U.S. patent application number 15/646633 was filed with the patent office on 2019-01-17 for turbo-charger bearing.
The applicant listed for this patent is GM Global Technology Operations LLC. Invention is credited to Louis P. BEGIN, Dingfeng DENG, Yuli HUANG, Fanghui SHI, Ran WU.
Application Number | 20190017550 15/646633 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 64745242 |
Filed Date | 2019-01-17 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190017550 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SHI; Fanghui ; et
al. |
January 17, 2019 |
TURBO-CHARGER BEARING
Abstract
A turbocharger including a housing and a rotary assembly
disposed within the housing and including a turbine wheel and a
compressor wheel attached to one another by a shaft. The rotary
assembly being subject to aero-load in a lateral direction. A
bearing is disposed in the housing and rotatably supports the
shaft, the bearing including an inner bearing surface that engages
the shaft and an outer bearing surface that engages the housing,
the outer bearing surface having a pair of axially extending
recessed grooves extending at least partially along the bearing.
The pair of axially extending grooves being located perpendicular
to the aero-load direction
Inventors: |
SHI; Fanghui; (Bloomfield
Hills, MI) ; DENG; Dingfeng; (Auburn Hills, MI)
; WU; Ran; (Auburn Hills, MI) ; BEGIN; Louis
P.; (Rochester, MI) ; HUANG; Yuli; (Auburn
Hills, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
GM Global Technology Operations LLC |
Detroit |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
64745242 |
Appl. No.: |
15/646633 |
Filed: |
July 11, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16C 17/028 20130101;
F16C 32/0644 20130101; F01D 25/186 20130101; F16C 33/107 20130101;
F16C 33/1065 20130101; F16C 17/18 20130101; F16C 17/02 20130101;
F16C 33/1045 20130101; F16C 2360/24 20130101; F05D 2220/40
20130101; F16C 33/6659 20130101; F16C 33/6629 20130101; F05D
2260/98 20130101; F16C 33/1085 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F16C 33/66 20060101
F16C033/66; F16C 17/18 20060101 F16C017/18 |
Claims
1. A partial admission turbocharger, comprising: a housing; a
rotary assembly disposed within the housing and including a turbine
wheel and a compressor wheel attached to one another by a shaft,
the housing defining a partial admission inlet to the turbine wheel
over only a portion of an annulus of the turbine so that the rotary
assembly is subject to aero-load in a lateral direction; and a
bearing disposed in the housing and rotatably supporting the shaft,
the bearing including an inner bearing surface that engages the
shaft and an outer bearing surface that engages the housing, the
outer bearing surface having a cylindrical outer surface and a pair
of axially extending grooves recessed relative to the cylindrical
outer surface and extending from one end of the bearing surface and
at least partially along the bearing, the pair of axially extending
grooves being located perpendicular to the aero-load direction.
2-3. (canceled)
4. The partial admission turbocharger according to claim 1, wherein
said housing includes an oil passage in communication with the
bearing.
5. A partial admission turbocharger, comprising: a housing; a
rotary assembly disposed within the housing and including a turbine
wheel and a compressor wheel attached to one another by a shaft,
the housing defining a partial admission inlet to the turbine wheel
over only a portion of an annulus of the turbine so that the rotary
assembly is subject to aero-load in a lateral direction; and a
bearing disposed in the housing and rotatably supporting the shaft,
the bearing including an inner bearing surface that engages the
shaft and an outer bearing surface that engages the housing, the
outer bearing surface having a cylindrical outer surface and a pair
of axially extending grooves recessed relative to the cylindrical
outer surface and extending from one end of the bearing surface and
at least partially along the bearing, the pair of axially extending
grooves being located perpendicular to the aero-load direction,
wherein said housing includes an oil passage in communication with
the bearing wherein the housing includes a moon groove in
communication with the oil passage and located opposite to at least
one of the axially extending grooves.
