Dynamic Characterization of a Novel Externally Pressurized Compliantly Damped Gas-Lubricated Bearing With Hermetically Sealed Squeeze Film Damper Modules

Author(s):  
Adolfo Delgado ◽  
Bugra Ertas

Ever-increasing demand for cleaner energy is driving the need for higher power density turbomachinery while reducing cost and simplifying design. Gas-lubricated bearings are representing one of the enabling technologies that can help maximize these benefits and have been successfully implemented into turbomachinery applications with rotors weights in the order few kg's. However, load capacity and damping limitations of existing gas bearing technologies prevent the development of larger size oil-free drive trains in the MW power output range. Compliantly damped hybrid gas bearings (CHGBs) were introduced as an alternative design to overcome these limitations by providing external pressurization to discrete tilting pads while retaining flexibility in the bearing support to help tolerate misalignment and rotor-pad geometry changes. Additionally, the CHGB concept addresses damping entitlement through the application of bearing support dampers such as metal mesh. An alternative CHGB design, featuring a novel hermetically seal squeeze film damper (HSFD) in the bearing support, was introduced as alternative approach to metal mesh dampers (MMDs) to further improve bearing damping. This paper details the rotordynamic characterization of a CHGB with modular HSFD for various operating conditions. Direct and cross-coupled stiffness and damping coefficients are presented for different rotor speeds up to 12,500 rpm, frequencies of excitation between 20 and 200 Hz, bearing loads between 200 and 400 lbf, and external hydrostatic pressures reaching 180 psi. Direct comparisons to experimental results for a CHGB using MMD show 3× increase in direct damping levels when using HSFD in the compliant bearing support. In addition to the experimental results, an analytical model is presented based on the implementation of the isothermal compressible Reynolds equation coupled to a flexible support possessing a pad with three degrees-of-freedom. The numerical results capture the direct stiffness and frequency dependency but underpredict the absolute values for both cases when compared to experimental data.

Author(s):  
Adolfo Delgado ◽  
Bugra Ertas

Ever-increasing demand for cleaner energy is driving the need for higher power density turbomachinery while reducing cost and simplifying design. Gas lubricated bearings, representing one of the enabling technologies that can help maximize these benefits and have been successfully implemented into turbomachinery applications with rotors weights in the order few kg’s. However, load capacity and damping limitations of existing gas bearing technologies prevents the development of larger size oil-free drive trains in the MW power output range. Compliantly damped hybrid gas bearings (CHGB) were introduced as an alternative design to overcome these limitations by providing external pressurization to discrete tilting pads while retaining flexibility in the bearing support to help tolerate misalignment and rotor-pad geometry changes. Additionally, the CHGB concept addresses damping entitlement through the application of bearing support dampers such a metal mesh. An alternative CHGB design, featuring a novel hermetically seal squeeze film damper (HSFD) in the bearing support, was introduced as alternative approach to metal mesh dampers (MMD) to further improve bearing damping. This paper details the rotordynamic characterization of a CHGB with modular HSFD for various operating conditions. Direct and cross-coupled stiffness and damping coefficients are presented for different rotor speeds up to 12,500 rpm, frequencies of excitation between 20–200 Hz, bearing loads between 200–400 1bf, and external hydrostatic pressures reaching 180psi. Direct comparisons to experimental results for a CHGB using (MMD) shows 3X increase in direct damping levels when using HSFD in the compliant bearing support. In addition to the experimental results, an analytical model is presented based on the implementation of the isothermal compressible Reynolds equation coupled to a flexible support possessing a pad with 3 degrees of freedom. The numerical results capture the direct stiffness and frequency dependency but underpredict the absolute values for both case when compared to experimental data.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 619
Author(s):  
Kostandin Gjika ◽  
Antoine Costeux ◽  
Gerry LaRue ◽  
John Wilson

