A bearing device includes a carrier ring, a first bearing portion disposed along an outer periphery of a rotor shaft on a radially inner side of the carrier ring; a second bearing portion disposed along the outer periphery and downstream of the first bearing portion, with respect to a rotational direction of the rotor shaft, on the radially inner side of the carrier ring; a pair of side plates disposed along the outer periphery of the rotor shaft, on both sides of the carrier ring with respect to an axial direction; a first oil guide portion disposed downstream of the first bearing portion and upstream of the second bearing portion, and configured to change a flow direction of oil after passing through a gap between an inner peripheral surface of the first bearing portion and an outer peripheral surface of the rotor shaft to guide the oil.

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.

A bearing pad that supports a rotating shaft rotating about an axis includes: a pad body having a hollow portion formed therein, a lubricating oil supply path for supplying a lubricating oil to the hollow portion, and a lubricating oil discharge path for discharging the lubricating oil to an outside from the hollow portion; and a support structure that is packed into the hollow portion and radially connects inner wall surfaces forming the hollow portion while including a space. The hollow portion is formed in a region shifted to a forward side in a rotation direction of the rotating shaft in the pad body.

A support part supports a bearing pad from an outer circumferential side so as to be swingable at a pivot position. A radius of curvature of a rotary shaft is Rj, a radius of curvature of a pad surface is Rp, and a radius of curvature of a reference circle centered at an axial line and having a radius equal to a distance between a center and the pivot position on the pad surface is Rb, and a relationship of Rj<Rp<Rb is established.

A pad bearing includes a pad disposed on a radially outer side of a rotary shaft and supporting the rotary shaft so as to be rotatable around an axis, a block-shaped nozzle member disposed on an upstream side with respect to the pad on the radially outer side of the rotary shaft and including a discharge hole for discharging a lubricant toward an outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft, and a compressed flow forming unit disposed in at least one of the pad and the nozzle member and configured to compress a flow of the lubricant flowing along the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft as the rotary shaft rotates.

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to bearing assemblies that include integrated lubrication, bearing apparatuses including such bearing assemblies, and related methods. For example, a lubricated bearing assembly may include a lubricant that may lubricate the bearing surface thereof during operation of the lubricated bearing assembly and/or bearing apparatus including the lubricated bearing assembly.

A thermal management structure may include a body and a pad. The body extends between a first outer surface and a second outer surface. The pad moves relative to the body. A thermal management channel extends within a portion of the body and extends within a portion of the pad. The thermal management channel directs fluid to one or more locations within the body and to one or more locations within the pad.

A bearing device includes a carrier ring, a first bearing portion disposed along an outer periphery of a rotor shaft on a radially inner side of the carrier ring; a second bearing portion disposed along the outer periphery and downstream of the first bearing portion, with respect to a rotational direction of the rotor shaft, on the radially inner side of the carrier ring; a pair of side plates disposed along the outer periphery of the rotor shaft, on both sides of the carrier ring with respect to an axial direction; a first oil guide portion disposed downstream of the first bearing portion and upstream of the second bearing portion, and configured to change a flow direction of oil after passing through a gap between an inner peripheral surface of the first bearing portion and an outer peripheral surface of the rotor shaft to guide the oil.

A process of manufacturing of segment for carbon thrust bearing uses stainless-steel (SS) round bars/sheets/logs of suitable grade as raw material. The SS round bars/sheets/logs undergo cutting operation to cut into SS billets. The billets successively undergo heating and hot forging processes to form segments of desired shapes. Thereafter, the segment is subjected to heat treatment process i.e. stress relieving, hardening and tempering process successively for obtaining consistent and uniform grain structure, mechanical properties and physical properties of segments which are cost-effective in terms of lower maintenance and lower handling efforts. After heat-treatment process, segment undergoes surface-finishing processes i.e. grinding, lapping and polishing successively for obtaining mirror like surface finishing that gives greater anti-friction property and lower co-efficient of friction. The manufacturing process according to present invention yields consistent grain structure, refine, dense and uniform microstructure of segments which imparts optimum strength, ductility, toughness and resistance to impact and fatigue.

A bearing pad for a tilting-pad bearing includes a first member having a bearing surface and a second member disposed on a back surface side of the first member. At least one of a back surface of the first member or a front surface of the second member facing the back surface of the first member has a recess for forming a cavity between the first member and the second member. Preferably, the bearing pad further includes a support member disposed on a back surface side of the second member and tiltably supporting the first member and the second member, and the recess is formed over at least a part of an installation range of the support member in a plan view of the bearing pad.