Experimental analysis of influence of double-layer bump foils on aerodynamic thrust foil bearings performance

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangcheng Xu ◽  
Zeda Dong ◽  
Jianhua Chu ◽  
Haoming Wang ◽  
Yongliang Wang

Purpose Gas thrust foil bearings (GTFBs) are used to balance the axial load of engines. However, in some working conditions of large axial force, such as the use of single impeller air compressor, the load capacity of GTFBs is still insufficient. To solve this problem, the load capacity can be improved by increasing the stiffness of bump foil. The purpose of this paper is to explore a scheme to effectively improve the performance of thrust foil bearings. In the paper, the stiffness of bump foil is improved by increasing the thickness of bump foil and using double-layer bump foil. Design/methodology/approach The foil deformation of GTFBs supported by three different types of bump foils, the relationship between friction power consumption and external force and the difference of limited load capacity were measured by experimental method. Findings The variation of the foil deformation, bearing stiffness, friction power consumption with the external force at different speeds and limited load capacity are obtained. Based on experimental results, the selection scheme of bump foil thickness is obtained. Originality/value This paper provides a feasible method for the performance optimization of GTFBs.

Author(s):  
ZeDa Dong ◽  
Cheng Cheng ◽  
Fangcheng Xu

Abstract In this paper, the mathematical model of herringbone grooved aerodynamic foil bearings is established, and the finite difference method is used to obtain the discretized form of Reynolds equation. The static characteristics of bearings, such as film pressure, film temperature, are obtained by solving the Reynolds equation and energy equation. The bearing load capacity and friction power consumption are obtained by calculating the film thickness and film pressure distribution in the bearing gap. The influence of the bearing operational parameters, such as eccentricity and rotation speed, and the bearing structural parameters, such as groove width, groove depth ratio, groove number and helix angle, on the bearing load capacity and friction power consumption of bearings are analyzed. The methods of improving bearing load capacity and reducing friction power consumption are obtained. Simultaneously, by comparing the bearing load capacity and friction power consumption of herringbone grooved gas foil bearings and gas foil bearings (GFBs) without herringbone grooves, the influence of herringbone grooves on the bearing performance is obtained.


2016 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 647-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaiyue Li ◽  
Guoding Chen ◽  
Deng Liu

Purpose The analysis of lubricating properties and efficiency is important for aviation high-speed gear. So far, the project of lubricating properties and efficiency are processing under the condition of a given lubricating state, which is still depending on practical experience. This paper aims to mostly focus on the analysis of given lubricating state but lost sight of the relevance of lubrication parameters and lubricating state, which not only makes the analysis of aviation high-speed gear transmission and efficiency fail to trace to practical situation but also has an adverse effect on the reliance and validity of the project. Design/methodology/approach Based on this, the numerical model of spraying oil and oil film spreading is established, and the quantitative relationship between spray lubrication parameters and spreading characteristics of oil film is studied. According to the geometric and mechanical conditions of meshing points and taking the influence of rich-oil/starved-oil lubrication and roughness of teeth surface into consideration, corrected film thickness under condition of elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication and lubricating state of mesh points are analyzed. On this basis, power consumption and efficiency of gear transmission are also calculated by figuring out the solid friction and oil friction separately. Findings Through the research of this thesis, the effect of friction power consumption and efficiency with lubrication parameters is discussed. The effect of lubrication parameters on friction power consumption and efficiency of gear is complex. With the increase of spreading film thickness and film length, the frictional power consumption is less and the efficiency is higher. Originality/value This work provides a systematic technological approach to lubrication design and efficiency calculation of aviation high-speed gear transmission, which has remarkable engineering significance for the accurate lubrication design of the aviation mechanical parts.


