On the performance of foil thrust bearing with misaligned bearing runner

2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelrasoul M. Gad
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Approximation Technique ◽  
Hydrodynamic Effect ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Load Carrying ◽  
Foil Thrust Bearing ◽  
Stiffness And Damping

Purpose Compliant foil thrust bearings are promising bearings for high-speed oil-free turbomachinery. However, most previous experimental and numerical approaches to investigate the performance of these bearings have ignored the effect of bearing runner misalignment. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the effects of static and dynamic angular misalignments of the bearing runner on the performance of a gas-lubricated foil thrust bearing. Design/methodology/approach The bearing runner is allowed a maximum angular misalignment that produces a minimum gas film thickness as low as 20 per cent of the nominal clearance. Then, the variations of bearing load carrying capacity, viscous power loss and stiffness and damping coefficients of the gas film with runner misalignment are thoroughly analyzed. The flow in the gas film is modeled with compressible Reynolds equation along with the Couette approximation technique, and the deformation of the compliant bearing is calculated with a robust analytical model. Small perturbations method is used to calculate the force and moment dynamic coefficients of the gas film. Findings The results show that misaligned foil thrust bearings are capable of developing a restoring moment sufficient enough to withstand the imposed misalignments. Furthermore, the enhanced hydrodynamic effect ensures a stable operation of the misaligned bearing, and the results highlighted the role of the compliant bearing structure to maintain foil bearing prominent features even at misaligned conditions. Originality/value The value of this study is the evaluation of the effects of runner angular misalignments on the static and dynamic characteristics of Generation II bump-type foil thrust bearing.

Modeling and Experimental Investigation of Micro-Hydrostatic Gas Thrust Bearings for Micro-Turbomachines

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Teo ◽  
Z. S. Spakovszky
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Stability ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Dynamic Instability ◽  
Axial Stiffness ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Flow Choking ◽  
Thrust Bearings

One of the major challenges for the successful operation of high-power-density micro-devices lies in the stable operation of the bearings supporting the high-speed rotating turbomachinery. Previous modeling efforts by Piekos [1], Liu et al. [2] and Spakovszky and Liu [3] have mainly focused on the operation and stability of journal bearings. However, since thrust bearings play the vital role of providing axial support and stiffness, there is a need to gain a fuller understanding of their behavior. In this work, a rigorous theory is presented to analyze the effects of compressibility in micro-flows (characterized by low Reynolds numbers and high Mach numbers) through hydrostatic thrust bearings for application to microturbomachines. The analytical model, which combines a 1-D compressible flow model with Finite-Element Analysis, serves as a useful tool for establishing operating protocols and assessing the stability characteristics of hydrostatic thrust bearings. The model is capable of predicting key steady-state performance indicators, such as bearing mass flow, axial stiffness and natural frequency as a function of the hydrostatic supply pressure and thrust bearing geometry. The model has been applied to investigate the static stability of hydrostatic thrust bearings in micro-turbine-generators, where the electrostatic attraction between the stator and rotor gives rise to a negative axial stiffness contribution and may lead to device failure. Thrust bearing operating protocols have been established for a micro-turbopump, where the bearings also serve as an annular seal preventing the leakage of pressurized liquid from the pump to the gaseous flow in the turbine. The dual role of the annular pad poses challenges in the operation of both the device and the thrust bearing. The operating protocols provide essential information for the required thrust bearing supply pressures and axial gaps required to prevent the leakage of water into the thrust bearings for various pump outlet pressures. Good agreement is observed between the model predictions and experimental results. In addition, a dynamic stability analysis is also performed, which indicates the occurrence of unstable axial oscillations due to flow choking effects in both forward and aft thrust bearings. These a-priori dynamic stability predictions were subsequently verified experimentally on a micro-turbocharger. The frequencies of unstable axial oscillations predicted using the model compare favorably to those determined experimentally, thus vindicating the validity of the model. A simple and useful dynamic stability criterion is established, where the occurrence of flow choking in both thrust bearings give rise to dynamic instability.

