Dynamic Identification of 280mm Diameter Tilting Pad Journal Bearings: Test Results and Measurement Uncertainties Assessment of Different Designs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Innocenti ◽  
Mirko Libraschi ◽  
Riccardo Ferraro ◽  
Enrico Ciulli ◽  
Matteo Nuti ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Ferraro ◽  
Alice Innocenti ◽  
Mirko Libraschi ◽  
Michele Barsanti ◽  
Enrico Ciulli ◽  
...  

Abstract Tilting pad journal bearings (TPJBs) are crucial elements in turbomachinery applications providing stiffness and damping characteristics that determine rotor system dynamic behavior. Hence, a correct design and an accurate dynamic properties prediction is fundamental for the successful industrial operation of rotating machinery. Current design trends in turbomachinery aiming at higher efficiency and power through weight optimization and higher operating speeds determine the development of large flexible rotors that are particularly important from the rotordynamic standpoint. The dynamic feasibility of this type of machine relies on bearing stiffness and damping characteristics that must be predicted with a certain level of confidence in order to increase the accuracy of the expected rotordynamic behaviour and avoid unpredicted vibration issues when rotors are operated. Furthermore, large centrifugal compressors commonly used in Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) applications make the bearings operate at very high peripheral speed where the transition from laminar to turbulent regime occurs, increasing the necessity of predictions accuracy. In this paper a test campaign on different large TPJB solutions operating in turbulent lubrication regime has been performed on a dedicated test rig designed for investigations on large size high-performance oil bearings. In the present work both static performance and dynamic identification of the tested TPJB solutions are presented and compared to numerical model predictions. The results of an uncertainty quantification, performed to validate the experimental results, are also shown.


Author(s):  
Mengxuan Li ◽  
Chaohua Gu ◽  
Xiaohong Pan ◽  
Shuiying Zheng ◽  
Qiang Li

A new dynamic mesh algorithm is developed in this paper to realize the three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method for studying the small clearance transient flow field of tilting pad journal bearings (TPJBs). It is based on a structured grid, ensuring that the total number and the topology relationship of the grid nodes remain unchanged during the dynamic mesh updating process. The displacements of the grid nodes can be precisely recalculated at every time step. The updated mesh maintains high quality and is suitable for transient calculation of large journal displacement in FLUENT. The calculation results, such as the static equilibrium position and the dynamic characteristic coefficients, are consistent with the two-dimensional (2D) solution of the Reynolds equation. Furthermore, in the process of transient analysis, under conditions in which the journal is away from the static equilibrium position, evident differences appear between linearized and transient oil film forces, indicating that the nonlinear transient calculation is more suitable for studying the rotor-bearing system.


Lubricants ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Ciulli ◽  
Paola Forte ◽  
Mirko Libraschi ◽  
Lorenzo Naldi ◽  
Matteo Nuti

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Gudeta Berhanu Benti ◽  
David Jose Rondon ◽  
Rolf Gustavsson ◽  
Jan-Olov Aidanpää

Abstract In this paper, the dynamics of tilting pad journal bearings with four and eight pads are studied and compared experimentally and numerically. The experiments are performed on a rigid vertical rotor supported by two identical bearings. Two sets of experiments are carried out under similar test setup. One set is performed on a rigid rotor with two four-pad bearings, while the other is on a rigid rotor with two eight-pad bearings. The dynamic properties of the two bearing types are compared with each other by studying the unbalance response of the system at different rotor speeds. Numerically, the test rig is modeled as a rigid rotor and the bearing coefficients are calculated based on Navier-Stokes equation. A nonlinear bearing model is developed and used in the steady state response simulation. The measured and simulated displacement and force orbits show similar patterns for both bearing types. Compared to the measurement, the simulated mean value and range (peak-to-peak amplitude) of the bearing force deviate with a maximum of 16 % and 38 %, respectively. It is concluded that, unlike the eight-pad TPJB, the four-pad TPJB excite the system at the third and fifth-order frequencies, which are due to the number of pads, and the amplitudes of these frequencies increase with the rotor speed.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 405-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Monmousseau ◽  
M. Fillon ◽  
J. Freˆne

Nowadays, tilting-pad journal bearings are submitted to more and more severe operating conditions. The aim of this work is to study the thermal and mechanical behavior of the bearing during the transient period from an initial steady state to a final steady state (periodic). In order to study the behavior of this kind of bearing under dynamic loading (Fdyn) due to a blade loss, a nonlinear analysis, including local thermal effects, realistic boundary conditions, and bearing solid deformations (TEHD analysis) is realized. After a comparison between theoretical results obtained with four models (ISO, ADI, THD, and TEHD) and experimental data under steady-state operating conditions (static load Ws), the evolution of the main characteristics for three different cases of the dynamic load (Fdyn/Ws < 1, Fdyn/Ws = 1 and Fdyn//Ws > 1) is discussed. The influence of the transient period on the minimum film thickness, the maximum pressure, the maximum temperature, and the shaft orbit is presented. The final steady state is obtained a long time after the appearance of a dynamic load.


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