Alliedsignal Inc.

Honeywell International Inc.

Daniel A Gutknecht

I-Chung Ho

Gerald Duane Larue

Jean-Luc P Fleury

Kusumal J Silva

Martin D Garcia

An exemplary turbocharger assembly includes a housing with a through bore having a central axis extending between a compressor end and a turbine end of the housing and a bearing, configured for receipt by the through bore, where the bearing includes an inner journal configured to rotatably support a turbocharger shaft and where the inner journal includes a central axis, an axial length, a lubricant opening, an axially confined lubricant well, a lubricant ramp, and a lubricant channel that spans the axial length of the inner journal. Various other exemplary devices, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Multi-lobe semi-floating journal bearing

A method includes providing a journal bearing blank that includes an axis, an inner surface disposed at an inner diameter, an outer surface disposed at an outer diameter, a first axial surface, a second, opposing axial surface, and a lubricant opening that extends between the inner surface and the outer surface; along the inner surface, milling a well that spans an azimuthal angle about the axis, milling an arm that spans an azimuthal angle about the axis and that extends from the well to the first axial surface of the journal bearing, and milling an opposing arm that spans an azimuthal angle about the axis and that extends from the well to the second axial surface of the journal bearing; and inserting the journal bearing in a bore of a turbocharger center housing. Various other devices, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Helical inner diameter groove journal bearing

An exemplary bearing assembly includes a turbine side journal bearing with helical grooves along an inner journal surface where each helical groove includes a lubricant opening and opposing arms where each arm terminates at a respective axial surface of the journal bearing; a compressor side journal bearing with helical grooves along an inner journal surface where each helical groove includes a lubricant opening and opposing arms where each arm terminates at a respective axial surface of the journal bearing; and a spacer to space the turbine side journal bearing and the compressor side journal bearing along an axis. Various other exemplary devices, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

An exemplary center housing rotating assembly includes a turbine wheel, a compressor wheel, a center housing with a through bore extending from a compressor end to a turbine end, a lubricant inlet and a lubricant outlet, a pair of bearings disposed at least partially in the through bore of the center housing, a bearing spacer and a shaft rotatably supported by the bearings and having a rotational axis coincident with a rotational axis of the turbine wheel and a rotational axis of the compressor wheel where the center housing includes bearing lubricant paths to direct lubricant from the lubricant inlet to the pair of bearings and a shaft lubricant path to direct lubricant from the lubricant inlet to the shaft in a manner dependent on rotational position of the bearing spacer in the through bore of the center housing. Various other exemplary devices, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Bearing spacer and housing

An exemplary method for balancing a rotating assembly of a turbocharger, where the rotating assembly includes a shaft rotatably supported by a bearing cartridge, includes loading the rotating assembly to introduce a tilt between the rotational axis of an inner race of the bearing cartridge and a bore axis of an outer race of the bearing cartridge, rotating the inner race with respect to the outer race at a rotational speed less than approximately 5,000 rpm while maintaining the tilt at substantially constant angle and measuring dynamic unbalance of the rotating assembly. Various other exemplary devices, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.

Ball bearing turbocharger balancer

There is provided a shaft member such as a bearing, washers, and shaft, having at least one surface defining a plurality of radial grooves for providing radial fluid communication without generating significant thrust loading between the shaft member and an adjacent surface. The grooves can be formed by pressing a die against the surface(s) of the shaft member.

Grooved shaft member and associated turbocharger and method

A turbocharger includes a compressor wheel and shaft assembly in which a threaded connection is provided between the shaft and the compressor wheel. A pair of pilot surfaces on the shaft and on the compressor wheel are located on either end of the threaded sections of the shaft and compressor wheel, and are displaced radially from the threads. Accordingly, the piloting functions which assure concentricity between the shaft and compressor wheel are kept entirely separate from the attachment function provided by the threads, thereby permitting the concentricity between the compressor wheel and shaft to be held to tighter tolerances than would be possible if the threads also performed a piloting function.

Compressor wheel and shaft assembly for turbocharger

A turbocharger includes a rotating shaft which is supported within the turbocharger center housing by rotational bearing elements. The bearing cartridge is located axially within the housing 14 by a pin which extends through orifices drilled in the center housing and in the bearing outer ring. The pin is relatively smooth, so that excursions of the bearing cartridge assembly with the shaft is permitted when the shaft is accelerated through critical rotational speeds. These excursions are damped by lubricating fluid communicated into grooves circumscribing the bearing outer ring through lubrication passages extending through the pin. The lubricating fluid in the grooves communicates into the intersticial space defined between the outer ring of the bearing cartridge assembly and the center housing to thereby dampen the excursions of the bearing cartridge assembly.

Turbocharger bearing retention and lubrication system

An exhaust gas driven turbocharger includes a housing, and a shaft rotatably supporting a compressor wheel and a turbine wheel for rotation within the housing. A cartridge ball bearing assembly supports the shaft for rotation relative to the housing and includes a bearing outer ring, a bearing inner ring, and roller bearing elements supporting the inner ring for rotation relative to the outer ring. The inner ring is mounted on the shaft by axially spaced faying surfaces, the length of which are controlled to minimize heat transfer from the shaft to the bearing assembly while assuring the necessary stiffness of the assembly.

Turbocharger with improved roller bearing shaft support

A turbocharger includes a backplate separate from both the center housing and the turbine housing which is clamped between the latter by tie bolts extending across the center housing so that the tensile/shear forces transmitted through the head of the tie bolt are taken on the relatively cool compressor side of the center housing. The turbine backplate, since it is a separate member, may be made from a material having a relatively low thermal conductivity, thereby serving as a heat barrier between the turbine section and the center housing of the turbocharger. The separate backplate permits manufacture of the center housing by an inexpensive die casting process. An oil splash shield cooperates with the turbine backplate to prevent oil from splashed against the warm parts of the assembly, and also cooperates with the turbine backplate to define a chamber therebetween that also further increases thermal insulation of the center housing from the relatively warm turbine housing.

Turbocharger with turbine backplate and center housing oil shield

An exhaust gas driven turbocharger includes a center housing comprising a circumferentially extending annular wall enclosing a cavity in which the bearings supporting the turbocharger shaft are mounted. The center housing also includes a separate hollow annular member, which extends circumferentially around the shaft and extends radially from the circumferentially extending wall to the shaft. A cavity is defined within the hollow annular member, which receives coolant from the vehicle coolant system, to thereby control heat transfer from the turbine to the center housing and the bearings contained therewithin.

Turbocharger with water cooled center housing

An exhaust gas driven turbocharger includes a shaft rotatably mounted in a housing by a bearing assembly. A compressor wheel and a turbine wheel are mounted on opposite ends of the shaft. Exhaust gasses are directed to the upstream side of the turbine wheel by an inlet scroll defined between one end of the housing and the turbine wheel. A collector chamber is defined between the downstream side of the turbine wheel and the portion of the housing within which the bearings are mounted. Accordingly, the relatively cooler exhaust gasses on the downstream side of the turbocharger are adjacent the bearings, thereby minimizing heat transfer unto the bearings. Flow through the turbine wheel is in substantially an axial direction.

Growing community of inventors

Torrance, CA, United States of America

Daniel A Gutknecht