For Shaft Sealing, Packing, Lubricating Or Bearing Means Patents (Class 415/111)
  • Patent number: 9909452
    Abstract: A device for sealing the coaxial shafts of a turbomachine includes an annular seal able to perform sealing by contact with the outer shaft, and a lubricating device to lubricate the region of contact between the annular seal and the outer shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Arnaud Jean-Marie Pierrot, Serge Rene Morreale
  • Patent number: 9909450
    Abstract: Bearing members, such as journal bearings, and turbine assemblies for use in high speed, high horsepower applications (e.g., turbochargers, jet engines, internal combustion engines, blowers, steam turbines, compressors, and pumps) including a rotatable shaft, a compressor wheel coupled to the shaft (e.g., at one end), a turbine wheel spaced from the compressor wheel, the turbine wheel also being coupled to the shaft (e.g., at another end), and at least one bearing member having a superhard bearing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: US SYNTHETIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jarrett Meier
  • Patent number: 9835054
    Abstract: An exhaust gas turbocharger may include a shaft mounted in a bearing housing carrying a compressor wheel and a turbine wheel. The shaft may include a sealing bush arranged on the shaft in a rotationally fixed manner. The sealing bush together with a bearing housing cover may at least partially delimit an annular oil centrifuging space arranged coaxially to the sealing bush. The bearing housing cover may include a guiding nib located radially outside the sealing bush partially covering the sealing bush in axial direction. The guiding nib may be configured to guide oil separated in the oil centrifuging space onto the rotating sealing bush. The rotating sealing bush may be configured to direct the oil into the oil centrifuging space in response to centrifugal force creating an oil swirl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Bosch Mahle Turbo Systems GmBH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Friedemann Weber, Thomas Berger, Thanh-Hung Nguyen-Schaefer, Christoph Butscher, Jasmin Hausser, Andreas Fath
  • Patent number: 9777587
    Abstract: A sealing device for a turbine has a sealing member provided in a gap between a rotor and a stator arranged to surround the rotor, and a fluid path provided within the stator, to introduce, into the stator, a cooling medium used to cool stationary blades extending radially inward from the stator, and to flow the cooling medium at least to an upstream side of the sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yuki Mimura, Akihiro Onoda, Tomohiko Tsukuda, Naoki Shibukawa, Toshio Hirano, Iwataro Sato, Kazutaka Tsuruta
  • Patent number: 9739311
    Abstract: A shaft includes: two large-diameter portions; and a small-diameter portion formed between the two large-diameter portions. A bearing includes: an annular body in which to insert the shaft; two bearing surfaces being opposite the large-diameter portions; and an intervening surface located between the two bearing surfaces on an inner circumferential surface of the body, and being opposite the small-diameter portion with a clearance formed between the intervening surface and the small-diameter portion. No anti-corrosion treatment is applied to the large-diameter portions. An anti-corrosion treatment is applied to at least any one of: an exposed portion of an outer peripheral surface of the body of the bearing, which is exposed to the outside of the housing; the intervening surface of the bearing; an opposite end surface of the bearing; and the small-diameter portion of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniaki Iizuka, Toshihiko Kitazawa, Masatoshi Eguchi, Yasushi Asada, Osamu Kagimoto, Kenji Ishikawa, Masashige Takahashi, Yohei Suruga, Suguru Katayama, Asako Yasui
  • Patent number: 9739151
    Abstract: A blade for a turbomachine is disclosed. At least one cooling channel is configured in the blade neck, whose inlet is disposed near a platform projection on the high-pressure side and whose outlet is disposed in the region of a platform projection on the low-pressure side. An integrally bladed rotor base body having a plurality of these types of blades as well as turbomachine with such a rotor base body is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: MTU Aero Engines GmbH
    Inventor: Frank Stiehler
  • Patent number: 9709094
    Abstract: A shaft includes: two large-diameter portions; and a small-diameter portion formed between the two large-diameter portions. A bearing includes: an annular body in which to insert the shaft; two bearing surfaces being opposite the large-diameter portions; and an intervening surface located between the two bearing surfaces on an inner circumferential surface of the body, and being opposite the small-diameter portion with a clearance formed between the intervening surface and the small-diameter portion. No anti-corrosion treatment is applied to the large-diameter portions. An anti-corrosion treatment is applied to at least any one of: an exposed portion of an outer peripheral surface of the body of the bearing, which is exposed to the outside of the housing; the intervening surface of the bearing; an opposite end surface of the bearing; and the small-diameter portion of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: IHI Corporation
