Patent ID: 8616770

Claim:
A bearing apparatus, comprising: a first bearing assembly including a plurality of circumferentially-spaced first bearing elements each of which includes a first bearing surface, each of the plurality of circumferentially-spaced first bearing elements circumferentially spaced from a circumferentially nearest one of the plurality of circumferentially-spaced first bearing elements by a respective first lateral spacing less than a respective first lateral dimension of the circumferentially nearest one of the plurality of circumferentially-spaced first bearing elements; and a second bearing assembly including: a plurality of circumferentially-spaced second bearing elements; and a bearing support ring having the plurality of circumferentially-spaced second bearing elements mounted thereto; wherein each of the plurality of circumferentially-spaced second bearing elements includes a second bearing surface oriented to engage the first bearing surfaces of the first bearing assembly during operation; wherein each of the plurality of circumferentially-spaced second bearing elements is circumferentially spaced from a circumferentially nearest one of the plurality of circumferentially-spaced second bearing elements by a respective second lateral spacing greater than a respective second lateral dimension of the circumferentially nearest one of the plurality of circumferentially-spaced second bearing elements, the second lateral spacing greater than the first lateral spacing; and wherein the bearing support includes at least one flow obstruction element positioned and configured to provide a selected fluid flow over the second bearing surfaces of the plurality of circumferentially-spaced second bearing elements, the at least one flow obstruction element is positioned circumferentially between circumferentially adjacent second bearing elements of the plurality of circumferentially-spaced second bearing elements and comprises a terminal surface positioned below each of the second bearing surfaces.