Description:FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to bearing systems for water-filled submersible pump-and-motor arrangements.
BACKGROUND
The background information herein below relates to the present disclosure but is not necessarily prior art.
For a water-filled submersible pump-motor assembly, conventionally thrust bearings are employed for supporting the pump's thrust weight of the water column being lifted by the pump. The thrust bearings are generally placed at the bottom of the motor to support the weight of the impeller as well as the pressure of pushing up the water in the pipe column. The thrust bearings is hydrodynamic in nature, and functions as a bearing based on the viscosity and lubricity of water. Hence, in operative configurations, the bearings float on a thin layer of water whose thin film layer lubricates the thrust bearings in water-filled submersible motors. However, when the bearing is subjected to a shock load, the water film in the bearing is driven from between the bearing surfaces, thereby resulting in insufficient lubrication in between the contact areas which further results in hot spots, excessive wear, and bearing failure.
Additionally, the water film layer formed by water inside the motor aids in trapping heat due to plate friction, thus reducing the life of the bearing while increasing maintenance of the bearing. Furthermore, assembling the thrust bearings consumes a large amount of time due to the number of sub-assemblies of supporting elements such as a plurality of bushes, connecting shafts, circlips, keys, or pads which also contribute to the weight of the motor. However, if even a minor component of the thrust bearing is damaged, such as a pad, a key, or a circlip, the entire bearing, and sometimes the pump-motor assembly, must be replaced, resulting in massive losses.

