Device for the leakage-free removal of bearing oil from sliding bearings for rotation shafts of high-speed machines

• US 4,741,630 A
• Filed: 05/04/1987
• Issued: 05/03/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Kraftwerk Union Aktiengesellschaft (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Oeynhausen, Heinrich, Winkelhake, Ernst
• Primary Examiner(s): Footland, Lenard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/048,517
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 384/144, 384/397, 384/135, 384/136, 384/400, 384/403
• US Class Current: 384/144
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 11/00 Preventing or minimising internal leakage of working-fluid, e.g. between stages sealings in general F16J ; sealing arrangements for transition ducts of combustor cans F01D9/023
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/601 using an ejector or a jet pump
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/602 Drainage
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/1025 with liquid, e.g. oil, as lubricant

Abstract

An assembly for the leakage-free removal of bearing oil from sliding bearings for rotating shafts of high-speed machines, includes a sliding bearing axially divided into bearing cups, contactless shaft seals near bearing end surface preventing escape to the surroundings of bearing oil fed to surfaces of the sliding bearing, an annular oil collecting canal disposed at least at one side of the sliding bearing between a shaft seal and a bearing end surface having an outer peripheral wall with an arcuate cutout formed therein with a slot-shaped opening arc defining an outlet opening through which the collecting canal discharges an oil flow, the opening arc covering a circumferential angular range of the shaft extending at least from the geodetically lowest point of the outer contour of the collecting canal at most to a position of the outer contour defined by the parting line of the cups as seen in shaft rotation direction, an oil collecting box with an oil flow space and an inlet opening matched to the outlet cross section of the opening arc and sealed to the opening arc for receiving oil from the outlet opening, tangentially arched baffles dividing the oil flow space into a plurality of oil flow channels for dividing an oil spray fan downwardly thrown off from the lower surface of the shaft and downwardly deflecting oil sprays thereof, and a common downwardly directed transition piece receiving the oil flow from the oil flow channels.

Claims

1. Assembly for the leakage-free removal of bearing oil from sliding bearings for rotating shafts of high-speed machines, comprising a shaft with an outer surface rotating in a given direction throwing off an oil spray fan including oil sprays from a downwardly directed portion of said outer surface, a sliding bearing having sides and being axially divided into bearing cups along a parting line and having sliding bearing surfaces supporting said shaft and two bearing end surfaces, contactless shaft seals in the vicinity of said bearing end surfaces preventing escape to the surroundings of bearing oil fed under pressure to said sliding bearing surfaces, an annular oil collecting canal disposed at least at one of said sides of said sliding bearing between one of said shaft seals and one of said bearing end surfaces, said annular oil collecting canal having an outer contour with a geodetically lowest point and an outer peripheral wall having an arcuate cutout formed therein with a slot-shaped opening arc defining an outlet opening through which said annular oil collecting canal discharges an oil flow, said opening arc having an outlet cross section and covering a circumferential angular range of said shaft extending at least from said geodetically lowest point of said outer contour at most to a position of said outer contour defined by said parting line as seen in said given shaft rotation direction, an oil collecting box having an oil flow space therein and having an inlet opening formed therein matched to said outlet cross section of said opening arc and sealed to said opening arc for receiving oil from said outlet opening, tangentially arched baffles dividing said oil flow space into a plurality of oil flow channels for dividing said oil spray fan and downwardly deflecting said oil sprays thereof, and a common downwardly directed transition piece receiving the oil flow from said oil flow channels.

2. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein said oil flow space and at least a part of said oil flow channels are steadily reduced in size as seen from said inlet opening to said transistor piece.

3. Assembly according to claim 2, wherein said oil collection box has end walls extending along axial direction of said shaft and being reduced in size substantially in the shape of a curved bell-shaped end of a trumpet.

4. Assembly according to claim 1, including a sealing chamber axially upstream of said annular oil collecting canal, said sealing chamber having an annular wall with an inner periphery and upper and lower annular wall halves, said shaft seals being in the form of a labyrinth seal having a multiplicity of sealing rings mutually spaced apart on said inner periphery of said annular wall, said sealing rings having peaks surrounding said outer surface of said shaft with little clearance, a leakage oil collecting chamber substantially enclosing said lower annular wall half and sealing said lower annular wall half from the surroundings, said leakage oil collecting chamber communicating with said sealing chamber through a multiplicity of oil drainage holes formed in said annular wall between said sealing peaks, and said leakage oil collecting chamber having driving nozzles disposed thereon covering axially oriented suction holes formed in said leakage oil collecting chamber generating suction in said opening arc for conducting the oil flow from said oil drainage holes.

5. Assembly according to claim 4, wherein said driving nozzles are suction caps each being formed of a half shell of a hollow part covering said suction holes and having a conical blower point in an oil inlet direction and an opening in an oil flow outlet direction.

6. Assembly according to claim 4, wherein said driving nozzles are suction caps each being formed of a half shell of a hollow part covering said section holes and having a wedge-shaped blower point in an oil inlet direction and an opening in an oil flow outlet direction.

7. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein said oil collecting box has relatively narrow and relatively wide sides and rubber-elastic sealing strips pre-stressed against said outer peripheral wall of said annular oil collecting canal.

8. Assembly according to claim 7, including a partial chamber having a substantially L-shaped peripheral wall defining a substantially triangular cavity as seen in plan view, an inlet opening in an oil inlet direction and an oil outlet opening in an oil flow outlet direction, for aspirating leaked oil in said cavity with suction generated by the oil flow.

9. Assembly comprising a shaft with an outer surface rotating in a given direction throwing off an oil spray fan including oil sprays from a downwardly directed portion of said outer surface, a sliding bearing having sides and being axially divided into bearing cups along a parting line and having sliding bearing surfaces supporting said shaft and two bearing end surfaces, contactless shaft seals in the vicinity of said bearing end surfaces preventing escape to the surroundings of bearing oil fed under pressure to said sliding bearing surfaces, an annular oil collecting canal disposed at least at one of said sides of said sliding bearing between one of said shaft seals and one of said bearing end surfaces, said annular oil collecting canal having an outer contour with a geodetically lowest point and an outer peripheral wall having an arcuate cutout formed therein with a slot-shaped opening arc defining an outlet opening through which said annular oil collecting canal discharges an oil flow, said opening arc having an outlet cross section and covering a circumferential angular range of said shaft extending at least from said geodetically lowest point of said outer contour at most to a position of said outer contour defined by said parting line as seen in said given shaft rotation direction, an oil collecting box having an oil flow space therein and having an inlet opening formed therein matched to said outlet cross section of said opening arc and sealed to said opening arc for receiving oil from said outlet opening, a sealing chamber axially upstream of said annular oil collecting canal, said sealing chamber having an annular wall with an inner periphery and upper and lower annular wall halves, said shaft seals being in the form of a labyrinth seal having a multiplicity of sealing rings mutually spaced apart on said inner periphery of said annular wall, said sealing rings having peaks surrounding said outer surface of said shaft with little clearance, a leakage oil collecting chamber substantially enclosing said lower annular wall half and sealing said lower annular wall half from the surroundings, said leakage oil collecting chamber communicating with said sealing chamber through a multiplicity of oil drainage holes formed in said annular wall between said sealing peaks, and said leakage oil collecting chamber having driving nozzles disposed thereon covering axially oriented suction holes formed in said leakage oil collecting chamber generating suction in said opening arc for conducting the oil flow from said oil drainage holes.