Lubrication for an expendable bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9964152-B2
Application number	US-201615158076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

An expendable bearing and a method for making the same including an inner race defining an inner bearing diameter, an outer race defining an outer bearing diameter, a seal attached to the outer race and positioned adjacent and in contact with the inner race, where the inner race, the outer race, and the seal define a bearing cavity, a plurality of rolling elements positioned adjacent to the inner and outer races in the bearing cavity, a dry film lubricant on a surface of at least one of the inner race, the outer race, or the plurality of rolling elements, and a powder lubricant comprising carbon nanotubes disposed in the bearing cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An expendable bearing comprising:
an inner race defining an inner bearing diameter;
an outer race defining an outer bearing diameter, wherein the inner race and the outer race define a bearing cavity;
a plurality of rolling elements positioned adjacent to the inner and outer races in the bearing cavity;
a dry film lubricant on a surface of at least one of the inner race, the outer race, or the plurality of rolling elements; and
a powder lubricant consisting essentially of carbon nanotubes disposed in the bearing cavity.

2. The expendable bearing of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise graphite having nano-scale dimensions.

3. The expendable bearing of claim 1 , further comprising a first seal attached to the outer race and positioned adjacent and in contact with the inner race and a second seal attached to the outer race and positioned adjacent and in contact with the inner race, wherein the first seal and the second seal are positioned on opposite sides of the inner and outer races such that the first seal, the second seal, the inner race, and the outer race define the bearing cavity.

4. The expendable bearing of claim 1 , wherein the inner race and the outer race comprise a high temperature steel with a maximum use temperature rating of at least 600 degrees Celsius.

5. The expendable bearing of claim 4 , wherein the high temperature steel has a maximum use temperature rating of at least 900 degrees Celsius.

6. The expendable bearing of claim 1 , wherein at least one roller element of the plurality of rolling elements comprises a ceramic material.

7. The expendable bearing of claim 1 , further comprising a cage positioned in the bearing cavity that separates and substantially maintains a distance between adjacent rolling elements of the plurality of rolling elements about a predetermined distance.

8. The expendable bearing of claim 7 , further comprising a dry film lubricant deposited on a surface of the cage.

9. A device comprising:
a stationary component;
a rotor shaft, wherein the rotor shaft rotates relative to the stationary component; and
an expendable rolling element bearing comprising:
an inner race defining an inner bearing diameter connected to the rotor shaft;
an outer race defining an outer bearing diameter connected to the stationary component, wherein the inner race and the outer race define a bearing cavity;
a plurality of rolling elements positioned adjacent to the inner and outer races in the bearing cavity;
a dry film lubricant on a surface of at least one of the inner race, the outer race, or the plurality of rolling elements; and
a powder lubricant consisting essentially of carbon nanotubes disposed in the bearing cavity.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the expendable rolling element bearing further comprising a cage positioned in the bearing cavity that separates and substantially maintains a distance between adjacent rolling elements of the plurality of rolling elements about a predetermined distance.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the device has a one-time-use application.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the device is installed in an engine for an aerial missile.

13. The device of claim 9 , further comprising a first seal attached to the outer race and positioned adjacent and in contact with the inner race and a second seal attached to the outer race and positioned adjacent and in contact with the inner race, wherein the first seal and the second seal are positioned on opposite sides of the inner and outer races such that the first seal, the second seal, the inner race, and the outer race define the bearing cavity.

14. A method comprising:
aligning a plurality of rolling elements along an inner radius of an outer race;
aligning the plurality of rolling elements along an outer radius of an inner race, wherein the inner race is rotatable relative to the outer race;
depositing a dry film lubricant on a surface of at least one of the inner race, the outer race, or the plurality of rolling elements; and
depositing a powder lubricant consisting essentially of carbon nanotubes in a space between the inner and outer races.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising attaching a seal to the outer race, wherein the seal is positioned adjacent to and in contact with the inner race, wherein the inner race, the outer race, and the seal define a bearing cavity that contains the plurality of rolling elements.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising depositing the plurality of roller element in a cage, wherein the cage separates and substantially maintains a distance between adjacent rolling elements of the plurality of rolling elements about a predetermined distance.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising depositing a dry film lubricant on a surface of the cage.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the inner race and the outer race comprise a high temperature steel with a maximum use temperature rating above 600 degrees Celsius.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising installing the bearing in a single-use-device.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp
• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc
• Rolls Royce North America Tech Inc

Inventors

• Copeland Andrew D
• Price Craig M

Classifications

• F16C33/445

  Coatings · CPC title

• F16C33/44

  Selection of substances (F16C33/40, F16C33/41 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16C33/62

  Selection of substances · CPC title

• F16C2240/40

  Linear dimensions, e.g. length, radius, thickness, gap · CPC title

• F16C33/30

  Parts of ball or roller bearings · CPC title