Honeywell International Inc.

Alliedsignal Inc.

Walter Lee Meacham

Mohsiul Alam

Gerald Duane Larue

Kostandin Gjika

Alan Margolis

David E Stout

Balwinder Singh Birdi

Edward Mark Down

Paul B Talbert

M N Menon

Mambailykalathil N Menon

Harry Lester Kington

Marshall Patton Saville

Yates Wong

Eric Bridges

Reinhard M Klaass

Ayub Mohammed Fathimulla

Leon M Kasdan

Albert G Selder

Daniel Joe Robinson

Ratan Moy Guha

Ayub Fathimulla

Anna C Gradillas

Eric W Lloyd

Walter Andrew Meacham

Scott J Freestone

Apparatuses are provided for a pilot ring. The pilot ring includes a first ring and a second ring positioned concentrically within the first ring. The second ring includes a first circumferential surface positioned adjacent to the first ring and a second circumferential surface opposite the first circumferential surface. The second circumferential surface includes at least one roll feature that extends substantially along a perimeter of the second circumferential surface.

Pilot ring with controlled axial roll

A rotating assembly of turbomachinery is provided. The rotating assembly includes a plurality of components mounted on a rotatable shaft within a housing of the turbomachinery and at least one foil journal bearing assembly for mounting the rotatable shaft to the housing. The foil journal bearing assembly includes an annular bearing carrier mounted to the housing. An annular bearing sleeve is disposed within the annular bearing carrier and attached thereto. The annular bearing sleeve is lined with a plurality of foils. A journal is mounted to the rotatable shaft. The journal has an outer surface engaging the foils. The journal is configured to at least one of the following: resist operational deflection thereof and reduce the effects of misalignment. A method for producing the journal of the foil journal bearing assembly is also provided.

Rotating assemblies of turbomachinery, foil journal bearing assemblies thereof, and methods for producing journals of the foil journal bearing assemblies

A rotating assembly for a turbocharger can include a center housing that includes a through bore having a central axis; a bearing cartridge positioned in the through bore where the bearing cartridge includes an outer race, an inner race and rolling elements disposed between the inner race and the outer race; an anisotropic member positioned in the through bore between the outer race of the bearing cartridge and a surface of the center housing where the surface defines at least part of the through bore of the center housing; and a shaft rotatably supported in the center housing by the bearing cartridge where the inner race is mounted on the shaft and the shaft is connected at one end to a compressor wheel and at another end to a turbine wheel.

Anisotropic bearing supports for turbochargers

An anisotropic vibration isolation mounting assembly includes at least two three-parameter vibration isolators each having a first end configured for attachment to a rotating member assembly or a rotating member assembly housing and each having a second, opposing end configured for attachment to the rotating member assembly housing where the first end is configured for attachment to the rotating member assembly or to a system interface member where the first member is configured for attachment to the rotating member assembly housing. The at least two three-parameter vibration isolators are tuned anisotropically to minimize the transmission of vibrations during operation of the rotating machine.

Three parameter damper anisotropic vibration isolation mounting assembly

Rotor support structures including anisotropic foil bearings or anisotropic bearing housings are provided for controlling non-synchronous vibrations of rotating machinery. The rotor support structure comprises a foil bearing adapted to be disposed around a journal of a rotating rotor shaft and a bearing housing disposed around the foil bearing, wherein one of the foil bearing or the bearing housing is configured to be anisotropic. The anisotropic foil bearing and anisotropic bearing housing exhibit a stiffness in a first support direction that varies in magnitude from that in a second support direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first support direction.

Rotor support structures including anisotropic foil bearings or anisotropic bearing housings and methods for controlling non-synchronous vibrations of rotating machinery using the same

An exemplary anisotropic member supports a semi-floating bearing in a bore and can reduce non-synchronous vibration of the bearing in the bore. An anisotropic member can include an annular body configured to receive a semi-floating bearing and to space the bearing a distance from a bore surface and can be configured to impart anisotropic stiffness and damping terms to the semi-floating bearing when positioned in the bore. Such a member is suitable for use in a rotating assembly for a turbocharger where the bearing may be a semi-floating bearing. Various exemplary members, bearings, housings, assemblies, etc., are disclosed.