    Inventors: Kuniaki Iizuka, Toshihiko Kitazawa, Masatoshi Eguchi, Yasushi Asada, Osamu Kagimoto, Kenji Ishikawa, Masashige Takahashi, Yohei Suruga, Suguru Katayama, Asako Yasui
  • Patent number: 9695709
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a gas turbine engine is provided having a bearing chamber leak detection system. The gas turbine engine includes a rotatable shaft, a bearing assembly supporting the rotatable shaft, and a plurality of bearing chamber seals surrounding the rotatable shaft creating an annular bearing chamber enclosing the bearing assembly. One or more walls substantially surrounding the bearing chamber create a plenum between the walls and the bearing chamber, and a pressurized air inlet to the plenum is provided. The pressurized air inlet includes an airflow sensor configured and positioned to sense a flow of pressurized air into the plenum, such that airflow at the sensor is indicative of airflow from the plenum into the bearing chamber via one or more of the plurality of bearing chamber seals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Francis Parnin, Armando Amador
  • Patent number: 9677612
    Abstract: Improved fluid supply grooves in the face of an axial thrust bearing for a crankshaft are disclosed. The grooves have a larger cross-sectional area at the outer radius of the bearing body than at the inner radius of the bearing body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Gustafson, April Perry
  • Patent number: 9631633
    Abstract: A rotor structure for a centrifugal flow machine includes working vanes attached to the hub of the rotor without any support disc or shroud. Additionally, the vane has a device for efficiently flushing the sealing chamber behind the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: SULZER MANAGEMENT AG
    Inventor: Heikki Manninen
  • Patent number: 9587641
    Abstract: A pump assembly includes a centrifugal pump having an intake, a discharge, a pump chamber and an impeller to deliver water from the intake to the discharge. A priming system is fluidly coupled to the pump chamber. A drive assembly includes a drive shaft coupled to the priming system and positioned around an impeller shaft coupled to the impeller for selective rotatable coupling of the impeller shaft and the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Waterous Company
    Inventors: Thomas Joseph Mettler, Mark Francis Haider, Henry Yinwah Tsang, Brian Jacob Johnson, Jason Adam Smith, Robert Allen Johnson
  • Patent number: 9574459
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a fan, a compressor section, a combustor, and a turbine section. The engine also includes a rotating element and at least one bearing compartment including a bearing for supporting the rotating element, a seal for resisting leakage of lubricant outwardly of the bearing compartment and for allowing pressurized air to flow from a chamber adjacent the seal into the bearing compartment. A method and section for a gas turbine engine are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: M. Rifat Ullah, Robert E. Peters
  • Patent number: 9556877
    Abstract: A pump for conveying a pump fluid, wherein the pump fluid provided at an inlet pressure at a low pressure side of the pump can be conveyed in the operating state to a high pressure side of the pump rotor by means of a pump rotor rotatably supported about an axis of rotation in a pump stator and wherein a rotor shaft is arranged with the pump rotor at it drive bearing formed as a shaft bearing, characterized in that a lubricating film which is formed from a lubricating fluid formed from the pump fluid can be formed on a drive side of the rotor shaft between the rotor shaft and a drive bearing in a lubricating ring gap, with a lubricant line being provided such that the lubricating fluid can be supplied to the lubricating ring gap between the rotor shaft and the drive bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Sulzer Management AG
    Inventors: Paul Meuter, Thomas Welschinger
  • Patent number: 9416674
    Abstract: A floating air riding seal for a gas turbine engine with a rotor and a stator, an annular piston chamber with an axial moveable annular piston assembly within the annular piston chamber formed in the stator, an annular cavity formed on the annular piston assembly that faces a seal surface on the rotor, where the axial moveable annular piston includes an inlet scoop on a side opposite to the annular cavity that scoops up the swirling cooling air and directs the cooling air to the annular cavity to form an air cushion with the seal surface of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: S&J DESIGN LLC
    Inventor: Todd A Ebert
  • Patent number: 9279341
