Foil bearing assembly and compressor including same

A bearing system includes a bearing housing that includes a sleeve and a mounting structure for connecting the bearing system to a compressor housing. The sleeve has a radial inner surface that defines a cylindrical bore, and includes a locking feature located along the radial inner surface. The mounting structure is located radially outward from the sleeve. The bearing system also includes a foil bearing assembly positioned within the cylindrical bore. The foil bearing assembly includes an outer foil, an inner foil, and a bump foil positioned between the outer foil and the inner foil. At least one of the outer foil and the inner foil includes a bearing retention feature cooperatively engaged with the locking feature to maintain the foil bearing assembly within the bearing housing at a fixed rotational position.

FIELD

The field of the disclosure relates generally to bearing systems, and more particularly, to gas foil bearing assemblies for use in compressors.

BACKGROUND

Recent CFC-free commercial refrigerant compositions, such as R134A, are characterized as having lower density compared to previously-used CFC or HCFC refrigerants such as R12. Consequently, an air conditioning system must process a higher volume of a CFC-free refrigerant composition relative to CFC or HCFC refrigerant to provide a comparable amount of cooling. To process higher volumes of refrigerant, the design of a gas compressor may be modified to process refrigerant at higher operating speeds and/or operate with higher efficiency.

Centrifugal compressors that make use of continuous dynamic compression offer at least several advantages over other compressor designs, such as reciprocating, rotary, scroll, and screw compressors that make use of positive displacement compression. Centrifugal compressors have numerous advantages over at least some positive displacement compressor designs, including lower vibration, higher efficiency, more compact structure and associated lower weight, and higher reliability and lower maintenance costs due to a smaller number of components vulnerable to wear. However, centrifugal compressors typically require relatively tight tolerances and high manufacturing accuracy. Although most often used in high-capacity cooling systems, the incorporation of centrifugal compressors in lower-capacity systems is limited due to the high rotation speed of the impeller of a centrifugal compressor and the associated challenges of providing a suitable operating environment for the impeller and associated motor.

Centrifugal compressors typically include compressor bearings to support a driveshaft used to transfer power from the motor to the impeller that imparts kinetic energy to incoming refrigerant. The compressor bearings are typically provided with one or more features to reduce friction between the compressor bearing and the driveshaft. The design of these friction-reducing features of the bearings pose an on-going challenge due at least in part to the CFC-free refrigerant compositions and the challenging operating environment within gas compressors such as air conditioning compressors.

Some compressor bearings in existing refrigerant compressors use oil or alternative compositions as a lubricant, but CFC-free refrigerants are incompatible with at least some existing lubricant compositions. Other compressor bearings are oil-free magnetic bearings that levitate the driveshaft within a magnetic field provided by high-strength magnets, but magnetic bearings are typically complex in design, add significant weight, and limit the choice of driveshaft materials to ferromagnetic materials in order to respond to the magnetic fields within the magnetic bearings. Another type of oil-free bearings is a foil bearing that includes compliant foil elements that surround the driveshaft and support the driveshaft on a fluid layer formed between the driveshaft and the foil elements when the rotation speed of the driveshaft exceeds a threshold speed termed liftoff speed. Foil bearings are well-suited for the high-speed operating environment typical of centrifugal compressors, are compatible with all refrigerant compositions, and may be used with a wider variety of driveshaft materials, thereby permitting the use of lighter-weight materials to reduce the amount of energy needed to operate the compressor.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a bearing system includes a bearing housing that includes a sleeve and a mounting structure for connecting the bearing system to a compressor housing. The sleeve has a radial inner surface that defines a cylindrical bore, and includes a locking feature located along the radial inner surface. The mounting structure is located radially outward from the sleeve. The bearing system also includes a foil bearing assembly positioned within the cylindrical bore. The foil bearing assembly includes an outer foil, an inner foil, and a bump foil positioned between the outer foil and the inner foil. At least one of the outer foil and the inner foil includes a bearing retention feature cooperatively engaged with the locking feature to maintain the foil bearing assembly within the bearing housing at a fixed rotational position.

