CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a § 371 national phase entry of International Application No. PCT/FR2019/051587, filed Jun. 27, 2019, which claims priority to French Patent Application No. 1856097, filed Jul. 2, 2018.

1. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The technical field of the invention is that of air bearings, also referred to as aerodynamic bearings. The invention relates more particularly to foil bearings for a turbine engine and extends to turbine engines equipped with such foil bearings. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a foil bearing.

2. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND

A foil bearing is a bearing formed from a plurality of foils, which are generally metal foils and which make it possible to support a shaft of a rotating machine such as a turbine engine. A foil bearing is generally formed by at least one upper foil, which is commonly referred to as a “top foil” and which faces the rotating shaft, and at least one corrugated foil, which is commonly referred to as a “bump foil” and which is arranged under the top foil and acts as a stiffener and a shock absorber. The assembly formed by the top foil and the bump foil is mounted on a casing or sleeve. In the following, the term “sleeve” denotes the part which receives the foil bearing, it being understood that this part can also be a casing, in which case the bearing is mounted in the casing of the machine.

There are different technical solutions for fixing and maintaining a foil bearing in a sleeve (or casing) which fall under either removable systems, i.e. the bearing formed by the top foil and the bump foil is slipped into a notch formed in the sleeve and can therefore be removed therefrom, or non-removable systems, i.e. the bearing formed by the top foil and the bump foil is welded to the sleeve, and therefore cannot be separated from the sleeve once it is fixed to the latter.

For example, application EP0490443 discloses such a non-removable foil bearing and applications EP0601624 and FR2700821 disclose removable foil bearings comprising foil tongues which are force-fittingly mounted in the sleeve.

Whatever the proposed solutions, whether removable or not, these known solutions generally limit the use of the bearing to one preferred direction of rotation. Indeed, whatever the method of fixing the bearing to the sleeve, one end of the assembly formed by the top foil and the bump foil is fixed to the sleeve and the other end is left free, so as to allow the formation the radial play which is necessary for the rotation of the shaft once the latter is housed in the bearing.

It is therefore necessary for the shaft to rotate in such a way that it pushes the free end of the top foil toward the fixed end. Indeed, otherwise, the shaft would carry the free end of the foil with it, which would then close on the shaft and cause a clamping phenomenon, blocking the operation of the bearing.

It is therefore necessary, with most current solutions, to equip the bearings with fool-proofing means, that is to say with means making it possible to avoid mounting errors of the shaft in the bearing, according to the preferred direction of operation of the bearing.

There are also some solutions which make it possible to form a bidirectional foil bearing. For example, patent application US2002054718 discloses such a bidirectional bearing which therefore does not require the presence of fool-proofing means. This specific solution implements a plurality of bump foils and a plurality of top foils fixed to the inner periphery of the sleeve so as to form a plurality of sectors each formed by a top foil and a bump foil.

In the case of removable systems, the operations of machining specific notches to receive and hold the foils are complex and costly. Indeed, these operations generally require machining by electro-erosion, which therefore requires specific tools and/or the use of skilled external partners.

The inventors have therefore sought to develop a new device forming a foil bearing which can operate in both directions of rotation, while being able to be implemented with conventional non-specific bump foils.

The inventors have also sought to develop a solution which can be implemented without particular difficulties and without requiring the use of complex and expensive techniques.

3. AIMS OF THE INVENTION

The invention aims to provide a device forming a foil air bearing which addresses at least some of the drawbacks of the known bearings.

The invention aims in particular to provide, in at least one embodiment, a foil air bearing device which does not require the presence of fool-proofing means, that is to say which can be mounted in either direction.

The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, such a device which does not require complex machining operations during its manufacture.

The invention also aims to provide a method of manufacturing a foil air bearing according to the invention.

The invention aims in particular to provide, in at least one embodiment of the invention, such a manufacturing method which can be implemented simply, without using complex and/or expensive manufacturing techniques.

4. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

To do this, the invention relates to a device forming a foil air bearing, comprising a cylindrical sleeve extending along a direction, called the longitudinal direction, and having an inner surface which defines a central bore.

A device according to the invention is characterized in that it further comprises:at least one longitudinal notch formed in said cylindrical sleeve and opening radially into said central bore through an opening,a first peripheral inner lining, called the bump lining, comprising at least one metal foil equipped with radial projections, called the bump foil, said bump lining forming a main curve housed in said central bore, carrying said projections arranged opposite said inner surface of said cylindrical sleeve to form an elastically deformable lining, each bump foil having, at each end, a radial tongue, called the radial bump tongue, freely housed in a longitudinal notch,a second peripheral inner lining, called the top lining, comprising at least one metal foil, called the top foil, said top lining forming a main curve housed in said central bore and arranged opposite said main curve of said bump lining to define an enclosure for receiving a shaft of a rotating machine, each top foil having, at each end, a radial tongue, called the radial top tongue, freely housed in a longitudinal notch.

