U.S. patent application number 10/653437 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-31 for housing for a fluid flow engine.
Invention is credited to Doebel, Manuela, Roemuss, Christiane.
Application Number | 20050069427 10/653437 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31197832 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050069427 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Roemuss, Christiane ; et
al. |
March 31, 2005 |
Housing for a fluid flow engine
Abstract
A housing (1) for a fluid flow engine comprises a first rotor
space (2) for receiving and housing a turbine rotor, a bearing
space (4) to house a shaft (5) of said turbine rotor, and a second
rotor space (3) for receiving and housing a compressor rotor. The
housing portions, which surround the bearing space (4), are
integrally formed at least in part with those portions that
surround at least one of the rotor spaces (2,3).
Inventors: |
Roemuss, Christiane;
(Rheinlandpfalz, DE) ; Doebel, Manuela;
(Gruenstadt, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Borg Warner Inc.
Patent Department
Powertrain Technical Center
3800 Automation Ave., Ste. 100
Auburn Hills
MI
48326-1782
US
|
Family ID: |
31197832 |
Appl. No.: |
10/653437 |
Filed: |
September 2, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
417/407 ;
417/405 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F05D 2220/40 20130101;
F01D 25/24 20130101; F01D 9/026 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
417/407 ;
417/405 |
International
Class: |
F04B 017/00; F04B
035/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 2, 2002 |
EP |
02 019 178.9 |
Claims
1-6. (cancelled)
7. A housing (1) for a fluid flow engine, said housing comprising:
a first rotor space (2) for receiving a turbine rotor (2') and
comprising flow conduits for supply and removal of a gas (6,23); a
second rotor space (3) for receiving a compressor rotor (3') and
comprising flow conduits for supply and removal of a gas (17,7); a
bearing space (4) for a shaft (5) comprising a first end adapted to
be axially attached to said turbine rotor (2'), and a second end
adapted to be axially attached to said compressor rotor (3');
wherein said housing (1) is formed as one piece and at least one of
said spaces (2,3,4) surrounds each said rotor (2',3').
8. The housing of claim 7, wherein all three said spaces (2-4) are
defined by a unitary housing (1).
9. The housing of claim 7, wherein said bearing space (4) is larger
than the diameter of said shaft (5) for receiving a bearing (13,
13').
10. The housing of claim 8, wherein said housing (1) comprises at
least one supply support (8 or 9) for channeling a gas to the
associated supply channel (6 or 7).
11. The housing of claim 7, further comprising at least one means
(15, 16) for axially fixing the bearing, wherein said means are
located at at least one end of the bearing space (4).
12. The housing of claim 7, wherein said means (15, 16) for axially
fixing the bearing are located at both ends of the bearing space
(4).
13. The housing of claim 11, wherein the bearing space (4) further
comprises a radially inward directed ring-wall (15) at one end of
said bearing space for mounting and axially fixing the shaft
(5).
14. The housing of claim 13, wherein said ring-wall is an axial
bearing.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a housing for a fluid flow
engine, such as a turbocharger, a secondary air charger or the
like. More particularly, the invention relates to a housing for
such a fluid flow engine which comprises a first rotor space for
receiving a turbine rotor, a bearing space for supporting a shaft
supporting the turbine rotor at one of its ends, and a second rotor
space for receiving and housing a compressor rotor, both rotor
spaces being surrounded by channels for conveying a gas, such as
exhaust gas or air.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Such housings are known from a variety of documents, for
example from document CA-1,270,120 or U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,860,827;
4,179,247 or 4,659,295. In all these known constructions, the
housing consists of several housing parts, mostly three. For
example, in most cases a separate housing part forms each the
turbine rotor space, another one the bearing space and a third one
the compressor rotor space. These housing parts have then to be
screwed or assembled in some way together, which is cumbersome,
requires small tolerances and is, thus, expensive.