In another aspect, a compressor includes a compressor housing, a driveshaft rotatably supported within the compressor housing, an impeller connected to the driveshaft and operable to impart kinetic energy to incoming refrigerant gas upon rotation of the driveshaft, a bearing housing mounted to the compressor housing, and a foil bearing assembly rotatably supporting the driveshaft. The bearing housing includes a sleeve having a radial inner surface that defines a cylindrical bore. The sleeve includes a locking feature located along the radial inner surface. The foil bearing assembly is positioned within the cylindrical bore, and includes an outer foil, an inner foil, and a bump foil positioned between the outer foil and the inner foil. At least one of the outer foil and the inner foil includes a bearing retention feature cooperatively engaged with the locking feature to maintain the foil bearing assembly within the bearing housing at a fixed rotational position.

In yet another aspect, a method of assembling a compressor includes mounting a bearing housing to a compressor housing. The bearing housing includes a sleeve having a radial inner surface that defines a cylindrical bore. The sleeve includes a locking feature located along the radial inner surface. The method further includes inserting a foil bearing assembly within the cylindrical bore. The foil bearing assembly includes an outer foil, an inner foil, and a bump foil positioned between the outer foil and the inner foil. The method further includes connecting at least one of the outer foil and the inner foil to the bearing housing by cooperatively engaging a bearing retention feature of the at least one outer foil and inner foil with the locking feature to maintain the foil bearing assembly within the bearing housing at a fixed rotational position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG. 1, a compressor illustrated in the form of a two-stage refrigerant compressor is indicated generally at100. The compressor100generally includes a compressor housing102forming at least one sealed cavity within which each stage of refrigerant compression is accomplished. The compressor100includes a first refrigerant inlet110to introduce refrigerant vapor into the first compression stage (not labeled inFIG. 1), a first refrigerant exit114, a refrigerant transfer conduit112to transfer compressed refrigerant from the first compression stage to the second compression stage, a second refrigerant inlet118to introduce refrigerant vapor into the second compression stage (not labeled inFIG. 1), and a second refrigerant exit120. The refrigerant transfer conduit112is operatively connected at opposite ends to the first refrigerant exit114and the second refrigerant inlet118, respectively. The second refrigerant exit120delivers compressed refrigerant from the second compression stage to a cooling system in which compressor100is incorporated. The refrigerant transfer conduit112may further include a refrigerant bleed122to add or remove refrigerant as needed at the compressor100.

Referring toFIG. 2, the compressor housing102encloses a first compression stage124and a second compression stage126at opposite ends of the compressor100. The first compression stage124includes a first impeller106configured to add kinetic energy to refrigerant entering via the first refrigerant inlet110. The kinetic energy imparted to the refrigerant by the first impeller106is converted to increased refrigerant pressure (i.e. compression) as the refrigerant velocity is slowed upon transfer to a sealed cavity (e.g., a diffuser) formed between a bearing housing200and a portion of the outer compressor housing102. Similarly, the second compression stage126includes a second impeller116configured to add kinetic energy to refrigerant transferred from the first compression stage124entering via the second refrigerant inlet118. The kinetic energy imparted to the refrigerant by the second impeller116is converted to increased refrigerant pressure (i.e. compression) as the refrigerant velocity is slowed upon transfer to a sealed cavity (e.g., a diffuser) formed between a bearing housing200and a second portion of outer compressor housing102. Compressed refrigerant exits the second compression stage126via the second refrigerant exit120(not shown inFIG. 2).

Referring toFIG. 2andFIG. 3, the first stage impeller106and second stage impeller116are connected at opposite ends of a driveshaft104. The driveshaft104is operatively connected to a motor108positioned between the first stage impeller106and second stage impeller116such that the first stage impeller106and second stage impeller116are rotated at a rotation speed selected to compress the refrigerant to a pre-selected pressure exiting the second refrigerant exit120. Any suitable motor may be incorporated into the compressor100including, but not limited to, an electrical motor. The driveshaft104is supported by gas foil bearing assemblies300positioned within a sleeve202of each bearing housing200/200a, as described in additional detail below. Each bearing housing200/200aincludes a mounting structure210for connecting the respective bearing housing200/200ato the compressor housing102, as illustrated inFIG. 2.

