Borgwarner Inc.

Michael Thayer

Gordon Clark Jenks

Jerud Crandall

Marc Ogle

A turbocharger () includes a shaft () rotatably supported within a bearing housing (), a turbine wheel () connected to the shaft (), and a heat shield () disposed between the turbine wheel () and the bearing housing (). The heat shield () includes surface features () formed on at least one of a sidewall () portion thereof and a flange () portion thereof that locate the heat shield () relative to the bearing housing () such that the heat shield () is coaxial with the rotational axis of the shaft ().

Heat shield with centering features

A flow direction system () for a turbocharger () or other fluid impeller device is provided that can reduce swirl or turbulence of exhaust gases being supplied to a turbine rotor (). The system () uses one or more ribs () or fins that extend from an inner surface () of an inlet () of the turbine housing () and that can be integrally formed with the inlet (). The ribs () can be diametrically opposed along the inner surface () and can extend less than half way across the inlet (). The ribs () can have chamfered leading or trailing edges to reduce drag.

Turbine housing with integrated ribs

A turbocharger is provided having a bearing housing () and a heat shield () staked thereto. The staking process can be a compression staking process that deforms one or more portions of the bearing housing (). The bearing housing () can have an annular channel () and the compression staking can be done to an outer edge () of the annular channel () to form one or more compression projections (). The size and shape of the annular channel () can be substantially the same as the size and shape of an outer portion of the heat shield () to allow for a press-fit therebetween.

Growing community of inventors

Asheville, NC, United States of America

Michael Thayer