A hydrodynamic bearing assembly includes a first stationary component, a shaft coupled to the first stationary component, and a second stationary component coupled to the shaft opposite the first stationary component. The hydrodynamic bearing assembly also includes a rotating component coupled to the shaft between the first stationary component and the second stationary component. The rotating component includes a first end surface including a first diameter and an opposing second end surface including a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter.

An electrical submersible pump assembly for pumping well fluid from a well has a motor and a pump. The motor having a motor shaft that drives a pump shaft of the pump. A thrust bearing unit between the motor and the pump has a thrust bearing shaft that rotates a thrust runner in sliding engagement with a non-rotating thrust bearing base. A pump shaft coupling couples the thrust bearing shaft with the pump shaft. A motor shaft coupling couples the thrust bearing shaft with the motor shaft. At least one of the couplings has a one-way clutch that allows forward direction rotation of the thrust bearing shaft and prevents reverse direction rotation.

Aspects of the invention disclosed herein generally provide a heat engine system, a turbopump system, and methods for lubricating a turbopump while generating energy. The systems and methods provide proper lubrication and cooling to turbomachinery components by controlling pressures applied to a thrust bearing in the turbopump. The applied pressure on the thrust bearing may be controlled by a turbopump back-pressure regulator valve adjusted to maintain proper pressures within bearing pockets disposed on two opposing surfaces of the thrust bearing. Pocket pressure ratios, such as a turbine-side pocket pressure ratio (P1) and a pump-side pocket pressure ratio (P2), may be monitored and adjusted by a process control system. In order to prevent damage to the thrust bearing, the systems and methods may utilize advanced control theory of sliding mode, the multi-variables of the pocket pressure ratios P1 and P2, and regulating the bearing fluid to maintain a supercritical state.

A centrifugal pump features a bearing housing; a rotor shaft configured in the bearing housing; an impeller configured on the rotor shaft; a sealing arrangement having a seal configured between the rotor shaft and the bearing housing; and a multiple sleeve bearing arrangement positioned on a rotor span between the impeller and the sealing arrangement to provide rotor stabilization, the multiple bearing arrangement having a primary sleeve bearing configured between the rotor shaft and the bearing housing near or in close proximity to the impeller on the rotor span, and a secondary sleeve bearing configured between the rotor shaft and the bearing housing near or in close proximity to the sealing arrangement on the rotor span.

A thrust balancing mechanism for balancing axial loads on a rotor thrust bearing 3 is described. The mechanism comprises a piston arrangement 6 axially mounted on a stationary structure 2, about a center axis arranged, in use, in coaxial alignment with a rotating shaft 1 carrying the rotor thrust bearing 3. A hydrodynamic thrust bearing 8 is mounted, in use, between the piston 6 and the rotor thrust bearing 3. The piston 6 is pressurized so as to impart to the rotor thrust bearing 3, via the hydrodynamic thrust bearing 8, an axial load which counters an axial load imparted to the rotor thrust bearing 3 by the rotating shaft 1.

A fluid machine and method of operating the same comprises a pump portion, turbine portion and a center bearing therebetween. The method includes communicating lubricant to a thrust bearing cavity disposed between a turbine impeller and a thrust wear ring, communicating lubricant from the thrust bearing cavity to a center axial shaft passage of a shaft through an impeller passage of the turbine impeller, communicating lubricant through the axial shaft passage to a bearing clearance between a shaft and a center bearing through a first radial shaft passage and a second radial shaft passage and communicating lubricant through the bearing clearance to a pump impeller chamber and a turbine impeller chamber.

A plain bearing (410) is fixed to a shaft hole (401) of an impeller (400) of the pump (100) so as to rotatably support the impeller (400) with respect to the shaft (300), and is restricted from moving in an axial direction by an annular restrictor (310) fixed to the shaft (300). On an end face (411) of the plain bearing (410) facing the restrictor (310), a lubrication groove (412) connecting a radially inner side and a radially outer side of the end face (411) to supply cooling water onto the end face (411) for lubrication, and a dynamic pressure generating groove (413) that introduces a flow of cooling water created by rotation of the impeller (400) to generate a dynamic pressure, are provided. The present bearing suppresses an increase in rotation torque of the impeller (400) during high speed rotation.

Embodiments of the invention relate to bearing assemblies and associated cardiopulmonary bypass blood pumps in which the bearing assembly includes a stator and a rotor each including bearing surfaces oriented so as to be generally opposed to one another. The bearing surface may comprise a polycrystalline diamond material including a plurality of bonded diamond grains defining a plurality of interstitial regions therebetween, in which a non-metallic catalyst (e.g., a carbonate) and/or at least one derivative thereof is disposed interstitially between the bonded diamond grains.

An integrated bearing assembly includes a thrust bearing disposed along a face of a turbocharger casing in a turbocharger and extending circumferentially around an axis of rotation of a rotor of the turbocharger, and a dual film journal bearing radially disposed between the rotor and the turbocharger casing which can be semi-floating or fully floating. The journal bearing includes a shoulder step radially extending away from the rotor. The shoulder step of the journal bearing engages one or more of the thrust bearing or the turbocharger casing to prevent axial movement of the dual film journal bearing relative to the turbocharger casing.

The present invention relates to a water pump including a lower casing in which a rotor accommodating part is formed to protrude downwardly and a lower bearing mounting part is formed at a lower end of an inner portion; an upper casing in which an inlet part introducing a fluid and an outlet part discharging the fluid are formed and an upper bearing mounting part is formed to extend from a lower end of the inlet part toward the impeller accommodating space; an impeller rotatably provided in the impeller accommodating space; and a rotor provided in the rotor accommodating space of the lower casing and coupled to the impeller. A fluid may smoothly flow toward an introduction side of the impeller, and thus, a pressure drop of the fluid and an unstable flow of the fluid may be prevented to improve performance.