Referring toFIG. 4, each bearing housing200/200a(only bearing housing200illustrated inFIG. 4) supports the driveshaft104, and the driveshaft104projects through the bearing housing200/200aopposite the sleeve202, and the impeller106is connected to the projecting end of the driveshaft104. Referring toFIG. 5andFIG. 7, the gas foil bearing assembly300is positioned within a cylindrical bore206within the bearing housing200. The driveshaft104closely fits within the gas foil bearing assembly300, which includes an outer compliant foil or foil layer302positioned adjacent to the inner wall of the sleeve202, an inner compliant foil or foil layer306(also referred to as a “top foil”) positioned adjacent to the driveshaft104, and a bump foil or foil layer310positioned between the inner foil layer306and the outer foil layer302. The foils or layers302/306/310of the gas foil bearing assembly form an essentially cylindrical tube sized to receive the driveshaft104with relatively little or no gap design as determined by existing foil bearing design methods. The components of the foil bearing assembly300, such as outer foil layer302, the inner foil layer306, and the bump foil layer310, may be constructed of any suitable material that enables the foil bearing assembly300to function as described herein. Suitable materials include, for example and without limitation, metal alloys. In some embodiments, for example, each of the outer foil layer302, the inner foil layer306, and the bump foil layer310is constructed of stainless steel (e.g., 17-4 stainless steel).

Referring again toFIG. 5, the foil bearing assembly300in the illustrated embodiment further includes a pair of foil keepers312a/312bpositioned adjacent opposite ends of the layers302/306/310to inhibit sliding of the layers302/306/310in an axial direction within the cylindrical bore206of the sleeve202. A pair of foil retaining clips314a/314bpositioned adjacent to the foil keepers312a/312b, respectively, fix the layers302/306/310in a locked axial position within the cylindrical bore206. Foil retaining clips314a/314bmay be removably connected to bearing housing200.FIG. 8further illustrates the arrangement of the foil keeper312aand foil retaining clip314aat one end of the foil bearing assembly300.

In other embodiments, as illustrated inFIG. 6, each bearing housing200/200aincludes a foil retaining lip214formed integrally (e.g., cast) with the bearing housing200and projecting radially inward from the radial inner surface204that defines the cylindrical bore206. In the illustrated embodiment, the foil retaining lip214is positioned near an impeller end216of the cylindrical bore206proximal to the impeller116(shown inFIGS. 2-3). The foil retaining lip214is sized and dimensioned to project a radial distance from the radial inner surface204that overlaps at least a portion of the layers302/306/310of the foil bearing assembly300. The foil retaining lip214may extend fully around the circumference of the radial inner surface204, or the foil retaining lip can include two or more segments extending over a portion of the circumference of the radial inner surface204and separated by spaces flush with the adjacent radial inner surface204.

The foil bearing assembly300of the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 6further includes a single foil retaining clip314positioned adjacent the ends of the layers302/306/310opposite the foil retaining lip214to inhibit axial movement of the layers302/306/310within the cylindrical bore206of the sleeve202. In this embodiment, the foil retaining clip314snaps into a circumferential groove212formed within the radial inner surface204of the cylindrical bore206near a motor end218of the cylindrical bore206.FIG. 9andFIG. 10further illustrate the arrangement of the foil retaining clip314at one end of the foil bearing assembly300. The foil retaining clip314is sized and dimensioned to provide clearance for the outer layer302, and to overlap with bearing retention features304/308that form a radially outward projecting tab316, as described further below.

The foil retaining lip214may be positioned within any region of the cylindrical bore206near the impeller end216including, without limitation, a position immediately adjacent to the opening of the cylindrical bore206at the impeller end216. Alternatively, the foil retaining lip214may be positioned within any region of the cylindrical bore206near the motor end218including, without limitation, a position immediately adjacent to the opening of the cylindrical bore206at the motor end218. In such embodiments, the foil retaining clip314snaps into a circumferential groove212formed within the radial inner surface204of the cylindrical bore206near the impeller end216, in an arrangement that is essentially the opposite of the arrangement illustrated inFIG. 6.

Referring again toFIG. 6, the foil bearing assembly300is installed within the bearing housing200by inserting the foil bearing assembly300into the cylindrical bore206of the bearing housing200at the motor end218. The foil bearing assembly300is then advanced axially into the cylindrical bore206toward the impeller end216until the layers302/306/310contact the foil retaining lip214. The foil retaining clip314is then snapped into the circumferential groove212near the motor end218of the cylindrical bore206to lock the foil bearing assembly300in place.

In other embodiments, any suitable method for affixing the foil bearing assembly300within the sleeve202may be used. Non-limiting examples of suitable methods include keepers and retaining clips, adhesives, set screws, and any other suitable affixing method.