A device according to the invention is therefore formed by a cylindrical sleeve which receives said bump lining and said top lining. The sleeve comprises at least one longitudinal notch which can be obtained by a conventional machining process, such as drilling. This longitudinal notch opens into the central bore for receiving the linings through an opening. Also, the radial ends of the foils of the linings housed in the central bore can be inserted freely into a longitudinal notch, by passing through the opening of this notch.

One of the specific features of a device according to the invention is therefore the free mounting of the radial tongues of the foils of the bump and top linings in a longitudinal notch.

Free mounting of the radial tongues in the longitudinal notches means that the tongues are not secured to the sleeve and can therefore move freely inside the notches according to the external stresses which result in particular from the rotation of the shaft, when the latter is housed in the foil bearing according to the invention. In addition, with the tongues being freely housed in the notches, they come into abutment against a wall of the longitudinal notch when the shaft housed in the bearing turns in a first direction of rotation, and move in the azimuthal direction toward the center of the notch when the shaft rotates in the opposite direction of rotation. Mounting the foils in the notches consists only in arranging the radial tongues in the notches, without requiring the foils to be secured in the notches of the sleeve. The radial tongues are not fixed to the sleeve, nor constrainedly mounted in the notches of the sleeve.

This free mounting not only makes it possible to facilitate the manufacturing operations of the foil bearing and the mounting operations of the bearing, but also makes it possible to operate the bearing in both directions of rotation. Indeed, the foils of the bump and top linings are blocked on one side of the longitudinal notch and free on the opposite side when the shaft housed in the bearing rotates in a first direction of rotation. When the shaft rotates in the opposite direction, the tongues move freely in the notch in an azimuthal direction so that the radial tongues which were previously free are now blocked against the walls of the longitudinal notch, and the radial tongues which were previously blocked against the opposite wall of the notch are now free in the notch.

A device forming a bearing according to the invention therefore combines the advantages of simplified manufacture and bidirectional operation.

The blocking of the foils against the walls of the notch results from the specific geometry of the foils and the longitudinal notch.

Advantageously and according to the invention, said longitudinal notch further comprises, on either side of said opening, an azimuthal clearance and a surface for connecting to said inner surface of said cylindrical sleeve that comprises at least one longitudinal segment which is arranged between said azimuthal clearance and said opening, forming a point-like azimuthal stop of said radial tongue of a bump foil housed in this notch, the free end of said radial tongue extending into said opposite azimuthal clearance.

This advantageous variant makes it possible to form a point-like contact line between the radial tongues and the walls of the longitudinal notch. Furthermore, the radial tongue extends in an azimuthal clearance such that the radial tongue makes mechanical contact with the contact line of the longitudinal notch at a non-end section of the tongue. Indeed, the radial end of the radial tongue extends in the azimuthal clearance and is therefore not in contact with the walls of the longitudinal notch. This makes it possible to ensure that the radial tongue will not slide on the wall of the notch, nor become blocked in the notch.

According to this advantageous variant, the longitudinal notch comprises an azimuthal clearance and a contact segment on each side of the notch.

Preferably and according to the invention, the device has a longitudinal plane of symmetry. This plane of symmetry advantageously passes through the center of the longitudinal notches formed in the cylindrical sleeve.

This symmetry makes it possible in particular to form a device which does not require fool-proofing means. Such a bearing can thus operate in both directions of rotation, without any preferred direction of rotation.

Advantageously and according to the invention, each longitudinal notch has a width Le which is less, by a proportionality factor k1, than the distance Dbump separating the projections of the bump lining arranged on the main curve on either side of this longitudinal notch and which is greater, by a proportionality factor k2, than the sum of the thicknesses of the radial tongues of the top and bump foils housed in this notch, when a shaft of a rotating machine is inserted into said receiving enclosure delimited by said top foil.

In other words and according to this variant of the invention, the width Le of a notch is linked to the distance Dbump separating the projections of the bump lining and to the thicknesses EPL of the radial tongues housed in the notch by the following relationship:
k2·ΣEPL<Le<k1·Dbump

This inequality makes it possible to ensure that the projections (or bulges) of the bump lining which are arranged on either side of a notch do not fall into the longitudinal notch.

Advantageously and according to the invention, the proportionality factor k1 is equal to or less than 0.8 and the proportionality factor k2 is greater than or equal to 1.2.

Advantageously and according to the invention, for at least one longitudinal notch, the distance d3 separating the radial top tongues housed in this notch is less than their thickness by a proportionality factor k3 and greater than their thickness by a proportionality factor k4, when a shaft of a rotating machine is inserted into said receiving enclosure delimited by said top foil.

