US 12,449,001 B2
Hybrid thrust foil bearing
Daejong Kim, Arlington, TX (US)
Assigned to BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM, Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Jan. 5, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/405,545.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/437,516, filed on Jan. 6, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0229861 A1, Jul. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. F16C 17/04 (2006.01); F16C 32/06 (2006.01)
CPC F16C 17/042 (2013.01) [F16C 32/0622 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A thrust foil bearing comprising:
a disc-shaped backing plate; and
a bearing pad attached to the backing plate, the bearing pad having a taper portion and a flat portion, the taper portion extending from a leading edge of the bearing pad to a first angular distance and the flat portion extending from the first angular distance to a trailing edge at a second angular distance,
wherein the bearing pad comprises a bump foil coupled to the plate and a top foil disposed over the bump foil, a first edge of the top foil coupled to the backing plate at the leading edge, and
wherein the bearing pad comprises at least one orifice in the taper portion, the orifice comprising an orifice opening in the top foil and an orifice tube attached to the top foil and extending though a clearance hole in the bump foil and a clearance hole in the backing plate.