Referring toFIG. 11,FIG. 12, andFIG. 13, the mounting structure210of each bearing housing200/200aconnects the respective bearing housing200/200ato the compressor housing102(shown inFIGS. 1 and 2). In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting structure210generally projects in a radially outward direction to a dimension matched to the outer dimension of the compressor housing102. The bearing housing200may include any form of mounting structure210including, without limitation, an annular flange. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, each bearing housing200/200a, together with a portion of the compressor housing102, forms a sealed compartment (e.g., a diffuser) enclosing each compression stage to enhance the effectiveness of the refrigerant pressure rise resulting from the impeller-induced acceleration and expansion into the diffuser, as described above. The bearing housings200/200amay further serve as a mounting structure for a variety of elements including, but not limited to, radial bearings, such as the foil bearing assembly300described above, a thrust bearing, and sensing devices250(shown inFIG. 4) used as feedback for passive or active control schemes such as proximity probes, pressure transducers, thermocouples, key phasers, and the like. The bearing housing200may further include external coolant conduits or channels220(shown inFIG. 17) to enable active cooling of the foil bearing assembly.

Referring toFIG. 17, in some embodiments, each bearing housing200/200acan include one or more radially-extending cooling channels220to deliver coolant from an external source and/or from the refrigerant system flow to the bearing housing200/200aand foil bearing assembly300. In the illustrated embodiment, each channel220extends radially outward from the cylindrical bore206to an opening260formed at a radial outer edge222of the bearing housing200/200a(see alsoFIG. 7). The one or more radial channels220deliver a coolant flow224radially inward toward the cylindrical bore206. A first portion226of the coolant flow224can be delivered directly into the cylindrical bore206, providing cooling to the driveshaft104. The first portion226of the coolant flow224can also be directed through one or more cooling passages228formed in the bearing housing200/200ato and around a thrust bearing (e.g., a thrust runner128connected to the driveshaft104and/or thrust bearing plates130connected to the bearing housing200). A second portion230of the coolant flow224can be delivered between the radial inner surface204of the cylindrical bore206and the foil bearing assembly300to provide cooling to the foil bearing assembly300.

Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the radially-extending cooling channels220may be defined in a portion of the compressor housing102other than the bearing housing200/200a. For example, the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 17includes a radially-extending cooling channel220defined in an end cap132of the compressor housing102connected to the bearing housing200.

Each bearing housing200/200amay further be provided with at least one additional channel232to direct an internal coolant flow234diverted from the coolant flow236exiting the compressor housing102to facilitate cooling of the thrust bearing, foil bearing assembly300, driveshaft104, and/or motor108(not shown inFIG. 17). The diverted internal coolant flow234is directed past a labyrinth shaft seal238positioned in the channel232near the impeller116, and is subsequently directed radially outward over and around the thrust bearing. A first portion240of the internal coolant flow234(e.g., a motor coolant flow) can be fed to the motor108through a cooling passage242formed in the bearing housing200at a position radially outward from the cylindrical bore206and extending axially through the bearing housing200. A second portion244of the diverted internal coolant flow234can be directed radially inward past the thrust runner128and toward the driveshaft104, and subsequently directed axially through the cylindrical bore206between the driveshaft104and the foil bearing assembly300. In some embodiments, the first portion240of the internal coolant flow234may be directed through a conduit246formed between adjacent surfaces of the bearing housing200and the compressor housing102(e.g., between the end cap132and the bearing housing200).

Referring toFIG. 13andFIG. 14, the bearing housing sleeve202has a radial inner surface204that defines the cylindrical bore206. The cross-sectional profile of the cylindrical bore may be essentially circular, or may be any other rounded or polygonal shape without limitation, such as elliptical, square, octagonal, and the like. The radial inner surface204is sized and dimensioned to receive the foil bearing assembly300such that the outer layer302of the foil bearing assembly300contacts the radial inner surface204.

Referring toFIG. 13, the radial inner surface204is provided with at least one or more additional features to enable retaining the foil bearing assembly in a fixed axial and rotational position within the sleeve202. In some embodiments, for example, a first circumferential groove212aand a second circumferential groove212bare formed within the radial inner surface204. The first and second circumferential grooves212a/212bare sized and dimensioned to receive foil retaining clips314aand314b, respectively, as illustrated inFIG. 5. In other embodiments, the first circumferential groove212amay be replaced by a circumferential foil retaining lip214(seeFIG. 6).

