Turbocharger with bearing piloted compressor wheel

• US 9,915,172 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Annati, Richard E., Williams, Thomas J., Suchezky, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Ngoc T
• Application Number:
  US14/641,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20160265385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 606053
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/16 Arrangement of bearings; Supporting or mounting bearings in casings bearings per se F16C
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 25/24 Casings modified for heating or cooling F01D25/14; Casing parts, e.g. diaphragms, casing fastenings casings for rotary machines or engines in general F16M ; special arrangements in stators dealing with breaking-off of part of rotor F01D21/045
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/02 Blade-carrying members, e.g. rotors rotors of non-bladed type F01D1/34; stators F01D9/00 ; selecting particular materials F01D5/28
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 33/40 of non-positive-displacement type
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/00 Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 39/04 Mechanical drives; Variable-gear-ratio drives non-mechanical pump drives having variable gear ratio F02B39/08
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/059 Roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/266 mounting compressor rotors on shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/284 for compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2220/40 in turbochargers
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/24 for turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/54 Radial bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F05D 2240/60 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/548 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/24 Turbochargers in general F02C6/12
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/063 Fixing them on the shaft with interposition of an element F16C35/07
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/067 Fixing them in a housing with interposition of an element F16C35/07
• CPC Class Codes: F16J 15/16 between relatively-moving surfaces F16J15/50, F16J15/52 take precedence; bellows pistons F16J3/06; piston-rings or ring sealings of similar construction F16J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

A turbocharger is provided that includes a turbine, a compressor and a bearing housing disposed and connected between the turbine and the compressor. A shaft is rotatably disposed within the bearing housing and extending into the turbine and the compressor. A bearing arrangement is disposed between the shaft and the bearing housing and includes a inner bearing race element and an outer bearing race element. The compressor wheel includes a hub having a collar portion with a bore therein for receiving an end of the shaft. An end portion of the inner bearing race element is arranged to engage an outer circumferential surface of the collar portion.

Claims

1. A turbocharger, comprising:

a turbine that includes a turbine wheel;

a compressor that includes a compressor wheel;

a bearing housing disposed and connected between the turbine and the compressor, the bearing housing forming a bearing bore therethrough;

a shaft rotatably disposed within the bearing housing and extending into the turbine and the compressor, wherein the turbine wheel is connected to one end of the shaft and wherein the compressor wheel is connected to an opposite end of the shaft such that the turbine wheel is rotatably disposed in the turbine and the compressor wheel is rotatably disposed in the compressor;

a bearing arrangement disposed between the shaft and the bearing housing, the bearing arrangement including first and second bearings, each of the first and second bearings formed by a respective first and second plurality of rollers engaged between a respective first and second inner race and a respective first and second outer race;

an outer bearing race disposed within the bearing bore and forming the respective first and second outer races;

an inner bearing race disposed within the outer bearing race and between the outer bearing race and the shaft, the inner bearing race forming the respective first and second inner races such that the respective first inner race is axially aligned with the respective first outer race, and the respective second inner race is axially aligned with the respective second outer race, wherein the inner bearing race is arranged to rotate with the shaft, and wherein the compressor wheel includes a hub having a collar portion with a bore therein for receiving an end of the shaft, an end portion of the inner bearing race being arranged to engage an outer circumferential surface of the collar portion, wherein the collar portion forms an annular shoulder that abuts against an end of the inner bearing race and extends parallel to a radially inward facing surface of the inner bearing race; and

a bearing retainer connected between the bearing housing and the compressor, the bearing retainer forming an inner bore through which the shaft extends and a ring seal disposed to sealably engage the inner bearing race and the inner bore of the bearing retainer, wherein the ring seal is arranged in a U-shaped channel formed by the annular shoulder of the collar portion and an open channel in the inner bearing race.

2. The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the inner bearing race forms a flared portion having an increased inner diameter with respect to end portions thereof that engage the shaft.

3. The turbocharger of claim 2, wherein the shaft is connected to the inner bearing race at end portions, the end portions having a first diameter, the shaft further forming a slender portion between the end portions, the slender portion having a second diameter that is less than the first diameter.

4. The turbocharger of claim 3, wherein the increased inner diameter of the inner bearing race overlaps in an axial direction with the slender portion of the shaft.

5. The turbocharger of claim 1, wherein the inner bearing race is formed by two components, an outboard cup and an inboard cup.