Today's modern internal combustion engines are increasingly focused on downsizing, high fuel efficiency and low emissions, which requires appropriate design and technology of turbocharger bearing systems. Automotive turbochargers operate faster and with strong engine excitation; vibration management is becoming a challenge and manufacturers are increasingly focusing on the design of low vibration and high-performance balancing technology. This paper discusses the synchronous vibration management of the ball bearing cartridge turbocharger on high-speed balancer and it is a continuation of papers [1–3]. In a first step, the synchronous rotordynamics behavior is identified. A prediction code is developed to calculate the static and dynamic performance of “ball bearing cartridge-squeeze film damper”. The dynamic behavior of balls is modeled by a spring with stiffness calculated from Tedric Harris formulas and the damping is considered null. The squeeze film damper model is derived from the Osborne Reynolds equation for incompressible and synchronous fluid loading; the stiffness and damping coefficients are calculated assuming that the bearing is infinitely short, and the oil film pressure is modeled as a cavitated π film model. The stiffness and damping coefficients are integrated on a rotordynamics code and the bearing loads are calculated by converging with the bearing eccentricity ratio. In a second step, a finite element structural dynamics model is built for the system “turbocharger housing-high speed balancer fixture” and validated by experimental frequency response functions. In the last step, the rotating dynamic bearing loads on the squeeze film damper are coupled with transfer functions and the vibration on the housings is predicted. The vibration response under single and multi-plane unbalances correlates very well with test data from turbocharger unbalance masters. The prediction model allows a thorough understanding of ball bearing turbocharger vibration on a high speed balancer, thus optimizing the dynamic behavior of the “turbocharger-high speed balancer” structural system for better rotordynamics performance identification and selection of the appropriate balancing process at the development stage of the turbocharger.


2002 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chieh-Li Chen ◽  
Her-Terng Yau ◽  
Yunhua Li

The hybrid squeeze-film damper bearing with active control is proposed in this paper. The pressure distribution and the dynamics of a rigid rotor supported by such bearing are studied. A PD (proportional-plus-derivative) controller is used to stabilize the rotor-bearing system. Numerical results show that, due to the nonlinear factors of oil film force, the trajectory of the rotor demonstrates a complex dynamics with rotational speed ratio s. Poincare´ maps, bifurcation diagrams, and power spectra are used to analyze the behavior of the rotor trajectory in the horizontal and vertical directions under different operating conditions. The maximum Lyapunov exponent and fractal dimension concepts are used to determine if the system is in a state of chaotic motion. Numerical results show that the maximum Lyapunov exponent of this system is positive and the dimension of the rotor trajectory is fractal at the nondimensional speed ratio s=3.0, which indicate that the rotor trajectory is chaotic under such operation condition. In order to avoid the nonsynchronous chaotic vibrations, an increased proportional gain is applied to control this system. It is shown that the rotor trajectory will leave chaotic motion to periodic motion in the steady state under control action.


1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 703-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Diaz ◽  
L. A. San Andre´s

Squeeze film dampers (SFDs) are effective means to reduce vibrations and to suppress instabilities in rotor-bearing systems. However, at operating conditions while traversing critical speeds with large orbital whirl motions, ingestion and entrapment of air into the thin lands of SFDs generates a bubbly mixture (air in lubricant) that is known to reduce the dynamic film pressures and the overall damping capability. This pervasive phenomenon lacks proper physical understanding and sound analytical modeling. An experimental investigation to quantify the forced performance of a SFD operating with a controlled bubbly mixture is detailed. Tests are conducted in a constrained circular orbit SFD to measure the dynamic squeeze film pressures and journal motion at two whirl frequencies (8.33 and 16.67 Hz) as the air content in the mixture increases from 0 percent to 100 percent. The analysis of period-averaged film pressures reveals a zone of uniform low pressure of magnitude equal to the discharge pressure, independently of the mixture composition. The uniform pressure zone extends as the mixture void fraction increases. Radial and tangential film forces are estimated from the dynamic pressures at two axial locations of measurement. The tangential (damping) force decreases proportionally with the mixture volume fraction, while a radial hydrostatic force remains nearly invariant. The experimental results quantify effects previously known by qualitative description only, thus providing a benchmark towards the development of sound theoretical models.


Author(s):  
H. Kanki ◽  
Y. Kaneko ◽  
M. Kurosawa ◽  
T. Yamamoto

The cause of the low-frequency vibration (subsynchronous vibration) of a high pressure turbine was investigated by the analytical study and vibration exciting test for the actual machine in operation. From the results, it is found that the low-frequency vibration is caused by the decrease of the rotor system damping at high-loading operating conditions. As a countermeasure, a squeeze-film damper is designed in order to increase the damping of the rotor system. After the verification test of the squeeze-film damper’s capability in the workshop, it was installed on the actual turbine. Vibration exciting tests for the high pressure turbine under the actual operating conditions were carried out. These field tests confirmed that the damping of the rotor system was increased as expected in the design and consequently the low-frequency vibrations disappeared completely under all operating conditions.