2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 761-769
Author(s):  
Hongyang Hu ◽  
Ming Feng ◽  
Tianming Ren

Purpose This paper aims to improve the load capacity of gas foil thrust bearing (GFTB) and to introduce and study a novel bearing with stacked bump foils. Design/methodology/approach For the proposed novel GFTB supported by stacked foils, some bump-type gaskets with several partial arches are inserted below the regular bump foil, and the height of each arch can be made differently. These features make the bump foil thickness and height gradually increase, which can bring enhanced support stiffness and convergent film at the trailing edge. Based on a new nonlinear bump stiffness model considering bump rounding and friction force, the finite element and finite difference method were used to solve the coupling Reynolds equation, energy equation and foil deformation equation. Finally, the structural stiffness and static characteristics of the novel GFTB were gained and compared with the traditional bearing. Findings The novel GFTB has an additional convergence effect in the parallel section, which improves the static performance of bearing. The bearing capacity, friction moment, power loss and temperature rise of the novel GFTB are all higher than those of the traditional bearing, and the static characteristics are related to the parameters of stacked bump foils. Originality/value The stacked bump foils bring a fundamental enhancement on the load capacity of GFTB. The results are expected to be helpful to bearing designers, researchers and academicians concerned. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-10-2019-0449/


2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 1074-1084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nielson Veloso Medeiros ◽  
Emanuel Negrão Macêdo ◽  
Rui Nelson Otoni Magno ◽  
Claudio José Cavalcante Blanco ◽  
João Nazareno Nonato Quaresma

Purpose The aim of this paper is related to an analysis of hydrodynamic lubrication of circular thrust bearings. Design/methodology/approach The modified Reynolds equation was treated to obtain a hybrid numerical-analytical solution through the generalized integral transform technique (GITT) for the problem. Findings Numerical results for the engineering parameters such as pressure field, load capacity and power consumption were thus produced as functions of the radial and circumferential directions. These parameters depend on the geometry of sector-shaped used: Rayleigh pad with 4, 8 and 16 steps. Comparing among them, on the numerical point of view, the Rayleigh pad geometry with N = 16 steps has a better satisfactory performance because it has a lower power consumption. Originality/value The present GITT results and those obtained by the finite volume method (FVM) from previous works in the literature were confronted to verify whether the results are consistent and to demonstrate the capacity of the GITT approach in handling thrust bearing problems.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1800
Author(s):  
Linfei Hou ◽  
Fengyu Zhou ◽  
Kiwan Kim ◽  
Liang Zhang

The four-wheeled Mecanum robot is widely used in various industries due to its maneuverability and strong load capacity, which is suitable for performing precise transportation tasks in a narrow environment. While the Mecanum wheel robot has mobility, it also consumes more energy than ordinary robots. The power consumed by the Mecanum wheel mobile robot varies enormously depending on their operating regimes and environments. Therefore, only knowing the working environment of the robot and the accurate power consumption model can we accurately predict the power consumption of the robot. In order to increase the applicable scenarios of energy consumption modeling for Mecanum wheel robots and improve the accuracy of energy consumption modeling, this paper focuses on various factors that affect the energy consumption of the Mecanum wheel robot, such as motor temperature, terrain, the center of gravity position, etc. The model is derived from the kinematic and kinetic model combined with electrical engineering and energy flow principles. The model has been simulated in MATLAB and experimentally validated with the four-wheeled Mecanum robot platform in our lab. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the model reached 95%. The results of energy consumption modeling can help robots save energy by helping them to perform rational path planning and task planning.


2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 1866-1889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vahid Shokri Kahi ◽  
Saeed Yousefi ◽  
Hadi Shabanpour ◽  
Reza Farzipoor Saen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel network and dynamic data envelopment analysis (DEA) model for evaluating sustainability of supply chains. In the proposed model, all links can be considered in calculation of efficiency score. Design/methodology/approach A dynamic DEA model to evaluate sustainable supply chains in which networks have series structure is proposed. Nature of free links is defined and subsequently applied in calculating relative efficiency of supply chains. An additive network DEA model is developed to evaluate sustainability of supply chains in several periods. A case study demonstrates applicability of proposed approach. Findings This paper assists managers to identify inefficient supply chains and take proper remedial actions for performance optimization. Besides, overall efficiency scores of supply chains have less fluctuation. By utilizing the proposed model and determining dual-role factors, managers can plan their supply chains properly and more accurately. Research limitations/implications In real world, managers face with big data. Therefore, we need to develop an approach to deal with big data. Practical implications The proposed model offers useful managerial implications along with means for managers to monitor and measure efficiency of their production processes. The proposed model can be applied in real world problems in which decision makers are faced with multi-stage processes such as supply chains, production systems, etc. Originality/value For the first time, the authors present additive model of network-dynamic DEA. For the first time, the authors outline the links in a way that carry-overs of networks are connected in different periods and not in different stages.