Development of Foil Thrust Bearings with Simple Structure for Micro Turbines

2011 ◽  
Vol 368-373 ◽  
pp. 1392-1395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quan Zhou ◽  
Yu Hou ◽  
Ru Gang Chen
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Simple Structure ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Complicated Structure ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Rotational Systems ◽  
Micro Turbine ◽  
Foil Thrust Bearing

Because of the low power loss and high stability, foil bearings are suitable lubrication components for high speed rotational systems. At present, the foil bearings used in actual applications almost have complicated structure and are hard to manufacture. In this paper, two kinds of foil thrust bearings with simple structure are presented. Configurations of these two foil thrust bearings are introduced; meanwhile, the load capacity and running stability are also tested in a high speed micro turbine. It is shown that viscoelastic supported foil thrust bearing has higher load capacity and hemisphere convex dots supported foil thrust bearing is more stable in high speed operational condition.

Modeling and Experimental Investigation of Micro-hydrostatic Gas Thrust Bearings for Micro-turbomachines

2005 ◽  
Vol 128 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Teo ◽  
Z. S. Spakovszky
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Scaling Laws ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Journal Bearings ◽  
Axial Stiffness ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Successful Operation ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Thrust Bearings

One major challenge for the successful operation of high-power-density micro-devices lies in the stable operation of the bearings supporting the high-speed rotating turbomachinery. Previous modeling efforts by Piekos (2000, “Numerical Simulation of Gas-Lubricated Journal Bearings for Microfabricated Machines,” Ph.D. thesis, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT), Liu et al. (2005, “Hydrostatic Gas Journal Bearings for Micro-Turbo Machinery,” ASME J. Vib. Acoust., 127, pp. 157–164), and Spakovszky and Liu (2005, “Scaling Laws for Ultra-Short Hydrostatic Gas Journal Bearings,” ASME J. Vib. Acoust. 127, pp. 254–261) have focused on the operation and stability of journal bearings. Thrust bearings play a vital role in providing axial support and stiffness, and there is a need to improve the understanding of their dynamic behavior. In this work, a rigorous theory is presented to analyze the effects of compressibility in micro-flows (characterized by low Reynolds numbers and high Mach numbers) through hydrostatic thrust bearings for application to micro-turbomachines. The analytical model, which combines a one-dimensional compressible flow model with finite-element analysis, serves as a useful tool for establishing operating protocols and assessing the stability characteristics of hydrostatic thrust bearings. The model is capable of predicting key steady-state performance indicators, such as bearing mass flow, axial stiffness, and natural frequency as a function of the hydrostatic supply pressure and thrust-bearing geometry. The model has been applied to investigate the static stability of hydrostatic thrust bearings in micro-turbine generators, where the electrostatic attraction between the stator and rotor gives rise to a negative axial stiffness contribution and may lead to device failure. Thrust-bearing operating protocols have been established for a micro-turbopump, where the bearings also serve as an annular seal preventing the leakage of pressurized liquid from the pump to the gaseous flow in the turbine. The dual role of the annular pad poses challenges in the operation of both the device and the thrust bearing. The operating protocols provide essential information on the required thrust-bearing supply pressures and axial gaps required to prevent the leakage of water into the thrust bearings. Good agreement is observed between the model predictions and experimental results. A dynamic stability analysis has been conducted, which indicates the occurrence of instabilities due to flow choking effects in both forward and aft thrust bearings. A simple criterion for the onset of axial rotor oscillations has been established and subsequently verified in a micro-turbocharger experiment. The predicted frequencies of the unstable axial oscillations compare well with the experimental measurements.

Dynamic Analysis of High-Speed Hybrid Thrust Bearings

2013 ◽  
Vol 365-366 ◽  
pp. 304-308
Author(s):  
Lei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Analysis ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Reynolds Equation ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Orifice Diameter ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Supply Pressure ◽  
Bearing Stiffness ◽  
Stiffness And Damping

An analysis is conducted and solutions are provided for the dynamic performance of high speed hybrid thrust bearing. By adopting bulk flow theory, the turbulent Reynolds equation is solved numerically with the different orifice diameter and supply pressure. The results show that increasing supply pressure can significantly improve the bearing stiffness and damping, while the orifice diameters make a different effect on the bearing stiffness and damping.