Referring toFIG. 14, the radial inner surface204of the bearing housing200is further provided with a bearing assembly locking feature208. The bearing assembly locking feature208interlocks with one or more bearing retention features provided on the foil bearing assembly300as described below. The bearing assembly locking feature208may be any suitable form of mechanically interlocking feature without limitation. Non-limiting examples of suitable mechanically interlocking features include raised features such as an axial ridge, key, or tab, and axial depressions formed within the radial inner surface204such as an axially-extending slot, an axially-extending keyhole or keeper as illustrated inFIG. 14.

Referring toFIGS. 15 and 16, the foil bearing assembly300further includes at least one bearing retention feature304/308to cooperatively engage the bearing assembly locking feature208to maintain the foil bearing assembly within the bearing housing at a fixed rotational position within the cylindrical bore206of the sleeve202. That is, the bearing retention feature304/308and the bearing assembly locking feature208are sized and shaped complementary to one another such that, when the bearing retention feature304/308is engaged with the bearing assembly locking feature208, the bearing assembly locking feature208inhibits or limits at least rotational movement of the bearing retention feature304/308. The at least one bearing retention feature304/308may include any suitable form of mechanically interlocking feature without limitation. In some embodiments, the at least one bearing retention feature304/308is selected based on the choice of bearing assembly locking feature208provided within the cylindrical bore206. Non-limiting examples of suitable mechanically interlocking features include raised features such as an axial ridge, key, or tab, as well as axial depressions formed within at least the outer foil layer302of the foil bearing assembly300such as an axial slot, an axial keyhole or keeper.

In some embodiments, the foil bearing assembly300includes a first bearing retention feature304formed along an edge of the outer layer302and a second bearing retention feature308formed along an edge of the inner layer306. In such embodiments, the first and second bearing retention features304/308together form an axial tab316sized and dimensioned to interlock with the bearing assembly locking feature208provided in the form of an axial slot208, as illustrated inFIG. 14.

The foil bearing assembly300may be provided in any suitable form without limitation. For example, the foil bearing assembly300may be provided with two layers, three layers, four layers, or additional layers without limitation. The inner layer306forms a cylindrical inner surface that closely fits the surface of the driveshaft104, as illustrated inFIG. 15. The bump foil310of the foil bearing assembly300may be formed from a radially elastic structure to provide a resilient surface for the spinning driveshaft104during operation of the compressor100. The bump foil310may be formed from any suitable radially elastic structure without limitation including, but not limited to, an array of deformable bumps or other features designed to deform and rebound under intermittent compressive radial loads, and any other elastically resilient material capable of compressing and rebounding under intermittent compressive radial loads. The bump foil310may be connected to at least one adjacent layer including, but not limited to at least one of the outer layer302and the inner layer306. In some embodiments, the bump foil310may be connected to both the outer layer302and the inner layer306. In other embodiments, the bump foil310may be free-floating and not connected to any layer of the foil bearing assembly300.

In some embodiments, the outer layer302provides a smooth inner surface for support of the adjacent bump foil layer310for efficient transmission of transient deflections caused by radial forces exerted by the driveshaft104to the inner layer306during operation of the compressor100. The outer layer302provides this smooth inner surface independently of the surface smoothness of the underlying radial inner surface204of the cylindrical bore206of the bearing housing200. Thus, in some embodiments, use of the outer layer302facilitates increasing the surface specification of the radial inner surface204of the cylindrical bore206or, stated another way, reducing a surface smoothness requirement of the radial inner surface204. In some embodiments, the foil bearing assembly300is suitable for use with a bearing housing200in an “as-cast” condition without need for further machining, grinding, or any other means to smooth the radial inner surface204of the cylindrical bore206of the bearing housing200. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the radial inner surface204of the cylindrical bore206is an as-cast surface. That is, the radial inner surface204of the cylindrical bore206is a surface of a cast bearing housing200that has not undergone post-cast machining, grinding, or similar means to smooth the radial inner surface204.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the outer layer302improves thermal management of the foil bearing assembly300, thereby increasing reliability and durability of foil bearing components and the compressor100. More specifically, by using the compliant foil layer302, working fluid can circulate on both sides of the foil bearing assembly300, thereby improving cooling of the foil layers302and306. Also, by retaining the foil layers302and306directly within the bearing housing sleeve202, a secondary bearing assembly sleeve is not required. This eliminates the potential interface between the secondary bearing assembly sleeve and the bearing housing sleeve202, which improves conduction of heat away from the foil bearing assembly300. This allows for a smaller bearing housing sleeve202, resulting in less thermal mass to retain heat generated within the foil bearing assembly.