2007 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 628-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ju-ho Song ◽  
Daejong Kim

A new foil gas bearing with spring bumps was constructed, analyzed, and tested. The new foil gas bearing uses a series of compression springs as compliant underlying structures instead of corrugated bump foils. Experiments on the stiffness of the spring bumps show an excellent agreement with an analytical model developed for the spring bumps. Load capacity, structural stiffness, and equivalent viscous damping (and structural loss factor) were measured to demonstrate the feasibility of the new foil bearing. Orbit and coast-down simulations using the calculated stiffness and measured structural loss factor indicate that the damping of underlying structure can suppress the maximum peak at the critical speed very effectively but not the onset of hydrodynamic rotor-bearing instability. However, the damping plays an important role in suppressing the subsynchronous vibrations under limit cycles. The observation is believed to be true with any air foil bearings with different types of elastic foundations.


2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 850-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis San Andrés ◽  
Dario Rubio ◽  
Tae Ho Kim

Gas foil bearings (GFBs) satisfy the requirements for oil-free turbomachinery, i.e., simple construction and ensuring low drag friction and reliable high speed operation. However, GFBs have a limited load capacity and minimal damping, as well as frequency and amplitude dependent stiffness and damping characteristics. This paper provides experimental results of the rotordynamic performance of a small rotor supported on two bump-type GFBs of length and diameter equal to 38.10mm. Coast down rotor responses from 25krpm to rest are recorded for various imbalance conditions and increasing air feed pressures. The peak amplitudes of rotor synchronous motion at the system critical speed are not proportional to the imbalance introduced. Furthermore, for the largest imbalance, the test system shows subsynchronous motions from 20.5krpm to 15krpm with a whirl frequency at ∼50% of shaft speed. Rotor imbalance exacerbates the severity of subsynchronous motions, thus denoting a forced nonlinearity in the GFBs. The rotor dynamic analysis with calculated GFB force coefficients predicts a critical speed at 8.5krpm, as in the experiments; and importantly enough, unstable operation in the same speed range as the test results for the largest imbalance. Predicted imbalance responses do not agree with the rotor measurements while crossing the critical speed, except for the lowest imbalance case. Gas pressurization through the bearings’ side ameliorates rotor subsynchronous motions and reduces the peak amplitudes at the critical speed. Posttest inspection reveal wear spots on the top foils and rotor surface.


2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 995-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhixiang Song ◽  
Fei Guo ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
Songtao Hu ◽  
Xiangfeng Liu ◽  
...  

Purpose This paper aims to present the slip/no-slip design in two-dimensional water-lubricated tilting pad thrust bearings (TPTBs) considering the turbulence effect and shifting of pressure centers. Design/methodology/approach A numerical model is established to analyze the slip condition and the effect of turbulence according to a Reynolds number defined in terms of the slip condition. Simulations are carried out for eccentrically and centrally pivoted bearings and the influence of different slip parameters is discussed. Findings A considerable enhancement in load capacity, as well as a reduction in friction, can be achieved by heterogeneous slip/no-slip surface designs for lubricated sliding contacts, especially for near parallel pad configurations. The optimized design largely depends on the pivot position. The load capacity increases by 174 per cent for eccentrically pivoted bearings and 159 per cent for centrally pivoted bearings for a suitable design. When slip zone locates at the middle of the radial direction or close to the inner edge, the performance of the TPTB is better. Research limitations/implications The simplification of slip effect on the turbulence (definition of Reynolds number) can only describe the trend of the increasing turbulence due to slip condition. The accurate turbulence expression considering the boundary slip needs further explorations. Originality/value The shifting of pressure center due to the slip/no-slip design for TPTBs is investigated in this study. The turbulence effect and influence of slip parameters is discussed for large water-lubricated bearings.


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