    Abstract: A mid-turbine frame is disposed between high and low pressure turbine assemblies. A secondary air system is defined in the mid-turbine frame (MTF) to provide cooling to the turbine section of the engine. The secondary air system may be used to cool and pressurize seals to assist with oil retention in bearing cavities. The temperature gain of the secondary air may be reduced by flowing the secondary air through one or more external lines and then generally radially inwardly through air passages defined in the MTF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Eric Durocher, Pierre-Yves Legare, Alessandro Ciampa
  • Patent number: 9255606
    Abstract: A slide bearing device and a compressor are capable of stably achieving a low friction condition from the early stage of the start of friction. The slide bearing device includes a bearing, a shaft supported by the bearing while being subjected to sliding, and a gas supply section for supplying a dry gas to a bearing slide section where the bearing and the shaft slide against each other. A slide surface of the bearing is formed of a resin composite material, which is a mixture of a carbon material and a resin. The shaft is made of a metal and includes a groove formed on a slide surface of the shaft, the groove extending in a direction different from the sliding direction. Plural grooves may be provided and the grooves may extend in arbitrary directions. The shaft may include a collection of plural recesses on the slide surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomonaga Oyamada, Masahiko Ono
  • Patent number: 9234593
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a premounted mechanical seal unit, particularly for a fire extinguishing pump, with a rotating seal ring a stationary seal ring, the rotating seal ring and the stationary seal ring defining a seal gap thereinbetween, an inner sleeve which is connected to the rotating seal ring, an outer sleeve which is connected to the stationary seal ring, and a securing element which secures the outer sleeve to the inner sleeve. The inner sleeve and the outer sleeve in axial direction each have a length greater than a sum of the axial lengths of the rotating seal ring. The inner sleeve has a first form closure device on a first axial end and a second form closure device on a second axial end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: EagleBurgmann Germany GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Thomas Holzapfel, Wolfgang Ries, Reinhard Svejkovsky
  • Patent number: 9133853
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided featuring a bearing cartridge in combination with a pedestal. The bearing cartridge may be configured to be coupled to a pumping assembly combination and having a predetermined centerline. The pedestal may be configured with an axial channel to receive and support the bearing cartridge and allow the bearing cartridge to slide therein. The bearing cartridge and the pedestal are configured to couple together substantially at or above the centerline of the bearing cartridge in order to reduce center height requirements of the apparatus, where the center height is defined as the distance between the centerline of the bearing cartridge and the bottom surface of the pedestal supporting the bearing cartridge. The apparatus takes the form of a pump or pumping assembly, arrangement or combination, including a slurry-type pump or a centrifugal pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Inventors: Mark Alan Davis, Timothy Martin Falkiewicz, Mark Alexander Playford
  • Publication number: 20150125264
    Abstract: A lubrication system for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The lubrication system is configured to provide pressurized air and lubricant to a bearing sump of the gas turbine engine to cool and lubricate a bearing included in the bearing sump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Kerry J. Lighty, Larry A. Junod
  • Publication number: 20150118018
    Abstract: A seal gas delivery system for an end seal on a turbo machine rotor shaft includes a seal gas passageway for delivering a seal gas to the end seal and a seal gas distributor for receiving at least a portion of the seal gas from the seal gas passageway, the seal gas distributor having a plurality of holes for distributing the seal gas about the rotor shaft during turbo machine standstill; the holes are located on a cylindrical surface and are typically arranged all around said rotor shaft, preferably regularly all around said rotor shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Leonardo Baldassarre, Andrea Bernocchi
  • Publication number: 20150110600
    Abstract: An exhaust-gas turbocharger (1) with a bearing housing (2), a shaft (3) mounted in the bearing housing (2), a compressor wheel (5) arranged on the shaft (3) and a turbine wheel (4) arranged on the shaft (3), a housing component (7) which surrounds the compressor wheel (5) or the turbine wheel (4), and a sealing ring (14) between the bearing housing (2) and the housing component (7), wherein the sealing ring (14) is, in order to impart its sealing action, compressed in a direction perpendicular to the shaft (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Sebastian Mack, Johannes Hornbach, Sven Liebl
