초록 ▼

Disclosed is a snubber bearing assembly for protecting a rotor and accompanying bearings from radial and axial rotor transient overload events. The bearing assembly includes a snubber journal mounted on the rotor and a snubber housing having a radial snubber bearing mounted on its inside surface, th

Disclosed is a snubber bearing assembly for protecting a rotor and accompanying bearings from radial and axial rotor transient overload events. The bearing assembly includes a snubber journal mounted on the rotor and a snubber housing having a radial snubber bearing mounted on its inside surface, the radial snubber bearing being radially-offset from an outer radial surface of the snubber journal. Lubricating plugs are disposed within a plurality of holes defined in the radial snubber bearing, the lubricating plugs being configured to provide lubrication between the radial contact surface and the outer radial surface during a radial rotor transient overload event. The snubber housing can also include opposing axial snubber bearings that have lubricating plugs disposed within holes defined therein also. The opposing axial snubber bearings are configured to be axially-offset from inner axial surfaces defined by the rotor journal and provide lubrication therebetween during an axial rotor transient overload event.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A rotating machine, comprising: a rotor arranged within a casing;a plurality of radial magnetic bearings supported by the casing and configured to support the rotor;a plurality of auxiliary bearings supported by the casing and configured to prevent the rotor from contacting respective inner radia

1. A rotating machine, comprising: a rotor arranged within a casing;a plurality of radial magnetic bearings supported by the casing and configured to support the rotor;a plurality of auxiliary bearings supported by the casing and configured to prevent the rotor from contacting respective inner radial surfaces of the plurality of radial magnetic bearings of the rotating machine;a plurality of snubber bearing assemblies, each snubber bearing assembly of the plurality of snubber bearing assemblies comprising: a snubber journal mounted on the rotor for rotation therewith and having an outer radial surface;a snubber housing coupled to the casing via a snubber mount, the snubber housing extending radially toward the snubber journal and having an inside surface and opposing axial ends; anda radial snubber bearing coupled to the inside surface of the snubber housing and having a radial contact surface radially-offset from the outer radial surface of the snubber journal, the radial snubber bearing defining a plurality of holes; anda first plurality of lubricating plugs, at least one lubricating plug of the first plurality of lubricating plugs is disposed within a respective hole of the plurality of holes of the radial snubber bearing, the first plurality of lubricating plugs being configured to provide lubrication between the radial contact surface and the outer radial surface during a rotor transient overload event. 2. The rotating machine of claim 1, wherein the snubber journal includes a u-shaped trough having opposing inner axial surfaces. 3. The rotating machine of claim 2, further comprising opposing axial snubber bearings coupled to the opposing axial ends of the snubber housing, the opposing axial snubber bearings having axial contact surfaces that are axially-offset from the opposing inner axial surfaces of the snubber journal, respectively. 4. The rotating machine of claim 3, wherein each of the opposing axial snubber bearings defines a plurality of holes therein, and at least one lubricating plug of a second plurality of lubricating plugs is disposed in a respective hole of the plurality of holes of each of the opposing axial snubber bearings, the at least one lubricating plug of the second plurality of lubricating plugs being configured to provide lubrication between the axial contact surfaces and the opposing inner axial surfaces during an axial rotor transient overload event. 5. The rotating machine of claim 4, wherein the first plurality of lubricating plugs and the second plurality of lubricating plugs comprise a graphite material. 6. The rotating machine of claim 4, wherein the radial snubber bearing and the opposing axial snubber bearings are made from a material having a coefficient of friction from about 0.1 to about 0.3. 7. The rotating machine of claim 6, wherein the material is spinodal copper. 8. The rotating machine of claim 1, wherein at least one snubber bearing assembly of the plurality of snubber bearing assemblies is disposed axially between at least one of the radial magnetic bearings and an axial thrust bearing of the rotating machine. 9. The rotating machine of claim 1, wherein at least one snubber bearing assembly of the plurality of snubber bearing assemblies is disposed axially between at least one of the radial magnetic bearings and a balance piston of the rotating machine. 10. The rotating machine of claim 1, wherein a radial extent of at least one of the radial snubber bearings at least partially extends into the respective snubber housing to couple the at least one radial snubber bearing to the snubber housing. 11. The rotating machine of claim 1, further comprising: wherein a t-shaped radial extent of at least one the radial snubber bearing at least partially extends into the respective snubber housing to couple the at least one radial snubber bearing to the snubber housing. 12. The rotating machine of claim 1 wherein a dove-tail shaped radial extent of the radial snubber bearing at least partially extends into the snubber housing to couple the radial snubber bearing to the snubber housing. 13. A method for attenuating a rotor transient overload event in a rotating machine having a rotor, comprising: mounting a plurality of snubber bearing assemblies in the rotating machine, each snubber bearing assembly of the plurality of snubber bearing assemblies comprising a snubber journal mounted on the rotor of the rotating machine, a snubber housing coupled with a casing of the rotating machine, and a radial snubber bearing coupled to the casing, wherein mounting the plurality of snubber bearing assemblies comprises: mounting the respective snubber journal of each of the plurality of snubber bearing assemblies on the rotor for rotation therewith, the rotor being disposed within the casing of the rotating machine, and the respective snubber journal of each of the plurality of snubber bearing assemblies is a u-shaped trough having an outer radial surface and opposing inner axial surfaces;resisting axial movement of the rotor with opposing axial snubber bearings coupled to respective opposing axial ends of each snubber housing coupled with the casing, the opposing axial snubber bearings having respective axial contact surfaces that are axially-offset from the respective opposing inner axial surfaces of the snubber journal;resisting radial movement of the rotor with each radial snubber bearing coupled to the casing, the radial snubber bearing defining a plurality of holes and having a radial contact surface radially-offset from the outer radial surface of the snubber journal;preventing the rotor from contacting respective inner radial surfaces of a plurality of radial magnetic bearings of the rotating machine with a plurality of auxiliary bearings when at least one radial magnetic bearing of the plurality of radial magnetic bearings fails; andlubricating the radial contact surface and the outer radial surface of the snubber journal with a first plurality of lubricating plugs, at least one lubricating plug of the first plurality of lubricating plugs is disposed within a respective hole of the plurality of holes of the radial snubber bearing. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the opposing axial snubber bearings defines a plurality of holes therein, and at least one lubricating plug of a second plurality of lubricating plugs is disposed in a respective hole of the plurality of holes of each of the opposing axial snubber bearings, and the method further comprising lubricating at least one of the axial contact surfaces and at least one of the opposing inner axial surfaces during an axial rotor transient overload event with the at least one lubricating plug of the second plurality of lubricating plugs.