A hybrid foil-magnetic bearing wherein the foil and magnetic bearing parts share the load at predetermined speeds or operating conditions. Force, flux, strain, temperature, or acceleration sensors provide a measure proportional to actual load on at least one of the bearing parts, and this measure is inputted to a load sharing controller for dividing the load between the bearing parts. In order to provide control of a hybrid journal bearing which is substantially free of the effects of a bending mode node resulting from magnetic planes on opposite sides of the bearing and of sensor non-collocation, a pair of redundant sensors are provided on opposite sides respectively of the housing for regulating flux on the opposite sides respectively.

A magnetic bearing wherein axially spaced combinations of permanent magnets on a rotor and stator are polarized to levitate the rotor and positioned with the rotor magnets offset axially outwardly (or inwardly) of the stator magnets to allow a force balance to be achievable to bear axial thrust. An electrically energizable coil modulates magnetic flux between the respective stator and rotor magnets for each combination. A first electrical circuit regulates electrical energy to the coils for maintaining a reference position of the rotor. A second electrical circuit compares feed-back of electrical energy to at least one of the coils with a reference electrical energy of about zero amps or volts and integrates the differences until the difference is about zero to provide a signal to modify the reference position, whereby to attain a zero force balance position wherein the current which must be supplied to the coils may be reduced to near zero.

A compliant foil seal comprising at least one smooth resilient foil for facing a rotor and at least one bump foil for providing film riding stiffness and controlled deformation of the smooth resilient foil for providing an effective seal which is capable of operating reliably in the presence of large rotor excursions.

A method for bearing a rotor in which load is shared between a foil bearing part and a magnetic bearing part without using a calculated rotor trajectory corresponding to various rotor spin speeds. Power input to the magnetic bearing part is controlled in response to feedback of rotor position. In order to share the load on the fly so that the load is shared quickly as the rotor speed is changed, the power input is modified in response to rotor spin speed to reduce load capacity of the magnetic bearing part as rotor spin speed is increased and increase load capacity of the magnetic bearing part as rotor spin speed is decreased. Alternative methods of modifying power input include modifying integral gain and inputting rotor spin speed to an adaptive filter to continually reset the adaptive filter at the rotor spin speed. For use of the process with a thrust bearing, the magnetic and foil bearing parts are disposed on opposite sides of the thrust runner.

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid film journal bearing for handling high loads. The bearing assembly includes a first thin smooth compliant sheet for facing a shaft, one or more corrugated foils, and a second sheet between the foils and the compliant sheet for supportedly underlying the compliant sheet for preventing sagging of the first sheet between ridges of the foils. A foil element is anchored at a position intermediate its ends to the bearing sleeve whereby both ends thereof are unanchored. A pair of radially outer and inner corrugated foils have outer foil ridges which underlie some inner foil ridges and outer foil furrows which underlie others of the inner foil ridges. A bearing assembly includes a plurality of rows of corrugated foil elements wherein ends of foil elements are offset circumferentially from ends of foil elements in adjacent rows symmetrically from the radial centerplane to provide a herringbone pattern effect. At least some ridges on at least one of inner and outer corrugated foils have truncated apex portions.

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid film journal bearing for handling high loads. The bearing assembly includes a first thin smooth compliant sheet for facing a shaft, one or more corrugated foils, and a second sheet between the foils and the compliant sheet for supportedly underlying the compliant sheet for preventing sagging of the first sheet between ridges of the foils. A foil element is anchored at a position intermediate its ends to the bearing sleeve whereby both ends thereof are unanchored. A pair of radially outer and inner corrugated foils have outer foil ridges which underlie some inner foil ridges and outer foil furrows which underlie others of the inner foil ridges. A bearing assembly includes a plurality of rows of corrugated foil elements wherein ends of foil elements are offset circumferentially from ends of foil elements in adjacent rows symmetrically from the radial centerplane to provide a herringbone pattern effect. At least some ridges on at least one of inner and outer corrugated foils have truncated apex portions.