2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 615
Author(s):  
Haobo Wang ◽  
Yulai Zhao ◽  
Zhong Luo ◽  
Qingkai Han

Squeeze film damper (SFD) is widely used in the vibration suppression of aeroengine rotor systems, but will cause complex motions of the rotor system under specific operating conditions. In this paper, a lumped-mass dynamic model of the high-pressure rotor system in an aeroengine is established, and the nonlinear stiffness and damping formula of SFD are introduced into the above model. The vibration responses of the rotor system under different rotating speeds and with different unbalances are investigated numerically, and the influence of SFD on the rotor system vibration and the change of suppression ability are compared and analyzed. The results show that in the case of high speed, together with a small unbalance, the rotor system will perform a complex vibration or a bistable vibration due to SFD. If the unbalance is properly increased under the same case of high speed, the vibration of the rotor becomes single-harmonic and the bistable vibration disappears. The research results can provide a helpful reference for analyzing complex vibration mechanisms of the rotor system with SFD and achieving an effective vibration suppression through unbalance regulation.


Author(s):  
Sergio E. Diaz ◽  
Luis A. San Andrés

Squeeze film dampers (SFDs) are effective means to reduce vibrations and to suppress instabilities in rotor-bearing systems. However, at operating conditions while traversing critical speeds with large orbital whirl motions, ingestion and entrapment of air into the thin lands of SFDs generates a bubbly mixture (air in lubricant) which is known to reduce the dynamic film pressures and the overall damping capability. This pervasive phenomenon lacks proper physical understanding and sound analytical modeling. An experimental investigation to quantify the forced performance of a SFD operating with a controlled bubbly mixture is detailed. Tests are conducted in a constrained circular orbit SFD to measure the dynamic squeeze film pressures and journal motion at two whirl frequencies (8.33 and 16.67 Hz) as the air content in the mixture increases from 0% to 100%. The analysis of period-averaged film pressures reveals a zone of uniform low pressure of magnitude equal to the discharge pressure, independently of the mixture composition. The uniform pressure zone extends as the mixture void fraction increases. Radial and tangential film forces are estimated from the dynamic pressures at two axial locations of measurement. The tangential (damping) force decreases proportionally with the mixture volume fraction, while a radial hydrostatic force remains nearly invariant. The experimental results quantify effects previously known by qualitative description only, thus providing a benchmark towards the development of sound theoretical models.


2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Casalegno ◽  
R. Marchesi ◽  
F. Rinaldi

Different studies are carried out to compare the performances of different fuel cell constructive materials and operating conditions. In this work, a methodology for the characterization of DMFC experimental results in term of uncertainty and repeatability and for a systematic analysis of operating condition influence on performance is presented. The measurement system (composed of calibrated instruments) and experimental and data elaboration procedures are described. Experimental results, characterized by uncertainty and repeatability, are discussed for different operating conditions: fuel cell temperature, anode flow rate, and methanol concentration. The influence of operating condition history on performance is observed. It arises also from accumulation, both of methanol and carbon dioxide at the anode side; consequently, the operating condition history has to be considered in evaluating direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) performances and repeatability of measurements. This work confirms that to compare experimental performances of fuel cells, the measurements shall be characterized by traceability, repeatability, reproducibility, and uncertainty.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaihua Lu ◽  
Lidong He ◽  
Yipeng Zhang

A novel type of integral squeeze film damper (ISFD) is proposed to reduce and isolate vibration excitations of the gear system through bearing to the foundation. Four ISFD designs were tested experimentally with an open first-grade spur gear system. Vibration reduction characteristics were experimentally studied at different speeds for cases where ISFD elastic damping supports were simultaneously installed on the driving and driven shafts, installed on the driven shaft, or only installed on the driving shaft. Experimental results show that the ISFD elastic damping support can effectively reduce shock vibration of the gear system. Additionally, resonant modulation in gear shafts caused by meshing impact was significantly reduced. Different vibration amplitudes of gear shafts with ISFD installed only on driven or driving shafts were compared. Results indicated that vibration reduction is better when ISFD is only installed on the driven shaft than on the driving shaft.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kanki ◽  
Y. Kaneko ◽  
M. Kurosawa ◽  
T. Yamamoto

The cause of the low-frequency vibration (subsynchronous vibration) of a high-pressure turbine was investigated by the analytical study and vibration exciting test for the actual machine in operation. From the results, it is found that the low-frequency vibration is caused by the decrease of the rotor system damping at high-loading operating conditions. As a countermeasure, a squeeze-film damper is designed in order to increase the damping of the rotor system. After the verification test of the squeeze-film damper’s capability in the workshop, it was installed on the actual turbine. Vibration exciting tests for the high-pressure turbine under the actual operating conditions were carried out. These field tests confirmed that the damping of the rotor system was increased as expected in the design and consequently the low-frequency vibrations disappeared completely under all operating conditions.


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