A Contribution to the Thermal Modeling of Bump Type Air Foil Bearings: Analysis of the Thermal Resistance of Bump Foils

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Lehn ◽  
Marcel Mahner ◽  
Bernhard Schweizer
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Resistance ◽  
Thermal Contact ◽  
Applied Pressure ◽  
Analytical Formula ◽  
Base Plate ◽  
Air Gaps ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Air Film ◽  
Good Agreement

A detailed analysis of the effective thermal resistance for the bump foil of air foil bearings (AFBs) is performed. The presented model puts emphasis on the thermal contact resistances between the bump foil and the top foil as well as between the bump foil and the base plate. It is demonstrated that most of the dissipated heat in the lubricating air film of an air foil bearing is not conducted by microcontacts in the contact regions. Instead, the air gaps close to the contact area are found to be thin enough in order to effectively conduct the heat from the top foil into the bump foil. On the basis of these findings, an analytical formula is developed for the effective thermal resistance of a half bump arc. The formula accounts for the geometry of the bump foil as well as for the surface roughness of the top foil, the bump foil, and the base plate. The predictions of the presented model are shown to be in good agreement with measurements from the literature. In particular, the model predicts the effective thermal resistance to be almost independent of the applied pressure. This is a major characteristic property that has been found by measurements but could not be reproduced by previously published models. The presented formula contributes to an accurate thermohydrodynamic (THD) modeling of AFBs.

On Controlling the Film Thickness in Self-Acting Foil Bearings

1970 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Eshel
Keyword(s):  
Film Thickness ◽  
Free Path ◽  
Marked Effect ◽  
Solid Wall ◽  
Mean Free Path ◽  
Radius Of Curvature ◽  
Air Gaps ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Air Film

Some factors useful in overcoming excessive air gaps in foil bearings are investigated. Since the gaps of interest are small, the foil bearing equations are modified to include the effects of the molecular mean free path. It is shown that by small corners in the solid wall, one can reduce the air film thickness considerably. A change in curvature with continuous slope has also a marked effect on the film thickness. Theoretical prediction curves allowing the calculation of the air gap as a function of corner angle, change in radius of curvature, and the molecular mean free path are presented.

scholarly journals Study on the temperature and strain fields in gas foil bearings – measurement method and numerical simulations

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 540-547
Author(s):  
Paweł Zdziebko ◽  
Adam Martowicz
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Measurement Method ◽  
The Finite Element Method ◽  
Strain Fields ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Experimental Identification ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Thermomechanical Couplings ◽  
Air Film ◽  
Mechanical Phenomena

Gas foil bearings belong to the group of slide bearings and are used in devices in which operation at high rotational speeds of the shafts are of key importance, e.g., in gas turbines. The air film developed on the surface of the bearing’s top foil allows this structural component to be separated from the shaft. This ensures a non-contact operation of the bearing. In the case of the mentioned type of bearings, their resultant operational properties are influenced by both thermal and mechanical phenomena. The current work presents a model of a gas foil bearing developed making use of the Finite Element Method. The model takes into account thermomechanical couplings which are necessary for the correct simulation of the operation of physical components of the modeled system. The paper reports the results of numerical analyzes conducted for the elaborated model as well as the relevant conclusions concerning thermomechanical couplings present in gas foil bearings. The method for the experimental identification of the temperature and strain fields in the bearing’s top foil proposed to validate the numerical model is also presented.

An Experimental Study of High-Speed Rotors Supported by Air-Lubricated Foil Bearings—Part 2: Response to Impact and to Periodic Excitation

1969 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 494-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Licht
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Resonance Excitation ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Theoretical Formulation ◽  
Variable Amplitude ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Fluid Film Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Good Agreement

A high-speed rotor, supported by an air-lubricated foil bearing is stable at speeds up to and in excess of 60,000 rpm. “Natural frequencies” are determined at various rotational speeds from records of response following impact of the rotor housing. The foil-rotor system is subjected to periodic, unidirectional excitation by means of a vibrator (shake table) and the in-line and transverse responses are obtained in a frequency range 50–2000 cps. The behavior of the system is similar to that of a simple, damped oscillator, characterized by a single resonance in the low-frequency range. Experimentally determined values of resonant frequencies are in fairly good agreement with predicted results, based on a simplified theoretical formulation of the problem. Responses of rotors to (a) excitation of variable amplitude at resonance and to (b) excitation of variable amplitude at frequency equal to half the rotational speed are investigated. It is found that excitation and rotor excursion are nearly colinear, except in the neighborhood of resonance. Excitation at frequency equal to half the speed of rotation is not associated with large amplitudes of motion, wherein the foil bearing compares favorably with other types of fluid-film bearings.