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid film thrust bearing. A circumferential row of sectors of flexible sheets are positioned to face a shaft runner for relative rotation therebetween. The flexible sheets are supported by a flexible membrane which is in turn supported by a pair of rows of corrugated foil elements. Flexible strips are sandwiched between the trailing portions of the flexible sheets and the flexible membrane to provide a tapered/land effect. The corrugated foil elements are supported by a flexible diaphragm which is in turn supported by a row of corrugated support elements which are attached thereto along circumferentially intermediate portions thereof and are aligned with the flexible strips to provide a crowning effect. The ridges of at least one of the pair of rows of corrugated foil elements have truncated apex portions. In one embodiment, ridges in corrugated foil elements of one row thereof underlie only some ridges in the other row, and furrows underlie the other ridges.

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid film journal bearing for handling high loads. The bearing assembly includes a first thin smooth compliant sheet for facing a shaft, one or more corrugated foils, and a second sheet between the foils and the compliant sheet for supportedly underlying the compliant sheet for preventing sagging of the first sheet between ridges of the foils. A foil element is anchored at a position intermediate its ends to the bearing sleeve whereby both ends thereof are unanchored. A pair of radially outer and inner corrugated foils have outer foil ridges which underlie some inner foil ridges and outer foil furrows which underlie others of the inner foil ridges. A bearing assembly includes a plurality of rows of corrugated foil elements wherein ends of foil elements are offset circumferentially from ends of foil elements in adjacent rows symmetrically from the radial centerplane to provide a herringbone pattern effect. At least some ridges on at least one of inner and outer corrugated foils have truncated apex portions.

A compliant hydrodynamic fluid film thrust bearing. A circumferential row of sectors of flexible sheets are positioned to face a shaft runner for relative rotation therebetween. The flexible sheets are supported by a flexible membrane which is in turn supported by a pair of rows of corrugated foil elements. Flexible strips are sandwiched between the trailing portions of the flexible sheets and the flexible membrane to provide a tapered/land effect. The corrugated foil elements are supported by a flexible diaphragm which is in turn supported by a row of corrugated support elements which are attached thereto along circumferentially intermediate portions thereof and are aligned with the flexible strips to provide a crowning effect. The ridges of at least one of the pair of rows of corrugated foil elements have truncated apex portions. In one embodiment, ridges in corrugated foil elements of one row thereof underlie only some ridges in the other row, and furrows underlie the other ridges.

An auxiliary bearing for temporarily receiving rotor load when the main bearings are unable to receive rotor load. A plurality of rollers or sets of rollers are spaced circumferentially around the rotor. At least some of the rollers are movable between first radial positions which afford clearance between the rollers and the rotor and second radial positions for receiving by the rollers of rotor load. The movement of one roller toward the second radial position in response to contact therewith by the rotor effects movement of all of the at least some rollers toward the second radial positions to close the clearance and receive the rotor load. The rollers then disengage when the rotor load is again taken by the main bearings.

Powder-Lubricant Damper with Wavy Damper Pads

Powder-Lubricant Piston Ring for Diesel Engines

Bearing Assembly

Bearing Assembly

Bearing Lubrication Device

Magnetic Fluid Devices such as Magnetic Fluid Bearings, Seals and the like and an Automatic Magnetic Fluid Supply Control System therefore

Fluid Seal with Shaft Excursion Compensation

Bearing Lubrication Device

High Load, Whirl Free, Foil Journal Bearing

Plural Fluid Magnetic/Centrifugal Seal

Multi-Stage Support Element for Compliant Hydrodynamic Bearings

Cross-Plies Support Element for Compliant Bearings

Composite Material Compliant Bearing Element

Stepped, Split, Cantilevered Compliant Bearing Support

Support Element for Compliant Hydrodynamic Thrust Bearing

Compliant Journal Bearing with Angular Stiffness Gradient