Francis-type hydraulic machine

Claim 2

In a Francis-type hydraulic machine having a rotor which includes a bladed wheel of large diameter, the improvement which comprises bearing apparatus for supporting the rotor which is arranged in a peripheral region of the bladed wheel spaced radially from the axis and which includes a. an annular surface carried by the bladed wheel; b. a plurality of circumferentially spaced bearing shoes mounted in a foundation of the machine and cooperating with the annular surface; and c. a hydraulic servomechanism for each bearing shoe which serves to adjust the shoe relatively to the annular surface.

Claim 3

A machine as defined in claim 1 in which the bearing apparatus is a radial bearing arrangement.

Claim 4

A machine as defined in claim 1 in which the bearing apparatus is an axial bearing arrangement.

Claim 5

A machine as defined in claim 1 in which a. there are at least three equispaced shoes which serve as centering bearings; and b. the servomechanism associated with each of these centering bearings includes a pressure chamber which expands as the associated shoe is displaced in its supporting direction and contracts as the shoe is displaced in the opposite sense, and means for decreasing and increasing the pressure in the pressure chamber when the latter is expanded and contracted, respectively, c. whereby the bearing reaction of the shoe is correspondingly decreased and increased, respectively.

Claim 6

A machine as defined in claim 1 in which a. there are at least three equispaced shoes which serve as floating damping bearings; and b. the servomechanism associated with each of these floating damping bearings includes a pressure chamber which expands as the associated shoe is displaced in its supporting direction and contracts as the shoe is displaced in the opposite sense, and means for maintaining a constant pressure in the pressure chamber when the chamber expands and contracts slowly and for increasing the pressure in the pressure chamber when the chamber is contracted suddenly, c. whereby the shoe supplies a constant bearing reaction when it is displaced slowly and a greater bearing reaction when it is displaced rapidly in a direction opposite to its supporting direction.

Claim 7

A machine as defined in claim 1 in which the bearing shoes are mounted for pivotal movement relatively to the foundation.

Claim 8

A machine as defined in claim 6 in which each servomechanism has cooperating piston and cylinder elements which can pivot with respect to each other; and the associated bearing shoe is carried by one of those elements.

Claim 9

A machine as defined in claim 1 in which a. there is at least one bearing shoe which serves as a floating bearing and is arranged to carry at least a part of the weight of the rotor; and b. the servomechanism associated with said floating bearing has a pressure chamber which expands and contracts as the associated shoe is displaced in opposite senses, and means for maintaining a constant pressure in the pressure chamber, c. whereby the shoe supplies a constant bearing reaction regardless of its displacement.