Turbocharger with journal bearing

1. A turbocharger assembly comprising:

a housing that comprises a through bore extending from a compressor side to a turbine side of the housing and an axial face disposed in the through bore between a through bore surface at a first diameter and a through bore surface at a second diameter;

a locating plate attached to the compressor side of the housing wherein the locating plate comprises a keyed opening; and

a journal bearing disposed in the through bore of the housing wherein the journal bearing comprises a keyed compressor end and an enlarged outer portion defined between two axial faces by an outer diameter and an axial length wherein an axial length between the keyed compressor end and a turbine end of the journal bearing exceeds the axial length of the enlarged outer portion,

wherein 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 of the housing, and

wherein 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 of the housing.

2. The turbocharger assembly of claim 1 wherein the keyed opening of the locating plate allows for radial movement of the journal bearing in the through bore of the housing.

3. The turbocharger assembly of claim 1 wherein 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 of the housing with respect to a lubricant pathway of the housing.

4. The turbocharger assembly of claim 1 wherein the keyed opening of the locating plate comprises a perimeter having one or more flat portions.

5. The turbocharger assembly of claim 1 wherein the keyed compressor end of the journal bearing comprises a perimeter having one or more flat portions.

6. The turbocharger assembly of claim 1 wherein the axial face disposed in the through bore is formed by a counterbore.

7. The turbocharger assembly of claim 1 wherein the through bore comprises a lubricant opening at an axial location between the axial face and the turbine side of the housing.

8. The turbocharger assembly of claim 1 wherein the journal bearing comprises a smaller outer diameter that defines an outer surface that extends axially between the enlarged outer portion and the turbine end.

9. The turbocharger assembly of claim 1 wherein the axial length of the enlarged outer portion is less than approximately one-third the axial length between the keyed compressor end and the turbine end.

10. The turbocharger assembly of claim 1 wherein the journal bearing comprises at least one thrust pad at the keyed compressor end or at the turbine end.

11. A turbocharger assembly comprising:

a housing that comprises a through bore extending from a compressor side to a turbine side of the housing;

a locating plate attached to the compressor side of the housing wherein the locating plate comprises a keyed opening; and

a journal bearing disposed in the through bore of the housing wherein the journal bearing comprises a keyed annular groove disposed intermediate a compressor end and a turbine end of the journal bearing wherein the keyed opening of the locating plate and the keyed annular groove of the journal bearing axially and azimuthally locate the journal bearing in the through bore of the housing and wherein the journal bearing comprises at least one lubricant bore that extends from a surface of a bore of the journal bearing to a surface of the keyed annular groove.

12. The turbocharger assembly of claim 11 wherein the journal bearing comprises compressor end thrust pads and turbine end thrust pads.

13. The turbocharger assembly of claim 11 wherein the keyed annular groove comprises at least one flat portion.

14. The turbocharger assembly of claim 13 wherein the locating plate comprises at least one straight edge wherein the at least one straight edge azimuthally locates the journal bearing in the through bore of the housing via contact with the at least one flat portion of the keyed annular groove of the journal bearing.

15. The turbocharger assembly of claim 11 wherein the keyed annular groove of the journal bearing is located axially between an axial mid-point of the journal bearing and the compressor end of the journal bearing.

16. The turbocharger assembly of claim 11 wherein the surface of the keyed annular groove to which the at least one lubricant bore extends comprises a surface of a flat portion of the keyed annular groove that forms a contact with a surface of the keyed opening of the locating plate.

17. The turbocharger assembly of claim 11 wherein the keyed opening of the locating plate allows for radial movement of the journal bearing in the through bore of the housing.

18. A method comprising:

providing a turbocharger assembly that comprises

a housing that comprises a through bore extending from a compressor side to a turbine side of the housing;

a locating plate attached to the compressor side of the housing wherein the locating plate comprises a keyed opening; and

a journal bearing disposed in the through bore of the housing wherein the journal bearing comprises a keyed annular groove disposed intermediate a compressor end and a turbine end of the journal bearing;

operating the turbocharger assembly;

axially and azimuthally locating the journal bearing in the through bore of the housing via contacting the keyed annular groove of the journal bearing and the keyed opening of the locating plate; and

providing lubricant to the housing and flowing a portion of the lubricant to the keyed annular groove of the journal bearing via a lubricant passage between a surface of a bore of the journal bearing and a surface of the keyed annular groove.