Nissan has added ball bearings to its “High-flow Ceramic Turbocharger”(1) (introduced in 1987) to improve acceleration response by reducing friction loss. The following programs were carried out in applying ball bearings to the turbocharger: Optimum bearing size and material were selected to assure long life; lubrication techniques were employed to achieve compatibility between acceleration response and durability; a thrust support system was designed to assure that the ball bearings endure thrust load which varies in direction and magnitude during engine operation; and the squeeze film damper was optimized to keep the turbocharger silent.
These innovations have resulted in a practical ball-bearing turbocharger, which has been installed in Nissan's most recent Skyline model(released in May 1989). This is the first time a ball-bearing turbocharger has been applied to a passenger car.
Citation: Aida, M., Umaoka, T., Mitsui, T., and Ushijima, Y., "Development of a Ball Bearing Turbocharger," SAE Technical Paper 900125, 1990, https://doi.org/10.4271/900125. Download Citation
Author(s):
M. Aida, T. Umaoka, T. Mitsui, Y. Ushijima
Affiliated:
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Pages: 11
Event:
International Congress & Exposition
ISSN:
0148-7191
e-ISSN:
2688-3627
Related Topics:
Turbochargers
Bearings
Thrust
Vehicle acceleration
Dampers and shock absorbers
Durability
Ceramics
Research and development
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