  • Publication number: 20150098793
    Abstract: A turbine-pump system adapted for use with well liquid that is displaceable within a well conduit. The turbine-pump system may include a bowl assembly; and a bowl support device fixedly attachable to the bowl assembly and selectively engageable with the well conduit for holding a portion of the bowl assembly in substantially axially, radially and rotationally fixed relationship with the well conduit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventor: Henry A. Baski
  • Publication number: 20150098800
    Abstract: A system can include a shaft and turbine wheel assembly that includes a seal portion; a bearing assembly that includes an outer race and rolling elements that rotatably support the shaft and turbine wheel assembly; a sleeve that includes an outer diameter and a through bore that includes a first inner diameter that accommodates an outer diameter of the outer race of the bearing assembly and a second, smaller inner diameter that accommodates an outer diameter of the seal portion of the shaft and turbine wheel assembly; and a center housing that includes a compressor side, a turbine side and a bore that includes a turbine side bore diameter that accommodates the outer diameter of the sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Ryan Matthew Kocher, Corazon Maynigo, Glenn F. Thompson
  • Publication number: 20150098797
    Abstract: A rotary shaft device (3) includes a shaft body (20) rotatably supported by angular bearings (35, 36), and a support body (40) configured to rotatably support the shaft body (20) via the angular bearings (35, 36). A ball rolling groove (21) having a Gothic arch shape in which rolling elements (39) of the angular bearings (35, 36) roll is formed in an outer circumferential surface of the shaft body (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Shirakawa, Yuki Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20150098798
    Abstract: A brush seal system for sealing a gap between components of a thermal gas turbine that may be moved relative to one another includes a gas seal housing that receives at least one brush head of a brush seal and a support element by means of which a brush packet projecting from the brush head of the brush seal may be supported against flexing. The support element and the brush seal housing are embodied as separate components. The invention furthermore relates to a method for producing such a brush seal system and to a thermal gas turbine having such a brush seal system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: STEPHAN KLAN, FRANK STIEHLER, JULIAN WEBER, MARKUS SCHLEMMER, STEPHAN PROSTLER
  • Publication number: 20150098799
    Abstract: A component support of the turbomachine, in particular an aircraft engine, is described, which includes at least two essentially annular components on the stator side, which are in axial contact with each other and are preferably oriented coaxially to the machine axis, the first component having a plurality of radial, groove-like recesses, which are laterally overlapped by the second component with its projection-like bearing sections, and an uncontoured support ring surface section being provided between the adjacent bearing sections, a turbomachine also being described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Rudolf Stanka, Christoph Lauer, Hans Stricker
  • Publication number: 20150093233
    Abstract: A turbocharger assembly can include a housing with a through bore and an axial face disposed in the through bore; a locating plate with a keyed opening attached to the housing; and a journal bearing disposed in the through bore where the journal bearing includes a keyed compressor end and an enlarged outer portion defined between two axial faces by an outer diameter and an axial length where the axial face disposed in the through bore of the housing, the locating plate, and the two axial faces of the journal bearing axially locate the journal bearing in the through bore and where the keyed opening of the locating plate and the keyed compressor end of the journal bearing azimuthally locate the journal bearing in the through bore. Various other examples of devices, assemblies, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Frederic Daguin, Joel Castan, Nicolas Vazeille, Dominique Aramd, Steven Liu, Yong Jun Chen, Shinichi Adachi
  • Publication number: 20150093235
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a brush seal for a turbomachine, having a support (1) that has a recess (2), in which a spring element (3) is clamped axially, which fastens a brush element (4), the spring element being axially locked at an undercut (2.1) in the recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Frank Stiehler
  • Publication number: 20150089959