[0003] However, forming the housing of several parts was, generally
based on a certain reason, i.e. to make heat conduction more
difficult and to be able to choose different materials for the
different housing parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is based on the recognition that a
multipart realization of such a housing is not necessary for all
applications. It is, therefore, an object of the invention to
reduce costs of production and assembly.
[0005] According to the invention, this object is achieved in that
the housing portion, that surrounds and defines the bearing space,
is integrally formed with at least one of the housing portions
which surround and define one of the rotor spaces. Accordingly, it
would be possible to cast for each rotor a housing, that surrounds
the respective rotor space and which is integrally interconnected
with at least part of the housing portion, which surrounds and
defines at least part of the bearing space. In this way, only the
two rotor housing portions had to be assembled.
[0006] In the context of this specification, the fact that a part
is "integral" with another one should mean that both of them
consist of a single piece.
[0007] Of course, it is still more favorable if all three spaces,
i.e. the two rotor spaces and the intermediate bearing space are
surrounded by an integrally formed or cast housing.
[0008] A special advantage of the construction according to a
preferred embodiment of the invention resides in that only a single
technically high-grade part has to be produced instead of a
plurality of them (involving an adaptation of tolerances to one
another). The rotor spaces, open to the exterior, can be covered
with a simple flange member so that mounting the housing requires
only mounting the two flanges, thus being less cumbersome.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Further details of the invention will become apparent from
the following description of an especially preferred embodiment
schematically illustrated in the drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is an axial cross-section of a housing for a fluid
flow engine according to the invention, in which, for better
understanding, a bearing plus rotors and housing cover are mounted,
as is schematically indicated;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side elevation according to line II-II of FIG.
1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] A single piece housing 1 which is, for example, produced
from cast material, such as gray cast iron or a light metal
casting, surrounds and defines with its inner walls a turbine rotor
space 2 for a turbine rotor 2', shown in FIG. 1, at one of its
axial ends, a compressor rotor space 3 for a compressor rotor 3' to
be accommodated therein at the opposite axial end of the housing,
and in-between a bearing space 4 for a shaft 5 which, as known to
one of ordinary skill in the art, supports each of the two rotors
2' and 3' on one of its ends. To each of the rotor spaces 2, 3 a
channel is assigned which, ordinarily, surrounds the rotor space in
an approximately annular or spiral form, i.e. a supply channel 6
and a discharge channel 7.
[0013] A gaseous medium, i.e. in the case of a turbocharger an
exhaust gas of a combustion motor, in the case of a secondary air
charger it is air, or any other fluid, such as a liquid, is
supplied to the supply channel 6 from a connection piece 8 shown in
FIG. 2, which is preferably also integrally formed on the housing
1, and which may be connected to the exhaust of a combustion motor.
On the other hand, air is supplied to the compressor rotor space 3
through an axially extending connection piece 17 (see arrow a'),
which is situated on a housing cover 18 to be fastened to the end
of the housing 1 by means of bolts 19. Compressed air is then
discharged through a discharge channel 7 and a connection piece
9.
[0014] It should be noted that the housing 1 according to the
invention can also be closed at its opposite axial end by a housing
cover 20, to which end it may comprise threaded bores 21 (only one
is represented), which bores receive screws or bolts 22 in a
similar way as described with reference to bolts 19. In this case,
this cover would define and limit the rotor space 2, just as the
cover 18 delimits rotor space 3. In similar manner, cover 20
possesses an axial connection piece 23 through which fluid is
discharged in correspondence with arrow a, said fluid having been
supplied to rotor 2' through the supply channel 6.
[0015] As best seen in FIG. 1, the housing 1 is relatively thick,
but is formed to have a shape that is easily produced. However, it
is within the scope of the present invention to restrict the
housing 1 more or less between the turbine rotor space 2 and the
compressor rotor space 3 and to provide it, if desired, with outer
ribs for eliminating heat.
[0016] Even though a single housing 1 is shown in FIG. 1 which
surrounds all three spaces 2-4, the invention is not limited to
this embodiment. For example, it would be conceivable to produce
the housing 1 from two separable interconnected parts, as is
indicated with dotted line L. Of course, a tolerance problem could
arise from this two-part construction for which reason a completely
integral construction for all three spaces 2-4 is preferred.
