BEARING APPARATUSES INCLUDING DUAL MATERIAL BEARING SURFACES

摘要

Embodiments of the invention relate to bearing apparatuses in which one bearing surface of the bearing apparatus includes diamond, while another bearing surface includes a non-diamond superhard material (e.g., silicon carbide). For example, a bearing apparatus may include a bearing stator assembly and a bearing rotor assembly. The bearing stator assembly and bearing rotor assembly each include a support ring and one or more superhard bearing elements generally opposed to one another. The bearing surface(s) of the rotor or stator may include diamond, while the bearing surface(s) of the other of the rotor or stator do not include diamond. Another bearing apparatus may include both thrust- and radial bearing components. The generally opposed thrust-bearing elements may include diamond, while the generally opposed radial bearing elements may not include diamond, but include a non-diamond superhard material, such as silicon carbide.

主权项

1. A combination thrust-bearing and radial bearing apparatus, comprising:
a thrust-bearing assembly including:
a thrust-bearing stator including a thrust-bearing stator support ring and at least one superhard stator thrust-bearing element mounted to the thrust-bearing stator support ring, the at least one superhard stator thrust-bearing element including a superhard thrust stator bearing surface; anda thrust-bearing rotor including a thrust rotor support ring and at least one superhard rotor thrust-bearing element mounted to the thrust rotor support ring, the at least one superhard rotor thrust-bearing element including a superhard thrust rotor bearing surface generally opposed to the superhard thrust stator bearing surface; and a radial bearing assembly including:
a radial bearing stator including a radial stator support ring and at least one superhard stator radial bearing element mounted to the radial stator support ring, the at least one superhard stator radial bearing element including a superhard radial stator bearing surface;a radial bearing rotor including a radial rotor support ring and at least one superhard rotor radial bearing element mounted to the radial rotor support ring, the at least one superhard rotor radial bearing element including a superhard radial rotor bearing surface generally opposed to the superhard radial stator bearing surface; and wherein at least one of the superhard stator thrust-bearing surface or the rotor thrust-bearing surface includes polycrystalline diamond, and at least one of the superhard stator radial bearing surface or the rotor radial bearing surface includes a non-diamond superhard material.