Bearing with drained race and squeeze film damper

• US 9,841,056 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Snow, Kyle Robert, Ogston, Philip J., Grady, Christopher Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannon, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US14/919,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20170114831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/162 Bearing supports
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/18 Lubricating arrangements of machines or engines in general F01M
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/32 in gas turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/54 Radial bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2260/96 Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/06 with a single row or balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/16 with a single row of balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/23 Gas turbine engines
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 27/045 with a fluid film, e.g. squeeze film damping
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/586 outside the space between the races, e.g. end faces or bore of inner ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6659 Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing, e.g. passages or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6677 from radial inside, e.g. via a passage through the shaft and/or inner ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6685 Details of collecting or draining, e.g. returning the liquid to a sump
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/045 with a radial flange to mount the housing

Abstract

A bearing apparatus includes: a bearing including a first race rotatable relative to a second race, wherein the first race includes one or more drain passages extending therethrough; and a squeeze film damper connected to the first race, the squeeze film damper including first and second squeeze film spaces separated by an oil drain path which communicates with the one or more drain passages of the first race.

Claims

1. A bearing apparatus, comprising:

a bearing including a first race rotatable relative to a second race, wherein the first race includes one or more drain passages extending therethrough; and

a squeeze film damper connected to the first race, the squeeze film damper including first and second squeeze film spaces separated by an oil drain path which communicates with the one or more drain passages of the first race,

wherein the squeeze film damper includes;

an annular bearing support; and

an annular bearing mount having inner and outer rings positioned radially inboard and outboard of the bearing support, respectively, wherein the first race is an outer race of the bearing and is received in the inner ring of the bearing mount.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inner and outer rings are connected by an end wall, collectively forming a U-shape.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the squeeze film spaces are defined between the bearing support and the inner ring of the bearing mount.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bearing mount includes a radially-extending mounting flange clamped to a flange of the bearing support by one or more fasteners.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bearing support includes annular first and second oil manifolds communicating with the first and second squeeze film spaces.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the bearing support includes an oil feed gallery extending axially therethrough and communicating with the first and second oil manifolds.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising first and second oil feed tubes extending radially through the bearing mount and communicating with the first and second sneeze film spaces, respectively.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each oil feed tube is received in a port formed in the bearing support.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each port communicates with one of the squeeze film spaces.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bearing support and the bearing mount each include one or more transfer passages disposed in fluid communication with the one or more drain passages of the first race.

11. A bearing apparatus, comprising:

a bearing including a first race rotatable relative to a second race, wherein the first race includes one or more drain passages extending therethrough; and

a squeeze film damper connected to the first race, the squeeze damper including first and second squeeze film spaces separated by an oil drain path which communicates with the one or more drain passages of the first race,

wherein the squeeze film damper includes;

an annular bearing support; and

bearing mount having a ring positioned radially adjacent to the bearing support, wherein the first race is received in the ring of the bearing mount, and wherein the first and second squeeze film spaces are defined between the bearing support and the bearing mount.