Methods and apparatus are provided for verifying proper operation of a gas turbine engine output torque sensor using a speed sensor, and using the speed sensor as a backup torque sensor. Gas turbine engine output torque is sensed using a reference torque sensor, and gas turbine engine output shaft rotational speed is sensed. Gas turbine engine output torque is calculated from the sensed gas turbine engine output shaft rotational speed. The sensed gas turbine engine output torque is compared to the calculated gas turbine engine output torque to determine if the reference torque sensor is operating properly. The gas turbine engine is controlled at least partially based on the sensed gas turbine engine output torque if the reference torque sensor is determined to be operating properly, and is controlled at least partially based on the calculated output torque if the reference torque sensor is determined to be not operating properly.

System and method for providing gas turbine engine output torque sensor validation and sensor backup using a speed sensor

An exemplary anisotropic member () supports a bearing in a bore and can reduce non-synchronous vibration (NSV) of the bearing in the bore. An exemplary anisotropic member includes an annular body configured to receive a bearing and to space the bearing a distance from a bore surface and is configured to impart anisotropic stiffness and damping terms to the bearing when positioned in the bore. Such a member is suitable for use in a rotating assembly for a turbocharger where the bearing may be a floating bearing, a semi-floating bearing or a ball bearing. Various exemplary members, bearings, housings, assemblies, etc., are disclosed.

A rotor assembly or other rotating device having a stack of laminations or laminates that are chemically bonded together. Chemical bond of the laminates may have a strength that approaches the strength of the material of metal laminates. Chemical bonds may be effective in holding the laminates at temperatures when subject to rigorous mechanical operations such as high rotation speed and vibration.

Method of fabricating rotor assemblies having chemically bonded lamination stacks

A rotor support includes a first ring disposed around a first axis, a second ring disposed around the first axis downstream from the first ring, and a plurality of beams extending between the first and the second rings. Each beam is configured to provide an axial stiffness, when an axial force is exerted on the first ring, and a radial stiffness, when a radial force is exerted on the first ring. Each beam has a height extending parallel to a second axis and a width extending parallel to a third axis. The beams are distributed around the first ring to provide a substantially uniform circumferential axial stiffness around the rotor support, and the height of each beam is greater than the width of each beam. Damping can be provided by the placement of a damper between the rotor support and the support housing.

Rotor supports and systems

A rotor mount assembly for an electrical machine, such as a high speed aerospace generator, comprises a spring having a simple annular structure together with an oil squeeze film damper (SFD). The spring is engineered to move the rotor critical speeds outside of the extremes of the operating speed range and the SFD damps out the rotor responses as the speed passes through these points.

High speed aerospace generator resilient mount, combined centering spring and squeeze film damper

Centering rings may be used to modify the combined resonance of a rotor and its support assembly to migrate the rotor critical speeds such that they can be engineered out of the rotor operating speed range. The centering rings of the present invention may be useful for any rotating electrical machinery, especially high speed aerospace applications, such as generators and starter-generators.

High speed aerospace generator resilient mount

Rings having holes with a centerline offset from the centerline of the outer diameter, or other diameter piloting feature of the ring (i.e., non-concentric rings) may be used to align rotating components within their static components. Two non-concentric rings may be used to support a bearing that contains a shaft there through to allow for maximum offsets between a desired centerline of the rotating component and an actual, assembled centerline of the rotating component. Adjustment of the rotor centerline relative to the static structure centerline may be obtained without disassembly of the rotor assembly or static structure assembly.

Non-concentric rings for reduced turbo-machinery operating clearances

The present invention provides apparatus and methods for balancing stacked components of rotating machinery, such as in a gas turbine engine. Unlike conventional processes and devices for balancing stacked components, the present invention may use a single non-parallel spacer for obtaining an acceptable and repeatable component group balance. The non-parallel spacer may be used to compensate for rotor bow and the associated imbalance of the rotor group. By indexing a spacer with non-parallel faces, situated terminally at the end of the stack adjacent to the nut, rotor balance can be achieved without disassembly of the rotor group and clocking of its individual components. A spacer may also be disposed at any one or more of the interfaces between various components in the stack.

Non-parallel spacer for improved rotor group balance

The present invention provides for outer diameter piloting of a nut that secures stacked components to a tie-shaft or other threaded components used to axially secure one or more rotating components. Unlike conventional inner diameter piloting methods, machining a precise inner diameter of the nut is not needed. The nut face of the present invention has superior perpendicularity with the tie-shaft and the radial pilot is not lost when the nut is loaded. Outer diameter nut piloting may be conducted by using a nut alone or a nut in combination with a nut spacer, a pocket in the rotor, a nut spacer seat, or a nut piloting insert.

Growing community of inventors

Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Walter Lee Meacham