    Abstract: A gas turbine engine includes a core housing that has an inlet case and an intermediate case that respectively provide an inlet case flow path and an intermediate case flow path. The shaft supports a compressor section that is arranged axially between the inlet case flow path and the intermediate case flow path. A geared architecture is coupled to the shaft, and a fan coupled to and rotationally driven by the geared architecture. The geared architecture includes a sun gear supported on the second end. A first bearing supports the shaft relative to the intermediate case and a second bearing supporting the shaft relative to the inlet case. The second bearing is arranged radially outward from the shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Brian D. Merry, Gabriel L. Suciu
  • Publication number: 20150089918
    Abstract: A casing for a fan drive gear system includes a cast body with an upper and a lower portion. The cast body defines an oil inlet and an oil outlet arranged below the oil outlet. An integrally cast oil channel extends between the inlet and outlet for conveying oil from the upper portion of the cast body portion to the lower portion of the cast body for providing a supply of lubrication to the gear system when oil pools in an upper portion of an auxiliary oil reservoir during negative-G flight events.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Christopher M. Valva, Todd M. Lapierre
  • Patent number: 8992213
    Abstract: An apparatus for sealing a fan drive shaft in a vacuum heat treating furnace is disclosed. The sealing apparatus includes a housing having an annular body and a central opening. An inflatable first seal surrounds the central opening of the annular body. A second seal surrounds the central opening and is adjacent to the inflatable first seal. The sealing apparatus also includes a channel formed in the annular body adjacent to the second seal for conducting a purging fluid into the central opening. A means for injecting the purging fluid into the central opening is operably connected to the channel. A vacuum heat treating furnace and a fan drive system incorporating the sealing apparatus are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Ipsen, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Moller, Werner Hendrik Grobler, Jake Hamid
  • Publication number: 20150086331
    Abstract: A component system of a turbine engine including a first component segment and a second component segment configurable in a ring segment shape, so that at least one abutment surface of the first component segment and an abutment surface of the second component segment abut against each other; together, the first component segment and the second component segment including at least three overlapping elements for sealing a gap between the abutment surfaces. In the case of mutually abutting abutment surfaces, each overlapping element overlapping radially with the respective other component segment. At least two of the overlapping elements are configured on the first component segment, while at least one of the overlapping elements is configured on the second component segment. In the case of mutually abutting abutment surfaces, the overlapping element of the second component segment is axially configured between the overlapping elements of the first component segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Hess, Manfred Feldmann
  • Publication number: 20150078886
    Abstract: A ball bearing sleeve is used in a turbocharging device. The ball bearing sleeve has one or more ball bearings that are designed to control loads that are applied to the sleeve in the x, y and z-directions. The ball bearing sleeve is designed to replace the “thrust bearing” that is typically the “weak link” in a turbocharging device, as well as the journal bearings. The sleeve is designed to include a cylindrical portion that includes one or more grooves for directing the flow of oil around the sleeve for cooling. An oil duct having access holes directs the flow of oil into the ball bearings. Sleeve device may be retro-fitted into an existing turbocharger, which originally had journal and thrust bearings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventor: Bret J. Park
  • Patent number: 8979477
    Abstract: A system is provided with a turbine exhaust strut configured to provide a bi-directional airflow. The turbine exhaust strut includes a first portion having a first flow passage configured to flow a fluid in a first direction between inner and outer exhaust walls of a turbine exhaust section, and a second portion having a second flow passage configured to flow the fluid in a second direction between the inner and outer exhaust walls of the turbine exhaust section. Furthermore, the first and second directions are opposite from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Martin Johnson, Radu Ioan Danescu, Srinivasarao Pakkala, Piotr Edward Kobek
  • Publication number: 20150071762
    Abstract: A turbine for a supercharging device of an internal combustion engine may include a control device for performance control of the turbine. The control device may include at least one actuator, which is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis relative to a turbine housing. The actuator may have a bearing shaft, which is mounted in a bearing of the turbine housing. The bearing shaft may include at least one bearing sleeve, which is radially in contact with the bearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventor: Florian Rentz