In other words and according to this variant of the invention, the distance d3 separating the radial top tongues is linked to the thickness of a radial top tongue ELRS by the following relationship:
k4·ELRS<d3<k3·ELRS

This inequality makes it possible to guarantee that the shaft of the rotating machine which is intended to be carried by the bearing according to the invention can be freely housed there.

Advantageously and according to the invention, said proportionality factor k3 is greater than or equal to 8 and the proportionality factor k4 is less than or equal to 3.

Advantageously and according to the invention, for at least one longitudinal notch, the distance d1 separating a radial top tongue housed in this notch and a radial bump tongue housed in this notch is less than the thickness of the radial top tongue housed in this notch by a proportionality factor k5 and greater than the thickness of the radial top tongue housed in this notch by a proportionality factor k6, when a shaft of a rotating machine is inserted into said receiving enclosure delimited by said top foil.

In other words and according to this variant of the invention, the distance d1 separating a radial top tongue housed in a notch and the radial bump tongue of this notched is linked to the thickness of a radial top tongue ELRS by the following relationship:
k6·ELRS<d1<k5·ELRS

This inequality makes it possible to ensure that the bump lining does not constrain the top lining.

Advantageously and according to the invention, said proportionality factor k5 is greater than or equal to 8 and the proportionality factor k6 is less than or equal to 3.

Advantageously and according to the invention, the device has radial play, when a shaft of a rotating machine is inserted into said receiving enclosure delimited by said top lining, which radial play is greater than the thickness of a top foil by a proportionality factor k7 and less than the thickness of a top foil by a proportionality factor k8.

In other words and according to this variant of the invention, the radial play jr is linked to the thickness of a top foil ELS by the following relationship:
k7·ELS<jr<k8·ELS

Advantageously and according to the invention, said proportionality factor k7 is equal to 0 and said proportionality factor k8 is less than 2, and in particular between 0.5 and 1.8.

The proportionality factors used depend in particular on the diameter of the shaft of the rotating machine inserted into the bearing and on the rotating machine in question.

Advantageously and according to the invention, at least one bump foil comprises a smooth metal foil, called the support foil, and a plurality of metal foils equipped with projections which are secured to said support foil.

Advantageously and according to the invention, the device comprises a single longitudinal notch, a bump lining formed from a single bump foil, and a top lining formed from a single top foil, so that the radial tongues of the top and bump foils are all freely housed in the same notch.

According to other variants, the bump lining can comprise N bump foils and the top lining can comprise M top foils. In general, different configurations are possible depending on the number of longitudinal notches, with the sole constraint that the number of bump foils must be greater than or equal to the number of top foils. In other words, N must be greater than or equal to M, since the top foils cover the bump foils and the radial tongues of the top and bump foils are housed freely in longitudinal notches.

Advantageously and according to the invention, the device comprises at least one means for axially locking said bump and top linings.

Such a locking means is for example an elastic ring of the circlip type, the ends of which are received in a safety catch formed in the sleeve. Such an elastic ring advantageously has an internal diameter slightly larger than the internal diameter of the sleeve so that the ring does not create a restriction of the passage of air or gas under the foils of the bearing.

The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a device forming a foil air bearing comprising the steps of:machining a central bore extending along a direction, called the longitudinal direction, in a cylindrical sleeve, said central bore being delimited by an inner surface,machining at least one longitudinal notch in said cylindrical sleeve, which notch opens radially into said central bore,providing a connection surface between said longitudinal notch and the inner surface of said sleeve,forming a first peripheral inner lining, called the bump lining, from at least one metal foil equipped with radial projections, called the bump foil, and having, at each end, a radial tongue, called the radial bump tongue, said bump lining forming a main curve carrying said projections arranged opposite said inner surface of said cylindrical sleeve to form an elastically deformable lining,freely housing each radial bump tongue in a longitudinal notch,forming a second peripheral inner lining, called the top lining, from at least one metal foil, called the top foil, said top lining forming a main curve arranged opposite said main curve of said bump lining to define an enclosure for receiving a shaft of a rotating machine, each top foil having, at each end, a radial tongue, called the radial top tongue,freely housing each radial top tongue in a longitudinal notch.

The advantages of a device forming a foil air bearing according to the invention apply mutatis mutandis to a manufacturing method according to the invention.

Advantageously and according to the invention, the step consisting in machining at least one longitudinal notch in said cylindrical sleeve which opens radially into said central bore further comprises the step consisting in machining, on either side of said opening, an azimuthal clearance and a surface for connecting to said inner surface of said cylindrical sleeve that comprises at least one longitudinal segment arranged between said azimuthal clearance and said opening, forming a point-like azimuthal stop of said radial tongue of a bump foil housed in this notch, the free end of said radial tongue extending into said azimuthal clearance.

The invention also relates to a device forming a radial bearing and a method for manufacturing a device of this kind, characterized in combination by all or some of the features mentioned above or below.