A Model for Predicting Temperature of Electrofusion Joints for Polyethylene Pipes

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianfeng Shi ◽  
Jinyang Zheng ◽  
Weican Guo ◽  
Ping Xu ◽  
Yongquan Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Contact ◽  
Power Input ◽  
Ultrasonic Test ◽  
Thermal Contact Conductance ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Contact Conductance ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Polyethylene Pipes ◽  
Heating Wire ◽  
Good Agreement

With the increasing application of electrofusion (EF) welding in connecting polyethylene (PE) pipes for gas distribution, more effort has been invested to ensure the safety of the pipeline systems. The objective of this paper is to investigate and understand the temperature distribution during EF welding. A one-dimensional transient heat-transfer model was proposed, taking the variation in the rate of power input, the phase transition of PE, and the thermal contact conductance between heating wire and PE into consideration. Then, experiments were designed to verify the power input and the temperature. The measured values of the power input were shown to be in good agreement with the analytical results. Based on ultrasonic test (UT), a new “Eigen-line” method was presented, which overcomes the difficulties found in the thermocouples’ temperature measurements. The results demonstrate good agreements between prediction and experiment. Finally, based on the presented model, a detailed parametric study was carried out to investigate the influences of the variation in the power input, the physical properties of PE, and the thermal contact conductance between heating wire and surrounding PE.

Foil Gas Bearing With Compression Springs: Analyses and Experiments

2007 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 628-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ju-ho Song ◽  
Daejong Kim
Keyword(s):  
Loss Factor ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Underlying Structure ◽  
Equivalent Viscous Damping ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Structural Loss ◽  
Compression Springs ◽  
Gas Bearing

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.

The Productivity of Horizontal Wells in an In-Line Development System in Fields with Oil Rims

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dmitriy Alekseevich Samolovov ◽  
Artem Igorevich Varavva ◽  
Vitalij Olegovich Polyakov ◽  
Ekaterina Evgenevna Sandalova
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Experiments ◽  
Single Phase ◽  
Analytical Formula ◽  
Horizontal Wells ◽  
Flow Equation ◽  
Development Pattern ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Single Phase Flow ◽  
Limited Applicability ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract The study proposes an analytical method for calculating the productivity of horizontal wells in a line-drive development pattern in fields with oil rims. The paper presents an analysis of existing techniques and compares them with the results of detailed numerical experiments. It also shows the limited applicability of existing techniques. On the basis of the obtained solution of a single-phase flow equation for a line-drive pattern of horizontal wells, an analytical formula was obtained which more accurately describes the productivity of wells beyond the limits of applicability of existing methods. The resulting formula is in good agreement with the results of a detailed numerical experiment.

Static Determinacy in the Theory of Finite Width Foil Bearings

1974 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Langlois
Keyword(s):  
Force Balance ◽  
Finite Width ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Lubrication Equation ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Edge Conditions ◽  
Single Force ◽  
Static Determinacy ◽  
Force Balance Equation ◽  
Determinate Problem

The assumption of “perfect flexibility” is shown to be self-consistent in an important class of finite-width foil bearing problems. When the membrane equations are written in the “stretched coordinates” of foil bearing theory, the usual edge conditions on the tape result in a statically determinate problem. The tape dynamics couples to the Reynolds lubrication equation through a single force-balance equation which does not entail the elastic strain.

