Patent ID: 6478553
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: F01D,F02C,F05D,F16C

Abstract:
A turbocharger for medium speed diesel engines adapted for use in railroad locomotives and other applications, the turbocharger having a housing carrying a rotor including an axial flow turbine wheel and a radial flow compressor wheel supported at opposite ends of a shaft carried in the housing on oil lubricated first and second bearings spaced axially adjacent compressor and turbine ends respectively of the shaft and providing overhung rotor mounting with axial thrust loading normally applied to the shaft from both wheels in the same direction from the turbine toward the compressor, and the improvement wherein:said first bearing comprises at least one hybrid ceramic ball bearing mounted to accept both radial and axial loads acting on the shaft at the compressor end, said first bearing mounted on a reduced diameter portion of the shaft and providing reduced bearing diameter to acceptably limit centrifugal loading of ceramic balls in the bearing against a surrounding bearing race; and said second bearing is a single row ball bearing that primarily carries only radial loads and is mounted on a second reduced diameter portion of the shaft to acceptably limit centrifugal loading of balls in the second bearing against a sounding bearing race.