Further, in some embodiments, use of the outer layer302facilitates reducing space requirements of the foil bearing assembly300and provides a more compact design. More specifically, by using the compliant foil layer302, a secondary bearing assembly sleeve is not required. The compliant foil layer302provides the surface finish requirements for proper functioning of the bump foil310that the secondary bearing housing would normally provide. This allows the outer diameter of the bearing housing sleeve202to decrease, resulting in a reduced space requirement and providing a more compact design. For example, by reducing the outer diameter of the bearing housing sleeve202, the bearing housing sleeve202may extend axially into or be positioned within a portion of the motor108(e.g., a cylindrical motor cavity enclosed by the motor windings), as illustrated inFIG. 2, resulting in an overall decrease in the axial length of the compressor100.

The bearing housing may be used as part of a method of assembling a compressor. The assembly method includes mounting the bearing housing to the compressor housing using the mounting structure of the bearing housing as described above. The assembly method also includes inserting a foil bearing assembly into the cylindrical bore and connecting the foil bearing assembly to the bearing housing by cooperatively engaging a bearing retention feature of at least one layer of the foil bearing assembly with the bearing assembly locking feature to maintain the foil bearing assembly within the bearing housing at a fixed rotational position as described above. The method further includes inserting at least one foil retaining clip into a circumferential groove formed within the inner surface of the cylindrical bore to retain the foil bearing assembly in a fixed axial position with respect to the cylindrical bore.

Embodiments of the systems and methods described achieve superior results as compared to prior systems and methods. Bearing systems including a gas foil bearing assembly to support a driveshaft of a compressor enable low friction support of the driveshaft without the use of oil-based lubricants. The oil-free foil bearing assembly is compatible with a wide variety of working fluids including, but not limited to, CFC, HCFC, CFC-free refrigerants in cooling compressors, and fuel-air mixtures in turbocharger compressors. The bearing systems are suitable for use with any type of cooling compressor including, but not limited to, rotary-vane compressors, rotary-scroll compressors, rotary-screw compressors, and centrifugal compressors. Without being limited to any particular theory, gas foil-type bearings are known to be well-suited for the support of driveshafts characterized by high rotational speeds. In various aspects, the disclosed bearing systems are compatible with centrifugal compressors, which typically operate at high driveshaft rotation rates. The bearing systems may be incorporated into the design of any type of centrifugal compressors. Non-limiting examples of centrifugal compressors suitable for use with the disclosed bearing system include single-stage, two-stage, and multi-stage centrifugal compressors.

Unlike known bearing systems that include at least one foil bearing assembly, the single bearing housing of the bearing systems described enable a reduction in tolerance stack-up, resulting in tighter tolerances and enhanced manufacturing accuracy, both of which are important factors in the successful implementation of centrifugal compressors as discussed above. In addition, the integration of multiple joined parts into a single bearing housing of the disclosed bearing system provides for enhanced heat transfer from the foil bearing assembly positioned within the sleeve of the bearing housing, reducing or eliminating the adverse operating conditions associated with thermal run out and mechanical failure of the foil bearing assembly. Further, the bearing housing may be provided with additional coolant conduits as described above to further enhance the heat transfer capacity of the bearing housing. The tighter tolerances, enhanced manufacturing accuracy, and enhanced thermal management of the foil bearing assembly enabled by features of the disclosed bearing system combine to enhance the working life and durability of the foil bearing assembly, thereby enhancing the suitability of foil bearing assemblies for use in the challenging operating environment of refrigerant compressors of HVAC systems.

Example embodiments of bearing systems and methods, such as refrigerant compressors that incorporate the disclosed bearing system and methods of assembling compressors that include the disclosed bearing assembly, are described above in detail. The systems and methods are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather, components of the system and methods may be used independently and separately from other components described herein. For example, the bearing housing and bearing assemblies described herein may be used in compressors other than refrigerant compressors, such as turbocharger compressors and the like.