Turbine assembly including at least one superhard bearing
View Patent ↗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.
1. A turbine assembly for use in an engine, the turbine assembly comprising: a rotatable shaft; a compressor wheel coupled to the shaft; a turbine wheel spaced from the compressor wheel and coupled to the shaft; a first radial bearing assembly disposed about a portion of the shaft, the first radial bearing assembly positioned adjacent to the compressor wheel, the first radial bearing assembly including a first radial bearing member including a first radial member superhard bearing surface and a first radial bearing race including a first radial race superhard bearing surface oriented generally opposed to the first radial member superhard bearing surface, each of the first radial member superhard bearing surface and the first radial race superhard bearing surface including sintered polycrystalline diamond; and a second radial bearing assembly spaced from the first radial bearing assembly and disposed about another portion of the shaft, the second radial bearing assembly positioned adjacent to the turbine wheel, the second radial bearing assembly including a second radial bearing member including a second radial member superhard bearing surface and a second radial bearing race including a second radial race superhard bearing surface oriented generally opposed to the second radial member superhard bearing surface, each of the second radial member superhard bearing surface and the second radial race superhard bearing surface including sintered polycrystalline diamond.
2. The turbine assembly of claim 1 wherein the sintered polycrystalline diamond includes a plurality of interstitial regions at least partially occupied by at least one catalyst.
3. The turbine assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sintered polycrystalline diamond of at least one of the first radial bearing member or the first radial bearing race is bonded to a substrate or the sintered polycrystalline diamond of at least one of the second radial bearing members or the second radial bearing race is bonded to a substrate.
4. The turbine assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first thrust-bearing member disposed about a further position of the shaft and adjacent to one of the compressor wheel or turbine wheel, the first thrust-bearing member including a first thrust-bearing superhard surface; wherein at least one of the first radial bearing member or the first radial bearing race further includes a first radial thrust-bearing surface oriented generally opposed to the first thrust-bearing superhard bearing surface of the first thrust-bearing member.
5. The turbine assembly of claim 4 , further comprising: a second thrust-bearing member disposed about the shaft and adjacent to the turbine wheel, the second thrust-bearing member including a second thrust-bearing superhard thrust-bearing surface; and wherein at least one of the second radial bearing member or the second radial bearing race further includes a second radial thrust-bearing surface oriented generally opposed to the second thrust-bearing superhard bearing surface of the second thrust-bearing member.
6. The turbine assembly of claim 5 wherein each of the first and second radial bearing races and each of the first and second radial bearing members is generally shaped as a hollow cylinder and each of the first and second radial bearing members is concentric with a corresponding one of the first and second radial bearing races.
7. The turbine assembly of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the radial bearing races or members includes one or more lubricant supply channels formed generally transverse therethrough.
8. The turbine assembly of claim 5 wherein each of the first and second thrust-bearing members is generally shaped as a hollow cylinder.
9. The turbine assembly of claim 8 wherein at least one of the first or second thrust-bearing members includes one or more lubricant supply channels formed generally transverse therethrough.
10. The turbine assembly of claim 5 wherein each of the first and second thrust-bearing members includes a generally cylindrical polycrystalline diamond body with a longitudinal hole formed therethrough that receives the rotatable shaft.
11. The turbine assembly of claim 5 wherein each radial bearing member and race includes a generally cylindrical sintered polycrystalline diamond body with a longitudinal hole formed therethrough.
12. A turbine assembly for use in an engine, the turbine assembly comprising: a rotatable shaft; a compressor wheel coupled to the shaft; a turbine wheel spaced from the compressor wheel and coupled to the shaft; a first thrust-bearing member disposed about the shaft and adjacent to one of the compressor wheel or turbine wheel, the first thrust-bearing member including a first thrust-bearing superhard bearing surface; a first radial bearing member disposed about the shaft and adjacent to the first thrust-bearing member, the first radial bearing member including: a first radial bearing stator including a first radial stator superhard bearing surface; a first radial bearing rotor coupled to the shaft, the first radial bearing rotor including a first radial rotor superhard bearing surface oriented generally opposed to the first radial stator superhard bearing surface of the first radial bearing stator; wherein at least one of the first radial bearing stator or the first radial bearing rotor further includes a first radial thrust-bearing surface oriented generally opposed to the first thrust-bearing superhard bearing surface of the first thrust-bearing member; a second radial bearing member disposed about the shaft; wherein each of the first and second radial bearing members includes sintered polycrystalline diamond, wherein the sintered polycrystalline diamond defines a superhard bearing surface.
13. The turbine assembly of claim 12 wherein the sintered polycrystalline diamond includes a plurality of interstitial regions at least partially occupied by at least one catalyst.
14. The turbine assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a second thrust-bearing member disposed adjacent to the second radial bearing member.
15. The turbine assembly of claim 14 , wherein the second radial bearing member includes:
a second radial bearing stator including a second radial stator superhard bearing surface and a generally planar second thrust-bearing surface oriented generally opposed to the second thrust-bearing surface of the second thrust-bearing member;
a second radial bearing rotor coupled to the shaft, the second radial bearing rotor including a second radial rotor superhard radial bearing surface oriented generally opposed to the second radial superhard bearing surface of the second radial bearing stator.
16. The turbine assembly of claim 15 wherein each of the first and second radial bearing rotors is generally shaped as a hollow cylinder.
17. The turbine assembly of claim 16 wherein the each of the first and second radial bearing stators is generally shaped as a hollow cylinder.
18. The turbine assembly of claim 15 wherein each of the first and second thrust-bearing members is generally shaped as a hollow cylinder.
19. The turbine assembly of claim 15 wherein each of the first and second thrust-bearing members includes a generally cylindrical polycrystalline diamond body with a longitudinal hole formed therethrough that receives the rotatable shaft.
20. The turbine assembly of claim 15 wherein each of the first and second radial bearing stators and rotors includes a generally cylindrical sintered polycrystalline diamond body with a longitudinal hole formed therethrough.
21. A turbine assembly for use in an engine, the turbine assembly comprising:
a rotatable shaft;
a compressor wheel coupled to the shaft;
a turbine wheel spaced from the compressor wheel, the turbine wheel being coupled to the shaft;
first and second thrust-bearing members disposed about the shaft, the first thrust-bearing member being disposed adjacent to the compressor wheel, and the second thrust-bearing member being disposed adjacent to the turbine wheel, each of the first and second thrust-bearing members including a generally cylindrical sintered polycrystalline diamond body having a longitudinal hole formed therethrough that receives the rotatable shaft, each of the first and second thrust-bearing members defining a generally planar superhard thrust-bearing surface; and
first and second radial bearing members disposed about the shaft;
wherein the first radial bearing member is disposed adjacent to the first thrust-bearing member and includes a first radial thrust-bearing surface oriented to generally oppose the generally planar superhard thrust-bearing surface of the first thrust-bearing member;
wherein the second radial bearing member is disposed adjacent to the second thrust-bearing member and includes a second radial thrust-bearing surface oriented to generally oppose the generally planar superhard thrust-bearing surface of the second thrust-bearing member.