REDUCED PROFILE ABRASION RESISTANT PUMP THRUST BEARING

• Main Authors: BRUNNER, CHRISTOPHER M, IVES, JASON B, CHILCOAT, DAVID W
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 10.05.2012
• Subjects: BEARINGS; BLASTING; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MINING; NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMPS; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; SHAFTS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

A centrifugal pump has a stationary diffuser with a bore. A thrust bearing is pressed into the diffuser bore and has a curved interior. A thrust runner having a curved exterior is correspondingly and closely received by the thrust bearing interior. The thrust runner is keyed to a shaft and transmits thrust from a rotating impeller to the diffuser via the thrust bearing. The curved surface of the thrust bearing allows for handling of both axial and radial thrust without the need for multiple thrust bearings. The increased surface area of the curved surface in the thrust bearing can also handle higher loads.