Bearing sump cooling arrangement

Claim 1

A turbomachine having a shaft, a journal bearing rotatably supporting said shaft, housing means enclosing and supporting said journal bearing and having an inner wall defining a sump chamber around said journal bearing, means for delivery of a flow of lubricating fluid to said journal bearing and for sequentially spraying said flow of lubricating fluid against the inner wall of said housing means defining said sump chamber in a manner whereby the inner surface of said sump chamber is continuously wetted and thereby cooled by the lubricant flow, said means for delivery of lubricating fluid to the bearing and for sequentially spraying the lubricant flow including means for collecting the lubricant flow after use for lubricating purposes and before exiting said bearing, and a plurality of spray passageways formed in said bearing and communicating with said collection means, said journal bearing comprising an annular liner carried by said housing means and extending around a journal formed on said shaft, said lubricating fluid delivery and spray means including at least one radially inwardly facing distribution groove formed in said journal bearing liner for distributing the lubricating fluid along a central portion of the journal bearing, said collection means comprising a radially inwardly facing annular slot formed adjacent each axial end of said journal bearing liner and axially outwardly of said distribution grooves, said spray passageways being formed only through the upper portion of said journal bearing liner so as to spray the flow of lubricating fluid on the upper portions of the inner wall, the lower portions of the inner wall being bathed by gravity flow of said lubricating fluid.