COMPLIANT FOIL-FLUID BEARING SUPPORT ARRANGEMENT

摘要

A foil-fluid bearing assembly (10) adapted for supporting a shaft (12) withinan outer bearing housing (14). The foil-fluid bearing assembly (10) comprisesa bearing sleeve (16) having an outer surface (20) and an innercircumferential surface (18) diametrically sized to receive the shaft (12)therewithin such that an annular clearance gap (24), radially defined betweenan outer surface (26) of the shaft (12) and the inner circumferential surface(18), is adapted for accommodating fluid therein and axially extends along asubstantial portion of a length of the bearing sleeve (16), and has a foilelement (28) disposed therewithin. Compliant bearing supports (30, 32) betweenthe outer surface (20) of the bearing sleeve (16) and the outer bearinghousing (14), comprises at least two independent compliant support elements(30, 32) respectively having a first and a second modulus of elasticity,wherein the first modulus of elasticity is less than the second modulus ofelasticity. Angular misalignment capability for the foil-fluid bearing (10) isprovided by the compliant support elements (30, 32).