There is therefore felt a need for a bearing system for a water-filled submersible motor-and-pump submersible arrangement, that alleviates aforementioned drawbacks.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:
It is an object of the present disclosure to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a bearing system for a water-filled submersible motor-and-pump submersible arrangement.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a bearing system for a water-filled submersible motor-and-pump submersible arrangement that helps in reducing frictional and heat losses for enhancing the life thereof.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a bearing system for a water-filled submersible motor-and-pump submersible arrangement that has less number of components, and is hence compact and relatively less bulky.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures, which are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
The present disclosure envisages a bearing system for a water-filled submersible motor-and-pump arrangement having a motor shaft. The system consists of a first housing, a second housing and a pair of ball bearings.
The first housing is configured to be disposed in an operative top portion of the motor-and-pump arrangement. The second housing is disposed in an operative bottom portion of the motor-and-pump arrangement. Each ball bearing is accommodated in each housing. The pair of ball bearings is configured to receive the motor shaft. The ball bearings are configured to sustain axial and radial loads exerted on the motor shaft in an operative configuration of the motor-and-pump arrangement.
In an embodiment, a pair of recesses is configured in the housing for receiving the ball bearings therein.
In another embodiment, each of the ball bearings is a self-lubricated ball bearing.
In yet another embodiment, the ball bearing is provided with an integral sealing for retaining the lubricant of the ball bearing.
In still another embodiment, the bearing system eliminates the need for sealing elements for the ball bearing.
In one embodiment, the housing is manufactured from cast iron, stainless steel or brass.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING
A bearing system, in accordance with the present disclosure, for a water-filled submersible motor-and-pump submersible arrangement will now be described with the help of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the bearing system of the present disclosure;
Figure 2A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a first housing of the bearing system of Figure 1; and
Figure 2B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a second housing of the bearing system of Figure 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS USED IN DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND DRAWING
100 bearing system
10 first housing
12 second housing
15 recess
20 ball bearing
200 motor shaft
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments, of the present disclosure, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Embodiments are provided so as to thoroughly and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to the person skilled in the art. Numerous details, are set forth, relating to specific components, and methods, to provide a complete understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the details provided in the embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known apparatus structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.
The terminology used, in the present disclosure, is only for the purpose of explaining a particular embodiment and such terminology shall not be considered to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As used in the present disclosure, the forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly suggests otherwise. The terms “including,” and “having,” are open ended transitional phrases and therefore specify the presence of stated features, elements and/or components, but do not forbid the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
A bearing system (100), of the present disclosure, for a water-filled submersible motor-and-pump arrangement will now be described in detail with respect to Figure 1 through Figure 2B.
The motor-and-pump arrangement has a motor shaft (200).
As shown in Figure 1, the system (100) comprises a first housing (10), a second housing (12), and a pair of ball bearings (20). The first housing (10) is configured to be disposed in an operative top portion of the motor-and-pump arrangement, which is the driving end of the arrangement. The second housing (12) is disposed in an operative bottom portion of the motor-and-pump arrangement, which is the non-driving end of the arrangement. Each ball bearing (20) is accommodated in each housing (10, 12).
The ball bearings (20) are configured to receive the motor shaft (200). The ball bearings (20) are configured to sustain the axial and radial loads exerted on the motor shaft (200), in an operative configuration of the motor-and-pump arrangement.
In an embodiment, the ball bearings (20) are press-fitted to the motor shaft (200).
In an embodiment, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, a pair of recesses (15) is configured in the housing (10) for receiving the ball bearings (20) therein.
In an embodiment, each of the ball bearings (20) is a self-lubricated ball bearing (20) which does not require any external lubrication.
The ball bearing (20) is provided with an integral sealing which helps in retaining the lubricant, and protects the ball bearing (20) from any contamination which may otherwise cause premature bearing failure. The need for additional sealing elements, for the ball bearings (20), is eliminated, which in turn reduces the frictional and heat losses occurring during the operation of the pump and motor arrangement. Further, as the sealing is integrated with the bearing, the leakage of the lubricant is prevented thereby avoiding any contamination with the surrounding water.
The high load carrying capacity and ability of the ball bearings (20) to accommodate misalignment further helps prolong the service life of the assembly. This helps to reduce overall costs and expand environmental footprint by eliminating requirement of refilling of lubricant, as well as any risk of worker injury.
Additionally, the overall configuration of bearing system (100) ensures that no additional elements, such as connecting shafts, bushes or supporting components, are required, as compared to conventional bearing system. The relatively lesser number of components not only reduces the weight but also decreases the contact surface of the components of the arrangement which further reduces the frictional and heat losses between the elements to enhance the life and productivity of the pump-and-motor arrangement.
Also there is less wear and tear, and therefore less maintenance of the components of the arrangement as compared to the pump-and-motor arrangements with conventional bearing systems. The cost of manufacturing the system (100) is also reduced significantly.
In an embodiment, the housing (10) is manufactured from cast iron, stainless steel or brass.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Individual components of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, are interchangeable. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS
The present disclosure described herein above has several technical advantages including, but not limited to, the realization of a bearing system for a water-filled submersible motor-and-pump submersible arrangement:
• that helps in reducing frictional and heat losses for enhancing the life of the assembly;
• which does not require supporting elements such as bushes, circlips, pads, keys, thrust pads, connecting shafts or rocker supports;
• which has less number of components and hence reduces the weight of the arrangement, thereby saving any non-productive transfer of torque generated by the motor, and further reducing the wear and tear of the assembly;
• which has a compact configuration; and
• which is self-lubricated, and therefore does not require periodic lubrication, and hence does not contaminate water bodies in which the arrangement is submerged in.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveals the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the components and component parts of the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the disclosure. These and other changes in the preferred embodiment as well as other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the disclosure and not as a limitation. , Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. A bearing system (100) for a water-filled submersible motor-and-pump arrangement having a motor shaft (200), said system (100) comprising:
• a first housing (10) disposed in an operative top portion of said motor-and-pump arrangement;
• a second housing (12) disposed in an operative bottom portion of said motor-and-pump arrangement; and
• a pair of ball bearings (20), each ball bearing (20) accommodated in each housing (10), said pair of ball bearings (20) configured to receive said motor shaft (200), and configured to sustain axial and radial loads exerted on the motor shaft (200) in an operative configuration of the motor-and-pump arrangement.
2. The bearing system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pair of recesses (15) is configured in said housing (10) for receiving said ball bearings (20) therein.
3. The bearing system (100) as claimed in 1, wherein each of said ball bearings (20) is a self-lubricated ball bearing (20).
4. The bearing system (100) as claimed in 1, wherein said ball bearing (20) is provided with an integral sealing for retaining the lubricant of said ball bearing therein.
5. The bearing system (100) as claimed in claim 3 and 4, which eliminates the need for sealing elements for the ball bearing.

6. The bearing system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing (10) is manufactured from cast iron, stainless steel or brass.
Dated this 1st day of September, 2022

_______________________________
MOHAN RAJKUMAR DEWAN, IN/PA – 25
of R.K.DEWAN & CO.
Authorized Agent of Applicant

TO,
THE CONTROLLER OF PATENTS
THE PATENT OFFICE, AT MUMBAI