Compliant foil fluid film radial bearing or seal
View Patent ↗A compliant foil fluid film bearing or seal apparatus includes a bushing having a plurality of peripherally separate bushing segments. The bushing has a bore defined therethrough, with a peripheral portion of the bore being defined on each bushing segment. A plurality of compliant foils is carried by the bushing, with at least one of the compliant foils being disposed on each bushing segment. A plurality of foil undersprings is disposed beneath the plurality of compliant foils.
1. A compliant foil fluid film bearing or seal apparatus, comprising:
a bushing including a plurality of peripherally separate bushing segments, said bushing having a bore defined therethrough, a peripheral portion of said bore being defined on each bushing segment;
a plurality of compliant foils, at least one of said compliant foils being disposed on each bushing segment; and
a plurality of foil undersprings disposed beneath said plurality of compliant foils.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of flexible attachments connected to the plurality of bushing segments for flexibly connecting the bushing to a machine housing.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least some of said flexible attachments are adjustable in length for adjusting a position of the bushing within the machine housing.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of adjustable attachments connected to the plurality of bushing segments for connecting the bushing to a machine housing and adjustably positioning the bushing within the machine housing.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second bushing disposed axially adjacent to said first bushing, said second bushing including a plurality of peripherally separate second bushing segments.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
said first and second bushings have junctions between adjacent bushing segments of said first bushing peripherally staggered relative to junctions between adjacent bushing segments of said second bushing.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second bushing abuts the first bushing.
8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second bushing is axially spaced from the first bushing.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of peripheral end seals, one of said peripheral end seals sealing between each two adjacent peripheral ends of adjacent bushing segments.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
peripheral ends of said adjacent bushing segments overlap each other to form said peripheral end seals.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
peripheral ends of said adjacent bearing segments overlap each other.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said bushing segments are peripherally spaced from each other.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said bore comprises substantially less than 360°.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an auxiliary seal located adjacent said bushing, said auxiliary seal being of a type other than a compliant foil fluid film seal.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said auxiliary seal is of a type selected from the group consisting of brush seals and labyrinth seals.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said auxiliary seal is segmented into a plurality of auxiliary seal segments equal in number to said plurality of bushing segments.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said bore is non-circular and the peripheral portion of said bore on each bushing segment defines one or more lobes.
18. A compliant foil fluid film bearing or seal apparatus, comprising:
a turbine engine housing;
a turbine shaft rotatably disposed in the housing; and
a bushing including a plurality of separate bushing segments placed around said shaft;
at least one compliant foil carried by each bushing segment for sealing against said shaft; and
at least one foil underspring associated with each compliant foil.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:
a plurality of flexible attachments connecting the plurality of bushing segments to the housing.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the flexible attachments include adjustable positioning devices.
21. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:
a plurality of adjustable positioning devices connecting the plurality of bushing segments to the housing.
22. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:
a second bushing disposed axially adjacent to said first bushing, said second bushing including a plurality of peripherally separate second bushing segments.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein:
said first and second bushings have junctions between bushing segments of said first bushing peripherally staggered relative to junctions between bushing segments of said second bushing.
24. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the second bushing abuts the first bushing.
25. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the second bushing is axially spaced from the first bushing.
26. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:
a plurality of peripheral end seals, one of said peripheral end seals sealing between each two adjacent peripheral ends of adjacent bushing segments.
27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein:
peripheral ends of said adjacent bushing segments overlap each other to form said peripheral end seals.
28. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein:
peripheral ends of said adjacent bearing segments overlap each other.
29. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said bushing segments are peripherally spaced from each other.
30. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:
an auxiliary seal located adjacent said bushing, said auxiliary seal being of a type other than a compliant foil fluid film seal.
31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein said auxiliary seal is of a type selected from the group consisting of brush seals and labyrinth seals.
32. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein said auxiliary seal is segmented into a plurality of auxiliary seal segments equal in number to said plurality of bushing segments.
33. A compliant foil fluid film bearing or seal apparatus, comprising:
a bushing having an interior bore including a plurality of generally T-shaped retainers axially extending in said interior bore;
a plurality of compliant foils, with an individual compliant foil disposed in said interior bore of said bushing between adjacent generally T-shaped retainers;
a plurality of foil undersprings, with an underspring disposed beneath each of said compliant foils between adjacent generally T-shaped retainers; and
wherein said bushing comprises a plurality of separate bushing segments, each bushing segment having a portion of said interior bore defined thereon.
34. The apparatus of claim 33 , wherein:
one of said generally T-shaped retainers is defined on adjacent peripheral ends of adjacent first and second bushing segments, said one generally T-shaped retainer being axially split so that first and second retaining edges thereof are located upon said first and second bushing segments, respectively.
35. The apparatus of claim 33 , wherein:
each bushing segment has one and only one compliant foil and one and only one foil underspring disposed thereon.
36. The apparatus of claim 33 , wherein:
each bushing segment has a plurality of compliant foils and a corresponding plurality of foil undersprings disposed thereon.
37. A compliant foil fluid film bearing or seal apparatus, comprising:
a bushing having an interior bore including one or more retainer bases axially extending into the interior bore;
one or more compliant foils;
one or more retainer leading edges attached to each of the one or more retainer bases for retaining a compliant foil trailing edge;
one or more retainer trailing edges attached to each of the one or more retainer bases for retaining a compliant foil leading edge;
one or more foil undersprings, each underspring disposed beneath a compliant foil; and
wherein said bushing comprises a plurality of separate bushing segments, each bushing segment having a peripheral portion of said interior bore defined thereon.
38. The apparatus of claim 37 , wherein:
one of said retainer bases is located at each peripheral junction between adjacent bushing segments, said one retainer base being axially split into a first part having one of said retainer leading edges attached thereto and a second part having one of said retainer trailing edges attached thereto.
39. The apparatus of claim 38 , wherein:
said one retainer base at each peripheral junction comprises a generally split T-shaped retainer base.
40. A compliant foil hydrodynamic fluid film radial bearing or seal apparatus comprising: a cartridge housing defining an aperture having a non-circular, interior contour, a spring foil member disposed within said aperture of said cartridge housing and conforming to said non-circular, interior contour, a fluid foil member disposed within said spring foil member and conforming to the shape of said non-circular interior contour, and a rotor rotatably positioned within said fluid foil member, said spring foil member and said aperture of said cartridge housing wherein, rotation of said rotor generates fluid film forces which support and control the position of said rotor within said non-circular, interior contour of said aperture wherein the cartridge comprises a plurality of separate cartridge segments, each cartridge segment having a portion of said non-circular interior contour of said aperture defined thereon.
41. The apparatus of claim 40 , wherein said spring foil member and said fluid foil member comprise a plurality of spring foil segments and a plurality of fluid foil segments, respectively, each of said cartridge segments having at least one of said spring foil segments and at least one of said fluid foil segments disposed thereon.