6. A turbocharger, comprising:

a turbine that includes a turbine housing surrounding a turbine wheel;

a compressor that includes a compressor housing that surrounds a compressor wheel;

a bearing housing disposed and connected between the turbine and the compressor, the bearing housing forming a bearing bore therethrough that accommodates a shaft interconnecting the turbine wheel and the compressor wheel to transfer power therebetween;

wherein the shaft is rotatably mounted within the bearing housing and extends into the turbine and the compressor such that the turbine wheel is connected to one end of the shaft and the compressor wheel is connected to an opposite end of the shaft;

a bearing arrangement disposed between the shaft and the bearing housing, the bearing arrangement including first and second bearings, each of the first and second bearings formed by a respective first and second plurality of rollers engaged between between a respective first and second inner race and a respective first and second outer race;

an outer bearing race disposed within the bearing bore and forming the respective first and second outer races;

an inner bearing race disposed within the outer bearing race and between the outer bearing race and the shaft, the inner bearing race forming the respective first and second inner races such that the respective first inner race is axially aligned with the respective first outer race, and the respective second inner race is axially aligned with the respective second outer race, wherein the inner bearing race is arranged to rotate with the shaft, and wherein the compressor wheel includes a hub having a collar portion with a bore therein for receiving an end of the shaft, an end portion of the inner bearing race being arranged to engage an outer circumferential surface of the collar portion, wherein the collar portion forms an annular shoulder that abuts against an end of the inner bearing race and extends parallel to a radially inward facing surface of the inner bearing race; and

a bearing retainer connected between the bearing housing and the compressor, the bearing retainer forming an inner bore through which the shaft extends and a ring seal disposed to sealably engage the inner bearing race and the inner bore of the bearing retainer, wherein the ring seal is arranged in a U-shaped channel formed by the annular shoulder of the collar portion and an open channel in the inner bearing race element.

7. The turbocharger of claim 6, wherein the inner bearing race forms a flared portion having an increased inner diameter with respect to end portions thereof that engage the shaft.

8. The turbocharger of claim 7, wherein the shaft is connected to the inner bearing race at end portions, the end portions having a first diameter, the shaft further forming a slender portion between the end portions, the slender portion having a second diameter that is less than the first diameter.

9. The turbocharger of claim 8, wherein the increased inner diameter of the inner bearing race overlaps in an axial direction with the slender portion of the shaft.

10. The turbocharger of claim 6, wherein the inner bearing race is formed by two components, an outboard cup and an inboard cup.

11. An internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion chambers formed in a cylinder block, an intake manifold disposed to provide air or a mixture of air with exhaust gas to the combustion chambers, and an exhaust manifold disposed to receive exhaust gas from the combustion chambers, the engine further comprising:

a turbine that includes a turbine housing surrounding a turbine wheel, the turbine housing being fluidically connected to the exhaust manifold and disposed to receive exhaust gas therefrom to drive the turbine wheel;

a compressor that includes a compressor housing that surrounds a compressor wheel, the compressor housing being fluidically connected to the intake manifold and disposed to provide air thereto;

a bearing housing disposed and connected between the turbine and the compressor, the bearing housing forming a bearing bore therethrough;

a shaft rotatably disposed within the bearing housing and extending into the turbine and the compressor, wherein the turbine wheel is connected to one end of the shaft and wherein the compressor wheel is connected to an opposite end of the shaft such that the turbine wheel is rotatably disposed in the turbine and the compressor wheel is rotatably disposed in the compressor;

a bearing arrangement disposed between the shaft and the bearing housing, the bearing arrangement including first and second bearings, each of the first and second bearings formed by a respective first and second plurality of rollers engaged between a respective first and second inner race and a respective first and second outer race;

an outer bearing race disposed within the bearing bore and forming the respective first and second outer races;

an inner bearing race disposed within the outer bearing race and between the outer bearing race and the shaft, the inner bearing race forming the respective first and second inner races such that the respective first inner race is axially aligned with the respective first outer race, and the respective second inner race is axially aligned with the respective second outer race, wherein the inner bearing race is arranged to rotate with the shaft, and wherein the compressor wheel includes a hub having a collar portion with a bore therein for receiving an end of the shaft, an end portion of the inner bearing race being arranged to engage an outer circumferential surface of the collar portion, wherein the collar portion forms an annular shoulder that abuts against an end of the inner bearing race and extends parallel to a radially inward facing surface of the inner bearing race; and

a bearing retainer connected between the bearing housing and the compressor, the bearing retainer forming an inner bore through which the shaft extends and a ring seal disposed to sealably engage the inner bearing race and the inner bore of the bearing retainer, wherein the ring seal is arranged in a U-shaped channel formed by the annular shoulder of the collar portion and an open channel in the inner bearing race.