6. A partial admission turbocharger, comprising: a housing
including a bearing housing portion; a rotary assembly disposed
within the housing and including a turbine wheel and a compressor
wheel attached to one another by a shaft, the housing defining a
partial admission inlet to the turbine wheel over only a portion of
an annulus of the turbine wheel so that the rotary assembly is
subject to aero-load in a lateral direction; and a bearing disposed
in the bearing housing portion and rotatably supporting the shaft,
the bearing including an inner bearing surface that engages the
shaft and an outer bearing surface that engages the bearing housing
portion, the bearing housing portion having a cylindrical inner
surface and a pair of axially extending grooves recessed relative
to the cylindrical inner surface and extending at least partially
along the bearing, the pair of axially extending grooves being
located perpendicular to the aero-load direction.
7. (canceled)
8. The partial admission turbocharger according to claim 6, wherein
said housing includes an oil passage in communication with the
bearing.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a turbo-charger bearing
and more particularly to a bearing axial slot design for both NVH
and durability performance.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
[0002] This section provides background information related to the
present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
[0003] Internal combustion engines are used to generate
considerable levels of power for prolonged periods of time on a
dependable basis. Many such engine assemblies employ a boosting
device, such as an exhaust gas turbine driven turbocharger, to
compress the airflow before it enters the intake manifold of the
engine in order to increase power and efficiency.
[0004] Specifically, a turbocharger utilizes a centrifugal gas
compressor that forces more air and, thus, more oxygen into the
combustion chambers of the engine than is otherwise achievable with
ambient atmospheric pressure. The additional mass of
oxygen-containing air that is forced into the engine improves the
engine's volumetric efficiency, allowing it to burn more fuel in a
given cycle, and thereby produce more power.
[0005] A typical turbocharger employs a central shaft that is
supported by one or more bearings and transmits rotational motion
between an exhaust-driven turbine wheel and an air compressor
wheel. Both the turbine and compressor wheels are fixed to the
shaft, which in combination with various bearing components
constitute the turbocharger's rotating assembly.
[0006] Sub synchronous frequency vibration noise can be a concern
in a turbocharger. The semi-floating or fully floating
turbo-charger bearing according to the principles of the present
disclosure is designed to minimize sub synchronous vibration and
maintain the load capacity.
[0007] A partial admission turbocharger is provided including a
housing and a rotary assembly disposed within the housing and
including a turbine wheel and a compressor wheel attached to one
another by a shaft. The rotary assembly being subject to aero-load
in a lateral direction. A bearing is disposed in the housing and
rotatably supports the shaft, the bearing including an inner
bearing surface that engages the shaft and an outer bearing surface
that engages the housing, the outer bearing surface having a pair
of axially extending recessed grooves extending at least partially
along the bearing. The pair of axially extending grooves being
located perpendicular to the aero-load direction.
[0008] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the
description provided herein. The description and specific examples
in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and
are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
DRAWINGS
[0009] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes
only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations,
and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional illustration of the
turbocharger;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a partial admission
turbocharger;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a bearing according to the
principles of the present disclosure;
[0013] FIG. 4 is an end plan view of the bearing shown in FIG. 3;
and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative
arrangement with the axially extending grooves in the bearing
housing.
[0015] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0017] Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure
will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are
skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as
examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a
thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It
will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details
need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in
many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit
the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments,
well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known
technologies are not described in detail.
[0018] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be
limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the"
may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises,"
"comprising," "including," and "having," are inclusive and
therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,
operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the
presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The
method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to
be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the
particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically
identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood
that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
[0019] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on,"
"engaged to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or
layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the
other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be
present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being
"directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or
"directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no
intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to
describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in
a like fashion (e.g., "between" versus "directly between,"
"adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the
term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of
the associated listed items.
[0020] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used
herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers
and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or
sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be
only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or
section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as
"first," "second," and other numerical terms when used herein do
not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the
context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section
discussed below could be termed a second element, component,
region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of
the example embodiments.