  • Patent number: 8973361
    Abstract: Provided is a seal air supply system including: a seal air compressor 73 provided separately from an exhaust gas turbine turbocharger 27 to generate compressed air; a seal air supply passage 77 through which the compressed air is supplied to a seal air supply part 79 as seal air of the exhaust gas turbine turbocharger 27; and a surplus air inlet passage 81 bifurcating from the seal air supply passage 77 and guiding surplus air of the seal air to an outlet side of an intake gas compressor 27a of the exhaust gas turbine turbocharger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuichi Shimizu, Hajime Suzuki, Hideki Nishio
  • Publication number: 20150063981
    Abstract: A device for sealing the coaxial shafts of a turbomachine includes an annular seal able to perform sealing by contact with the outer shaft, and a lubricating device to lubricate the region of contact between the annular seal and the outer shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Arnaud Jean-Marie Pierrot, Serge Rene Morreale
  • Patent number: 8967944
    Abstract: A buffer air pump provides pressurized cooling air for cooling components of the gas turbine engine. The buffer air pump is supported on and/or within an accessory gearbox and draws bypass air in through an inlet manifold. An impeller supported within a scroll housing pressurizes the incoming bypass air and directs the pressurized air through passages to a component requiring cooling. The buffer air pump draws in relatively cool air from the bypass flow, pressurizes the air with the impeller and sends the air through conduits and passages within the gas turbine engine to the component that requires cooling such as a bearing assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Gabriel L. Suciu, Jorn A. Glahn, Brian D. Merry, Christopher M. Dye
  • Publication number: 20150044019
    Abstract: A compressor may include a crankshaft, a lower bearing, an oil sump, an oil pump and a pressure equilibrium tube. The crankshaft may include an oil supply passage formed therethrough. The lower bearing may rotatably support a lower part of the crankshaft. The oil sump may be disposed proximate the lower part of the crankshaft. The oil pump may include an inlet, an outlet, an intake chamber and a discharging chamber. The inlet may be positioned below a level of oil in the oil sump and in fluid communication with the intake chamber. The discharging chamber may be in fluid communication with the oil supply passage at the lower part of the crankshaft through the outlet. The pressure equilibrium tube provides fluid communication between a space above the level of oil in the oil sump and the intake chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: EMERSON CLIMATE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jibao Wu, Qingfeng Sun
  • Publication number: 20150037139
    Abstract: An air bearing assembly includes a split bearing with a first portion and a second portion configured to join and form a female tapered section with distal ends of a larger diameter than a joining central portion. A shaft with a male section including distal ends of a larger diameter than a central portion mates with the female tapered section formed by the joined split bearing. In order to provide adequate lubrication, support, and cooling, one or more an passages in the split bearing fluidly communicates a supply of pressurized air to the shaft. The air pressure provides a cushion of air for the shaft to float on during operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventor: Jason P. Everts
  • Patent number: 8944749
    Abstract: An oil purge system for a mid turbine frame (MTF) of a gas turbine engine has an oil transfer tube surrounded by a heat shield tube. The oil transfer and heat shield tubes extend at their respective inner ends downwardly from an oil port of a bearing housing and terminate at their respective outer ends projecting outwardly from an annular wall of an outer case of the MTF. Oil leaked from the oil port is purged by pressurized air through an annular cavity formed between the oil transfer and heat shield tubes, and is discharged out of the MTF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
    Inventors: Eric Durocher, John Pietrobon, Zenon Szlanta, Roger Huppe
  • Patent number: 8939710
    Abstract: An exemplary turbomachine seal assembly includes a ring seal that has a radially-facing sealing surface, an axially-facing sealing surface, and a first tapered surface. The turbomachine seal assembly also includes a spacer that has a second tapered surface. The second tapered surface interfaces with the first tapered surface to bias the radially facing sealing surface and the axially facing sealing surface toward a sealing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Scot A. Webb
  • Patent number: 8939650