Experimental Evaluation of the Structure Characterization of a Novel Hybrid Bump-Metal Mesh Foil Bearing

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Feng ◽  
Yuman Liu ◽  
Xueyuan Zhao ◽  
Wanhui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Excitation Frequency ◽  
Structure Characterization ◽  
Viscous Damping ◽  
Metal Mesh ◽  
Equivalent Viscous Damping ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Damping Characteristics ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Mesh Density ◽  
Load Tests

Rotors supported by gas foil bearings (GFBs) experience stability problem caused by subsynchronous vibrations. To obtain a GFB with satisfactory damping characteristics, this study presented a novel hybrid bump-metal mesh foil bearing (HB-MMFB) that consists of a bump foil and metal mesh blocks in an underlying supporting structure, which takes advantage of both bump-type foil bearings (BFBs) and MMFBs. A test rig with a nonrotating shaft was designed to estimate structure characterization. Results from the static load tests show that the proposed HB-MFBs exhibit an excellent damping level compared with the BFBs with a similar size because of the countless microslips in the metal mesh blocks. In the dynamic load tests, the HB-MFB with a metal mesh density of 36% presents a viscous damping coefficient that is approximately twice that of the test BFB. The dynamics structural coefficients of HB-MFBs, including structural stiffness, equivalent viscous damping, and structural loss factor, are all dependent on excitation frequency and motion amplitude. Moreover, they exhibit an obvious decrease with the decline in metal mesh density.

Comparative Evaluation of Foil Bearings With Different Compliant Structures for Improved Manufacturability

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Shalash ◽  
J. Schiffmann
Keyword(s):  
Cantilever Beam ◽  
Static Load ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Reduced Order ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Compliant Structure ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Local Stiffness ◽  
Beam Foil ◽  
Bearing System

Potential geometrical deviations in bump foil bearings due to manufacturing uncertainty can have significant effects on both the local stiffness and clearance, and hence, affecting the overall bearing performance. The manufacturing uncertainty of bump type foil bearings was investigated, showing large geometrical deviations, using a developed measurement tool for the formed bump foils. A reduced order foil bearing model was used in a Monte Carlo simulation studying the effect of manufacturing noise on the onset of instability, highlighting the sensitivity of the rotor-bearing system to such manufacturing deviations. It was found that 30% of the simulated cases resulted improvements in stability, the remaining cases underperformed. Attempting to increase the robustness of the bearing, two other compliant structures replacing the classical gen-II bump foils were investigated from a manufacturing perspective. The first is a modified bump type Sinusoidal foil, and the second is the Cantilever beam foil. Consequently, quasi-static load-displacement tests were executed showing deviations in local clearance and stiffness for the classical bump type compliant structure compared to the other designs. It was found that the Cantilever beam foils yield more robustness compared to the bump type foils. Finally, an analytical model for the sequential engagement of the compliant structure is presented and validated with experimental measurements for both bump type and Cantilever structures.

Rotordynamics Performance of Hybrid Foil Bearing Under Forced Vibration Input

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daejong Kim ◽  
Brian Nicholson ◽  
Lewis Rosado ◽  
Garry Givan
Keyword(s):  
Impulse Response ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Supply System ◽  
Forced Response ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Lateral Acceleration ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Gas Supply

Foil bearings are one type of hydrodynamic air/gas bearings but with a compliant bearing surface supported by structural material that provides stiffness and damping to the bearing. The hybrid foil bearing (HFB) in this paper is a combination of a traditional hydrodynamic foil bearing with externally-pressurized air/gas supply system to enhance load capacity during the start and to improve thermal stability of the bearing. The HFB is more suitable for relatively large and heavy rotors where rotor weight is comparable to the load capacity of the bearing at full speed and extra air/gas supply system is not a major added cost. With 4,448N∼22,240N thrust class turbine aircraft engines in mind, the test rotor is supported by HFB in one end and duplex rolling element bearings in the other end. This paper presents experimental work on HFB with diameter of 102mm performed at the US Air force Research Laboratory. Experimental works include: measurement of impulse response of the bearing to the external load corresponding to rotor’s lateral acceleration of 5.55g, forced response to external subsynchronous excitation, and high speed imbalance response. A non-linear rotordynamic simulation model was also applied to predict the impulse response and forced subsynchronous response. The simulation results agree well with experimental results. Based on the experimental results and subsequent simulations, an improved HFB design is also suggested for higher impulse load capability up to 10g and rotordynamics stability up to 30,000rpm under subsynchronous excitation.

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