The amount of consumption of gas is reduced when the gas is expanded to be cooled by using a plurality of expansion turbines. A high-pressure expansion turbine includes: a gas supply passage through which bearing gas is supplied to a bearing portion; and a gas discharge passage through which the bearing gas which has been supplied from the gas supply passage to the bearing portion is discharged from the bearing portion. A low-pressure expansion turbine includes: a gas supply passage through which the bearing gas is supplied to a bearing portion; and a gas discharge passage through which the bearing gas which has been supplied from the gas supply passage to the bearing portion is discharged from the bearing portion. The bearing gas discharged from the gas discharge passage of the high-pressure expansion turbine is supplied to the gas supply passage of the low-pressure expansion turbine.

Various embodiments include methods for performing maintenance on a gas turbine bearing area. In some cases, a method includes: separating sections of an inlet bellmouth of the gas turbine without removing the sections of the inlet bellmouth from the gas turbine; removing a housing from over a bearing of the gas turbine; mounting a bearing maintenance apparatus adjacent the inlet bellmouth and the bearing; and performing maintenance on the bearing area while the sections of the inlet bellmouth remain separated.

A method of modifying an existing gas turbine to create a storage engine, the gas turbine having a combustor, a compressor section, and a turbine section, the method comprising modifying the compressor section of the gas turbine to form the storage engine such that air supplied to the combustor of the storage engine is heated by exhaust of the storage engine and is supplied from a remote source.

A support assembly for a turbocharger defining a system axis, the support assembly comprising a housing assembly and a bearing assembly. The housing assembly comprises a housing defining at least one support groove and a seal plate. The bearing assembly comprises an outer sleeve defining at least one support tab. The at least one support tab is sized and dimensioned such that, when the outer sleeve is supported by the housing member in a desired orientation, the support tab is within the support groove such that movement of the outer sleeve along the system axis relative to the housing member is inhibited. The seal plate may be configured to define at least one anti-rotation projection arranged relative to the support tab to inhibit rotation of the outer sleeve about the system axis relative to the housing member.

A supercharging device having a housing, at least one impeller, and at least one axial bearing having first and second bearing surfaces. The impeller here forms one of the bearing surfaces of the axial bearing.

A turbocharger for an internal combustion engine, comprises a housing (2) with a compressor blade (3) on the air side, a shaft (1) driving the compressor blade (3), and at least one radially acting rotary bearing (5) for mounting the shaft (3), wherein the rotary bearing (5) is designed as a hydrodynamic sliding bearing, wherein a stationary bearing element (6) is penetrated by the shaft (1) and a first mounting is formed on one first side of the bearing element (6) and acts axially against a bearing collar (7) rotating with the shaft, wherein an oil supply (9) for supplying the mountings is designed in the bearing element (6), wherein a plurality of flow surfaces (10) with a height (h) varying in the circumferential direction is formed on one surface of the bearing element (6) facing the bearing collar (7) in the axial direction, wherein an individually dimensioned throttle element (11, 12) is designed in the oil supply (9) for each of the two mountings.

A system comprises a gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine has a flow diffuser system, a combustor, a modified compressor section, and a turbine coupled to a shaft. The system includes a low pressure intercooled compressor, a high pressure intercooled compressor, a recuperator, and a compressed air storage tank. The compressed air storage tank is in selective fluid communication with the low pressure intercooled compressor via the high pressure intercooled compressor, and the recuperator. The high pressure intercooled compressor is configured to selectively receive compressed air from the low pressure intercooled compressor and is further configured to selectively compress the compressed air to a highly compressed air for storage in the compressed air storage tank. Each of the compressed air storage tank and the low pressure intercooled compressor is selectively and fluidly coupled to the gas turbine engine.

An air turbine starter that includes a housing. The housing can circumscribe a turbine coupled that is coupled to a gear train in a gear box via a drive shaft. The gear train can couple to an output shaft via at least a carrier. The air turbine starter can include at least a first bearing assembly and a second bearing assembly to rotatably support one or more of the drive shaft, the carrier, or the output shaft.

In an embodiment, a method of modifying an existing gas turbine to create a storage engine is provided. The gas turbine has a combustor, a compressor section, and a turbine section. The method comprises the step of modifying the compressor section of the gas turbine to form the storage engine. Air supplied to the combustor of the storage engine is heated by exhaust of the storage engine and is supplied from a remote source of air. Modifying the compressor section includes removing at least some of a plurality of rotatable airfoils of a compressor of the compressor section and introducing an increased capacity thrust bearing on a shaft line.

A bearing includes: an annular main body through which a shaft is inserted; a plurality of oil supply grooves included on an inner curved surface of the main body and extending in an axial direction of the main body; a thrust bearing surface included on an end surface of the main body; a plurality of tapered portions included on the thrust bearing surface separated from an outer peripheral edge of the thrust bearing surface at intervals in a circumferential direction of the main body and communicating with the oil supply grooves, the tapered portions each becoming shallower as it extends in the circumferential direction; and an oil discharge groove included on the thrust bearing surface, passing through one tapered portion among the plurality of tapered portions, and connecting an oil supply groove and the outer peripheral edge.