    Abstract: This bearing comprises a fixed outer ring and a rotatable inner ring, and at least one lubrication ring having at least one lubrication duct extending between an outer surface and an inner surface of the lubrication ring. The at least one lubrication duct is placed so that the scalar product of a vector collinear to the longitudinal axis of the lubrication duct, and a vector (VL1) collinear to the tangent line (L1) to an outer cylindrical surface of the inner ring, at the point where the longitudinal axis of the lubrication duct (270) intersects the outer cylindrical surface of the inner ring, and oriented in the same direction as the rotation direction (F) of the inner ring, is strictly superior to zero, said vectors being projected in a plane (P2) perpendicular to the rotation axis of the bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget SKF
    Inventors: Nicolas Berruet, Richard Corbett, Samuel Viault, Jun Wang, Jeroen Wensing
  • Publication number: 20150016950
    Abstract: A device and method for discharging sealing air in a turbofan engine includes a primary flow duct that extends through a core engine of the turbofan engine and a bypass duct. The device has at least one bearing chamber sealed by sealing air of the turbofan engine, said bearing chamber surrounding at least one oil-lubricated bearing element for mounting a mechanical component of the turbofan engine. At least one discharge path for escaping sealing air is provided, which extends up to the bypass duct of the turbofan engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Sascha BURGHARDT
  • Publication number: 20150016959
    Abstract: A partial seal platform for mounting a seal and securing seal to a rotor or a casing including a first arcuate securing segment with a first securing notch for receiving a first securing ridge of rotor or casing; a second arcuate securing segment with a second securing notch for receiving a second securing ridge of rotor or casing; an arcuate coupling segment with a first flat ridge forming a first and second lateral notch on each side of the first flat ridge for receiving the first arcuate securing segment and the second arcuate securing segment; and an arcuate mounting segment including a second flat ridge forming a lateral notch on each side of second flat ridge for receiving first arcuate securing segment and second arcuate securing segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Thomas Joseph Farineau, Michael Dennis Mack, Timothy Scott McMurray, Xiaoqing Zhen
  • Publication number: 20150016960
    Abstract: A linear gasket for an inter-blade platform that presents a length, the gasket including a linear base for fastening to the inter-blade platform and a linear lip projecting from the linear base, the linear lip including a linear distal end portion configured to contact a pressure side wall or a suction side wall of a blade, a linear groove being formed between the linear base and the linear lip over at least a fraction of a length of the linear gasket. The linear distal end portion includes at least one linear slit extending over at least a fraction of the length of the gasket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: SNECMA
    Inventor: Anne-Laure Ravier
  • Patent number: 8915708
    Abstract: A turbocharger includes a turbine section, a compressor section and a bearing section. A turbine wheel and a compressor wheel are mounted on a shaft and the shaft is rotatably mounted in a bore of a housing. A lubrication system circulates lubricant through the bearing section. First and second spaced apart seals are positioned along the shaft. A recess is positioned between the first seal and the second seal to define an air buffer chamber. The air buffer chamber is provided with pressurized air to discourage lubricant leakage past the first seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Nan Yang, Jeff A. Jensen, Robert C. Griffith
  • Publication number: 20140369811
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: BorgWarner Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Malins, Sean Rylance, James Finley, Rob Daniels
  • Publication number: 20140356123
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a bearing of a rotor assembly having a first lubricant flow path configured to flow a first lubricant flow to a first bearing surface of the rotor assembly and a second lubricant flow path separate from the first lubricant flow path and configured to flow a second lubricant flow to a second bearing surface of the rotor assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Thomas Edward Gerber, Jonathan David Clemons
  • Patent number: 8899909
    Abstract: The present application provides a steam turbine system. The steam turbine system may include a high pressure section, an intermediate pressure section, a shaft packing location positioned between the high pressure section and the intermediate pressure section, a source of steam, and a cooling system. The cooling system delivers a cooling steam extraction from the source of steam to the shaft packing location so as to cool the high pressure section and the intermediate pressure section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Vishwas Kumar Pandey, Debabrata Mukhopadhyay, Manikandan Srinivasan, Santhosh Donkada