A full-complement anti-friction bearing is disclosed which includes a plurality of rolling elements, an inner bearing body in the form of a shaft or an axle with a cylindrical outer diameter, and an outer bearing body arranged concentrically with the latter and having an inner bore. In an exemplary embodiment, all rolling elements have the same outer diameter and are arranged between the inner bearing body and the outer bearing body in such a way that the rolling elements roll on the outer diameter of the inner bearing body and on the inner bore of the outer bearing body, the outer bearing body being thus rotatably supported relative to the inner bearing body. In addition, the full-complement anti-friction bearing is configured without a cage.

A bearing rolling element with a lattice internal structure provides several advantages over a solid bearing. It is lighter than a solid bearing, reducing centrifugal forces. For ceramic bearings, less material is required, and sintering times are reduced because bonding material can flow easily to near the surface. Elements with an internal lattice also offer advantages over hollow rolling elements. The shell can be thinner without sacrificing load capacity. The thinner shell reduces the time required for bonding material to be removed during sintering. The blank can be formed using various additive manufacturing processes.

An air journal bearing for a rotatable shaft of a turbomachine includes a journal sleeve having an inner cylindrical surface and a central axis defining longitudinal and radial directions, a top foil disposed radially inboard of the journal sleeve and configured to receive the rotatable shaft, and a bump foil disposed between the top foil and the journal sleeve and configured to bias at least a portion of the top foil against an outer surface of the rotatable shaft. At least one of the bump foil and a radially extending segment of the top foil is formed contiguous with the inner cylindrical surface. The journal sleeve, the top foil and the bump foil may be formed as a single piece made of selectively sintered ceramic-metal powder.

A rotary dynamic system includes: a drill pipe; a bearing coupled at a first axial end to the drill pipe; and an outer sleeve coupled to a second axial end of the bearing. The outer sleeve rotates independently of the drill pipe.

The present disclosure provides a bearing design that accommodates misalignment of a rotatable shaft in the bearing and is well suited to usage in a particulate-laden fluid. The bearing can be shaped with a curved surface along a longitudinal axis of the bearing, such as in a curved barrel shape or a ball shape, to provide a point contact instead of a line contact as is the case with conventional plain bearings. The point contact allows the bearing to adjust with a misalignment between ends of the shaft or between the external supports and facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the rotating shaft. Because the bearing compensates for misalignment, the bearing surfaces can have closer tolerances for a smaller gap between the bearing surfaces, which can result in improved performance.

An air journal bearing for a rotatable shaft of a turbomachine includes a journal sleeve having an inner cylindrical surface and a central axis defining longitudinal and radial directions, a top foil disposed radially inboard of the journal sleeve and configured to receive the rotatable shaft, and a bump foil disposed between the top foil and the journal sleeve and configured to bias at least a portion of the top foil against an outer surface of the rotatable shaft. At least one of the bump foil and a radially extending segment of the top foil is formed contiguous with the inner cylindrical surface. The journal sleeve, the top foil and the bump foil may be formed as a single piece made of selectively sintered ceramic-metal powder.

This disclosure relates to a method for improving air release in a lubricating oil. The method involves formulating a composition having at least one lubricating oil base stock as a major component, and one or more lubricating oil additives, as a minor component. The one or more lubricating oil additives include at least one polyalkylene glycol. The at least one polyalkylene glycol is soluble in the at least one lubricating oil base stock. The weight ratio of the at least one polyalkylene glycol to the at least one lubricating oil base stock is from about 1:99 to about 7:93. During operation of a lubricating system containing the lubricating oil, release of entrained air in the lubricating oil is improved, as determined by ASTM D-3427-15, as compared to release of entrained air achieved using a lubricating oil containing other than the at least one polyalkylene glycol. This disclosure also relates to lubricating oils having at least one oil soluble polyalkylene glycol (OSP).

This disclosure relates to a method for controlling lubrication of a rotary shaft seal. The method involves providing an apparatus having a bulk lubricating oil reservoir, a rotary shaft that passes through the bulk lubricating oil reservoir, and a rotary shaft seal. The rotary shaft seal has a sealing edge in proximity with the rotary shaft creating a contact zone. The contact zone has a film of lubricating oil. The method also involves increasing the rate of heat flow along the rotary shaft to reduce temperature of the film of lubricating oil in the contact zone. Increasing the rate of heat flow along the rotary shaft is accomplished by using rotary shaft materials of construction having sufficient high thermal conductivity, rotary shaft coatings having sufficient high thermal conductivities, or increasing the surface area of the rotary shaft. This disclosure also relates to a method for controlling heat transfer in a contact zone, and a method for improving performance of an apparatus.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to bearing assemblies configured to effectively provide heat dissipation for bearing elements, bearing apparatuses including such bearing assemblies, and methods of operating such bearing assemblies and apparatuses. In an embodiment, a bearing assembly includes a plurality of superhard bearing elements distributed about an axis. Each superhard bearing element of the plurality of superhard bearing elements has a superhard table including a superhard surface. The bearing assembly includes a support ring structure coupled to the plurality of superhard bearing elements. One or more of the superhard bearing elements includes a superhard table, which may improve heat transfer from such superhard bearing elements.

An insulating device for a bearing mountable within a housing, the bearing having an inner ring and an outer ring with an outer circumferential surface and opposing axial ends and a plurality of rolling elements disposed there between. The insulating device comprises: a first annular part, which is adapted to be in contact to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring, and a second annular part, which is also adapted to be in contact to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring. The first and second part form the insulation device which is adapted to contact, in an assembled state of the bearing in the housing, both the outer ring and the housing. The first part is thermally conductive and electrically insulating and the second part is electrically insulating and less thermally conductive than the first part or is not thermally conductive.