads from the surface opposite to the support surface and is supported by the support mechanism, and
the pad support means supports the pads so as to be movable relative to a plane perpendicular to the rotating shaft.

8. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 1 , wherein the support mechanism has:
a casing in which the rotating shaft is held and which is disposed on the side of the thrust bearing opposite to the support surface; and
an adjustment mechanism having a plurality of bolts which are inserted into the casing and of which the end surfaces on the thrust bearing side are in contact with the thrust bearing, and
in the adjustment mechanism, the plurality of bolts are disposed around the rotating shaft, and the amount of travel of the bolts protruding from the casing varies according to the position of the bolts around the rotating shaft.

9. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 8 , wherein
the thrust bearing has:
a plurality of pads which are disposed on the support surface in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft and slide with the thrust collar; and
pad support means which supports the pads from the surface opposite to the support surface and is supported by the support mechanism, and

the pad support means supports the pads so as to be movable relative to a plane perpendicular to the rotating shaft.

10. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the support mechanism has a casing in which the rotating shaft is held and which is disposed on the side of the thrust bearing opposite to the support surface,
the casing supports the thrust bearing from the surface opposite to the support surface, and
the supporting surface of the casing is inclined from the radial direction.

11. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 10 , wherein
the thrust bearing has:
a plurality of pads which are disposed on the support surface in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft and slide with the thrust collar; and
pad support means which supports the pads from the surface opposite to the support surface and is supported by the support mechanism, and

the pad support means supports the pads so as to be movable relative to a plane perpendicular to the rotating shaft.

12. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a casing in which the rotating shaft is held and which is disposed on a side of the thrust bearing opposite to the support surface, wherein
the support surface is inclined from the vertical direction which is perpendicular to a horizontal plane of the casing.

13. The rotating shaft support structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the thrust bearing has:
a plurality of pads which are disposed on the support surface in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft and slide with the thrust collar; and
pad support means which supports the pads from the surface opposite to the support surface and is supported by the support mechanism, and

the pad support means supports the pads so as to be movable relative to a plane perpendicular to the rotating shaft.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Sys

Inventors

• Tsutsumi Eiichi
• Kondo Takahiro

Classifications

• F16C17/243

  related to temperature and heat, e.g. for preventing overheating · CPC title

• F16C23/04 Primary

  self-adjusting · CPC title

• F16C17/06

  with tiltably-supported segments, e.g. Michell bearings {(with flexible leaves F16C17/042; hydrostatic F16C32/0666)} · CPC title