However, tolerance problems could be better managed if the two
parts of the two-partite housing 1 have inter-engaging fitting
surfaces, particularly conical fitting surfaces 10, so that they
have only to be fitted into each other and then to be secured in a
manner known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such a
subdivision of the housing 1 can also be effected in another way,
for example by providing a housing that surrounds one of the rotor
spaces and the whole bearing space. A further modification could
consist in that both rotor spaces 2 and 3 and/or the supply and
discharge channels 6 and 7 are of equal size.
[0017] It should further be noted that the bearing space 4 can
receive and house a conventional slide bearing which, if desired,
may be subdivided into at least two axially off-set parts, or an
antifriction bearing is used.
[0018] In contrast to the prior art where axial fixing of the
bearing was effected in the middle of the bearing space (see U.S.
Pat. No. 4,179,247), it is preferred according to the invention if
an axial fixing arrangement, such as thrust bearing, is provided at
an end of the bearing space 4 facing the respective rotor space 2
and/or 3, In this way, axial fixing can be achieved without
expensive treatment of surfaces and either a thrust bearing can
easily be mounted or a corresponding arrangement can easily be
provided. Such an arrangement is shown on the right side of FIG. 1
and is formed by an annular wall 15. This wall 15 surrounds a space
14 for passing the shaft 5 through, i.e. that end of the shaft that
supports the turbine rotor 2' within the turbine space 2, and
determines and closes the bearing space 4 at that end thereof. It
is clear that the wall 15 is not necessarily an annular wall, but
this embodiment is preferred.
[0019] On the other hand, a cylindrical space 16 is provided at the
other end of the bearing space 4 (at left in FIG. 1) where an axial
fixing assembly, for example a thrust bearing, can be accommodated.
Such axial fixing assemblies or thrust bearings are known to those
skilled in the art and, therefore, need not be explained in detail.
Thus the bearing space 4 has preferably the shape of a bushing. In
this way, it is possible to insert the shaft 5 together with a
pre-mounted bearing unit (or alternatively the bearing alone) into
the bushing formed by the bearing space 4 where it abuts and
engages the annular wall 15. The annular wall 15 itself and its
opening 14 for passing the shaft 5 through (i.e. the opening 14
corresponds in size approximately to the diameter of the shaft 5)
may either be formed as a friction or slide bearing itself or may
receive such bearing (or may be left without any bearing). As soon
as the bearing unit, having preferably the same axial length as the
bearing space 4, has been introduced into that bearing space 4, the
bearing may be axially fixed by inserting a thrust bearing or any
other axial fixing device into the space 16.
[0020] Numerous modifications are possible within the scope of the
present invention, some of them having been mentioned already
above. Furthermore, it would be conceivable to provide lubricating
bores which lead from the exterior, e.g. from an appropriate
nipple, into the bearing space 4. The housing 1 itself could
comprise radially extending outer connection flanges at both its
ends (or on one of them) where the housing covers 18 and 20
including the appropriate axial connection pieces 17, 23 for
discharging a fluid, such as the exhaust gas (at right in FIG. 1)
or for supplying air (at left in FIG. 1) may be screwed on. In each
case, however, it will be seen that not only the housing
construction is simplified, but that in addition mounting is
facilitated. With respect to the rotors 2', 3', they may be of any
conventional type; in this connection, reference is made to the
documents cited at the outset.
[0021] Instead of the above-mentioned axial fixing arrangement, as
preferred, one could provide an axial fixing device within the
bearing space 4, as is known to one of ordinary skill in the art
from U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,247, for example by providing at least one
annular groove 24 in the bushing-like bore of the bearing space 4
in order to accommodate there such an axial fixing unit. In this
way, it would be possible, if desired, to provide an arrangement
for axially fixing the bearing between both the ends of the bearing
space 4.
* * * * *