Experimental Studies on Air Foil Thrust Bearing Load Capabilities Considering the Effect of Foil Configuration

2015 ◽  
Vol 813-814 ◽  
pp. 1007-1011
Author(s):  
R.N. Ravikumar ◽  
K.J. Rathanraj ◽  
V. Arun Kumar
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Outer Edge ◽  
Foil Thickness ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Load Carrying ◽  
Turbo Machinery ◽  
Foil Thrust Bearing

Abstract. Foil bearings are self-acting hydrodynamics bearings used to support lightly loaded high speed rotating machinery. The advantages that they offer to process fluid lubricated machines usingworking fluid as a lubricant (ambient air) physically non-contacting high speed operation. Foil bearings have been considered as an alternative to conventional bearings with the capacity to cater for high-speeds and hostile environment (high temperature). However, the lack of load carrying capacity at relatively lower speeds limits their applications in heavy turbo machinery and as such are highly suitable in lightly loaded, high speed turbo machinery like small gas turbines.This paper discusses the design and assessment of dynamic characteristics in terms of load carrying capabilities as a function of speed, gap between the bearing and the runner as well as shape of foils for an air foil thrust bearing. The effects of various bearing parameters like foil thickness, number of foils fixed circumferentially and along the axis of rotation and with foil geometry configuration. Characteristics of performance defined essentially in terms of load carrying capabilities and static stiffness have been used for evaluation. Experiments were conducted both for angular foils (with inner edge height less than outer edge height) and square foils by varying number of foils. The experimental results shows that the effect of foil configuration enhances the load carrying capabilities of air foil thrust bearing.

Static and Dynamic Characteristics of Air Foil Thrust Bearing Considering Tilting Pad Condition

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong-Jin Park ◽  
Yong-Bok Lee ◽  
Chang-Ho Kim ◽  
Gun-Hee Jang
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Characteristics ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Load Carrying Capacity ◽  
Static And Dynamic Characteristics ◽  
Load Carrying ◽  
Foil Thrust Bearing ◽  
Thrust Pad ◽  
Stiffness And Damping

The thrust pad of the rotor is used to sustain the axial force generated due to the pressure difference between the compressor and turbine sides of turbomachinery such as the gas turbines and turbochargers. Furthermore, this thrust pad has a role to maintain and determines the attitude of the rotor. In a real system, it also helps reinforce the stiffness and damping of the journal bearing. This study was performed for the purpose of analyzing the characteristics of the air foil thrust bearing. The model for the air foil thrust bearing used in this study is composed of two parts: one is an inclined plane, which plays a role to increase the load carrying capacity using the physical wedge effect, and the other is a flat plane. This study mainly consists of three parts. First, the static characteristics were obtained over the region of the thin air film using the finite difference method (FDM) and the bump foil characteristics using the finite element method (FEM). Second, the analysis of the dynamic characteristics was conducted by perturbation method. For more exact calculation, the rarefaction gas coefficients perturbed about the pressure and film thickness were taken into consideration. At last, the static and dynamic characteristics of the tilting condition of the thrust pad were obtained. Furthermore, the load carrying capacity and torque were calculated for both tilting and not-tilting conditions. From this study, several results were presented: 1) the stiffness and damping of the bump foil under the condition of the various bump parameters, 2) the load carrying capacity and bearing torque at the tilting state, 3) the bearing performance under various bearing parameters, 4) the effects considering the rarefaction gas coefficients.

Surrogate Model Based Optimization for Chevron Foil Thrust Bearing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandrina Untaroiu ◽  
Gen Fu
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Design ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Surrogate Model ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Heat Dissipation ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Bearing Design ◽  
Foil Thrust Bearing

