Bearing centering spring and damper
A machine has a first member, a second member, a bearing, and a spring. The bearing inner race is mounted to the second member. A spring first end portion is mounted to the first member. The bearing outer race is mounted to a spring second end portion. The spring has a flexible portion between the first end portion and the second end portion. A first annular seal is carried by an outer diameter first groove in an outer diameter surface of the second end portion and seals with an inner diameter surface of a sealing portion of the first member. A second annular seal carried by an inner diameter second groove in the first member and seals with an outer diameter surface of the second end portion. A fluid outlet in the first member opens to a chamber between the first annular seal and the second annular seal.
1. A machine comprising:
a first member;
a second member;
a bearing having an inner race mounted to the second member and an outer race; and
a spring comprising:
a first end portion mounted to the first member;
a second end portion, the bearing outer race mounted to the second end portion; and
a flexible portion between the first end portion and the second end portion, and further comprising:
an outer diameter first groove in an outer diameter surface of the second end portion;
a first annular seal carried by the first groove and sealing with an inner diameter surface of a sealing portion of the first member;
an inner diameter second groove in the first member;
a second annular seal carried by the second groove and sealing with an outer diameter surface of the second end portion; and
a fluid outlet in the first member to a chamber between the first annular seal and the second annular seal.
2. The machine of claim 1 wherein:
the first annular seal is cast iron; and
the second annular seal is steel.
3. The machine of claim 1 further comprising:
a wave spring between the second annular seal and a radially-extending face of the second groove.
4. The machine of claim 1 wherein:
there is only a single outer diameter groove in the outer diameter surface of the second end portion.
5. The machine of claim 1 wherein:
the spring comprises a first piece and a second piece;
the first end portion is a first end portion of the first piece;
the second end portion is a second end portion of the second piece;
the first piece has a second end portion; and
the second piece has a first end portion fastened to the second end portion of the first piece.
6. The machine of claim 5 wherein:
the flexible portion is a flexible portion of the first piece between the first piece first end portion and the first piece second end portion.
7. The machine of claim 1 wherein:
the flexible portion comprises a circumferential array of longitudinal beams.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the first end portion, the second end portion, and the flexible portion are of a single metallic piece.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the first end portion comprises a radially outwardly protruding mounting flange having a plurality of mounting holes.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the flexible portion comprises at least one of steel and titanium alloy.
11. The machine of claim 1 wherein:
the first seal is under hoop compression; and
the second seal is under hoop tension.
12. The machine of claim 1 being a gas turbine engine.
13. A method for using the machine of claim 1 , the method comprising:
introducing a fluid to a radial clearance between the second end portion and the inner diameter surface of the sealing portion.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the fluid biases:
the second annular seal against a side of the second groove; and
the first annular seal against a side of the first groove.
15. A machine comprising:
a first member;
a bearing;
a bearing spring support/damping apparatus comprising:
a first end portion;
a second end portion having an inner surface mounting the bearing and an outer surface radially inward of an inner surface of the first member; and
a flexible portion between the first end portion and the second end portion,
wherein:
a first seal seals between the outer surface of the second end portion and the inner surface of the first member to a first axial side of a fluid outlet in the inner surface of the first member; and
a second seal seals between the second end portion and an axially facing radial face of the first member to a second axial side of the fluid outlet axially opposite the first axial side to form a damper.
16. A machine comprising:
a first member;
a bearing;
a bearing spring support/damping apparatus comprising:
a first end portion;
a second end portion having an inner surface mounting the bearing and an outer surface radially inward of an inner surface of the first member; and
a flexible portion between the first end portion and the second end portion,
wherein:
a first seal seals between the outer surface of the second end portion and the inner surface of the first member to a first axial side of a fluid outlet in the inner surface of the first member;
a second seal seals between the second end portion and a radial face of the first member to a second axial side of the fluid outlet axially opposite the first axial side to form a damper; and
the second seal is partially in a radially inwardly open groove of the first member.
17. The machine of claim 16 wherein:
the radial face is a surface of a side of the radially inwardly open groove of the first member.
18. The machine of claim 16 wherein:
the first seal is under hoop compression; and
the second seal is under hoop tension.