[0021] Spatially relative terms, such as "inner," "outer,"
"beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like, may be
used herein for ease of description to describe one element or
feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as
illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be
intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use
or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the
figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over,
elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or
features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or
features. Thus, the example term "below" can encompass both an
orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise
oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the
spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted
accordingly.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, a turbocharger 26 includes a shaft 28
having a first end 30 and a second end 32. A turbine wheel 36 is
mounted on the shaft 28 proximate to the first end 30 and
configured to be rotated by combustion exhaust gasses emitted from
an engine. The turbine wheel 36 is typically formed from a
temperature and oxidation resistant material, such as a
nickel-chromium-based "inconel" super-alloy to reliably withstand
temperatures of the combustion exhaust gasses which in some engines
may approach 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The turbine wheel 36 is
disposed inside a turbine housing 38 that includes a partial
admission inlet arrangement 40, meaning that the exhaust gases
enter the turbine wheel 36 over only a portion of the annulus, as
shown in FIG. 2. The turbine airfoils operate in an unsteady flow
environment that is strongly dependent on the circumferential
location of the airfoils. In particular, as shown in FIG. 2, the
partial admission turbocharger 26 has an aero-load direction as
shown by the directional arrows "A" for the arrangement shown.
[0023] As further shown in FIG. 1, the turbocharger 26 also
includes a compressor wheel 42 mounted on the shaft 28 proximate to
the second end 32. The compressor wheel 42 is configured to
pressurize the airflow being received from the ambient for eventual
delivery to the cylinders. The compressor wheel 42 is disposed
inside a compressor cover 44 that includes a volute or scroll 46.
The scroll 46 receives the airflow and directs the airflow to the
throttle valve and the intake manifold. Accordingly, rotation is
imparted to the shaft 28 by the combustion exhaust gases energizing
the turbine wheel 36, and is in turn communicated to the compressor
wheel 42.
[0024] With continued reference to FIG. 1, the shaft 28 is
supported for rotation via a bearing 48. The bearing 48 is mounted
in a bore 50 of a bearing housing 52 and is lubricated and cooled
by a supply of pressurized oil. As shown in FIG. 3, the bearing 48
includes an inner bearing surfaces 54 that contacts the shaft 28
and an outer bearing surfaces 56 that contact the bore 50 of the
housing. The outer bearing surface 56 includes a cylindrical outer
surface 58 with a pair of axially extending grooves 60 recessed
relative to the cylindrical outer surface 58. The axially extending
grooves 60 extend from an end edge 58a of the bearing 48 and
terminates before the opposite end edge 58b. The grooves 60 are at
a location that is generally perpendicular to the aero-load
direction A. The bearing housing 52 further includes an oil passage
62 and a moon groove 64 for introducing the oil to the axially
extending grooves 60. The moon groove 64 is located along the
perpendicular line B and increases the minimum film thickness
effectively. The bearing 48 includes a plurality of apertures 66
that introduce oil to the interior of the bearing 48.
[0025] As an alternative arrangement, as shown in FIG. 5, the pair
of axially extending grooves 160 can be formed on an interior
surface of the bearing housing 152 at a location that is generally
perpendicular to the load direction A. The alternative arrangement
can be utilized for a full-floating bearing 148 where the bearing
is not rotationally fixed relative to the bearing housing 152. The
axially extending grooves 160 can extend partially along the
bearing 148 and can be in communication with an oil passage 62.
[0026] The axial grooves 60/160 make the partial admission
turbocharger capable of carrying the aero-load while reducing
subsynchronous vibration. Previous bearings that have been provided
with a 360.degree. circumferential acoustic groove on the outer
surface of the floating bearing system provides outstanding
stability for NVH. However, the bearing surface was cut in half by
the circumferential groove that detrimentally impacts the load
carrying capacity for partial admission turbochargers. The bearing
design with a pair of axially extending grooves placed
perpendicular to the loading direction provide similar function as
the 360.degree. circumferential groove for NVH while maintaining
the load capacity of a wider bearing. The closed end of the grooves
also limit the oil flow impact.
[0027] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been
provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual
elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not
limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are
interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if
not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in
many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure
from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be
included within the scope of the disclosure.
* * * * *