Abstract Gas foil thrust bearings have been utilized in high speed lightweight machines for many decades. These bearings are environment-friendly and capable of withstanding extreme conditions. However, there are also some challenges for foil thrust bearings at high speed conditions, such as insufficient heat dissipation and thermal management. The heat generated by viscous shearing continues to raise the temperature inside the gas film and may cause failures. Among all the methods to enhance heat dissipation, a promising passive thermal management method is modifying the top foil’s trailing edge shape. This modification will enhance the air mixing in between the bearing pads. The aim of this study is to identify the optimal design of the top foil trailing edge shape and provide a guideline for future bearing design. A 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for a thrust foil bearing was created using ANSYS-CFX software. The trailing edge of the top foil was modified to a chevron shape. A sensitivity study was conducted to investigate the connection between the top foil trailing edge shape and the thermal conditions in the gas film. The maximum temperature inside the air gas film is selected as the output. The design of experiments (DOE) technique was used to generate the sampling points. A surrogate model was generated based on the output data by using the neural network method. The surrogate model was used together with a genetic multi-objective algorithm to minimize the maximal temperature inside the gas film and maximize the load carrying capacity. The optimal design was then compared with the baseline model. Results suggest the optimized trailing edge shape is capable of reducing the temperature inside the gas film. This optimal design approach can be used for improvements of chevron foil thrust bearing design.

Novel Thrust Foil Bearing With Pocket Grooves for Enhanced Static Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen LaTray ◽  
Daejong Kim
Keyword(s):  
Film Thickness ◽  
Power Loss ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Load Carrying ◽  
Low Load ◽  
Static Performance ◽  
Foil Thrust Bearing

Abstract The integration of foil bearing technology into high-speed oil-free machines has been slow in progress, in part, due to the low load-carrying capacity of the foil thrust bearing. It is crucial this issue is addressed through innovative solutions without overcomplicating the bearing design because simplicity is one of the attractive features of the foil bearing. This work presents novel thrust foil bearing with taper-flat configuration and pocket grooves on the bearing top foil as a secondary pressure boosting mechanism. Parametric study of the pocket dimensions on a rigid bearing reveals that the bearing static performance is the most sensitive to the pocket angular span. Further two-dimensional fluid–structure interaction analyses on foil thrust bearing predict a reduction of power loss by 10% with increased average film thickness. Minimum film thickness also increases when the bearing is lightly loaded but it is reduced 20% at the taper-flat transition area under high loading condition. This issue can be overcome by using stiffer bump foil; however, this is not implemented in this work due to other design constraints. Test results at 90,000 rpm and 140,000 rpm show, by adding the pocket groove pattern on the top foil, the power loss is reduced by 16% compared to the traditional taper-flat configuration.

Numerical and experimental studies on the thermal and static characteristics of multi-leaf foil thrust bearing

2021 ◽  
pp. 135065012110110
Author(s):  
Yu Guo ◽  
Yu Hou ◽  
Qi Zhao ◽  
Xionghao Ren ◽  
Shuangtao Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Failure Process ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Elastic Model ◽  
Static Characteristics ◽  
Bearing Load ◽  
Foil Thrust Bearing ◽  
Cooling Air

Foil bearing is considered to be a promising supporting technology in high-speed centrifugal machinery. Due to the high-speed shearing effect in the viscous lubricant film, heat generation could not be ignored. In this paper, a thermo-elastic model of the multi-leaf foil thrust bearing is proposed to predict its thermal and static characteristics. In the model, modified Reynolds equation, energy equation, and Kirchhoff equation are solved in a coupling way. The contact area between the foil and welding plate is taken into account. Besides, the effect of cooling air on the bearing temperature is investigated. The ultimate load capacity and transient overload failure process of the bearing is analyzed and discussed. The effect of rotation speed on the bearing temperature is more obvious than that of the bearing load. The bearing temperature drops obviously by introducing the cooling air, and the cooling effect is improved with the supply pressure. The transient overload failure of the bearing occurs when the bearing load exceeds the ultimate value.

Density Variation Effects in Stepped-Thrust Bearings

1959 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-340
Author(s):  
C. F. Kettleborough
Keyword(s):  
Coefficient Of Friction ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Density Variation ◽  
Load Carrying Capacity ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Load Carrying ◽  
The Coefficient Of Friction

Abstract The problem of the stepped-thrust bearing is considered but, whereas normally volumetric continuity is assumed, the equations are solved assuming mass continuity; i.e., the variation of density is also considered as well as the effect of the stepped discontinuity on the load-carrying capacity and the coefficient of friction. Computed theoretical curves illustrate the importance of the density on the operation of this bearing and, in part, explain results already published.

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