Squeeze-Film Damper Predictions for Simulation of Aircraft Engine Rotordynamics

Author(s):  
Cyril Defaye ◽  
Franck Laurant ◽  
Philippe Carpentier ◽  
Mihai Arghir ◽  
Olivier Bonneau ◽  
...  

On aircraft engines, a common recurring problem is excessive vibration levels generated by unbalance. With rotors mounted on usual undamped ball bearings, an amount of damping is required to limit peak amplitudes at traversed critical speeds: a solution is to introduce external damping with squeeze-film dampers. Such dampers can be added with minor modifications of the rotor system design. This paper presents experimental and theoretical work in progress focused on the analysis of squeeze film dampers (SFD) based on serial aircraft engines design. Several squeeze-film geometries were tested to measure the influence of different design parameters as the fluid clearance and the groove feeding system. Next, a damper model based on the numerical solution of the Reynolds equation is correlated with the experimental data to obtain predictive global forces. It is shown that the theoretical model is a good predictive tool if it is correctly adjusted and if temporal inertia forces are negligible. The present damper model is further compared with analytical models taken from the literature which are obviously more appropriate to be used in whole engine rotordynamic analysis. The limits of the models are then underlined by comparisons with experimental results.

1977 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. Gunter ◽  
L. E. Barrett ◽  
P. E. Allaire

This paper examines the effect of squeeze-film damper bearings on the steady state and transient unbalance response of aircraft engine rotors. The nonlinear effects of the damper are examined, and the variance of the motion due to unbalance, static pressurization, retainer springs, and rotor preload is shown. The nonlinear analysis is performed using a time-transient method incorporating a solution of the Reynolds equation at each instant in time. The analysis shows that excessive stiffness in the damper results in large journal amplitudes and transmission of bearing forces to the engine casing which greatly exceed the unbalance forces. Reduction of the total effective bearing stiffness through static pressurization and rotor preload is considered. The reduction in stiffness allows the damping generated by the bearing to be more effective in attenuating rotor forces. It is observed that in an unpressurized damper, the dynamic transmissibility will exceed unity when the unbalance eccentricity exceeds approximately 50 percent of the damper clearance for the relatively wide range of conditions examined in this study.


1993 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 692-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Zhang ◽  
J. Ellis ◽  
J. B. Roberts

Recent theoretical work by Tichy and Bou-Said (1991) and El-Shafei and Crandall (1991) has resulted in new theoretical expressions for the nonlinear inertia forces for both short and long cylindrical squeeze film dampers (SFDs). This paper provides alternative derivations for the short cylindrical SFD using as a starting point a simplified two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation. The resulting expressions for the fluid inertia forces are similar to the Tichy and Bou-Said/El-Shafei and Crandall expressions except for differences in certain numerical constants which can be explained by the different averaging methods used within the squeeze-film thickness. The analyses give additional insight into the temporal and convective origins of the various coefficients. The theoretical results are compared with published theoretical and experimental work involving nonlinear cylindrical SFD behavior. The paper highlights the importance of convective inertia terms when cylindrical SFDs operate at large values of eccentricity ratio.


2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose´ Antunes ◽  
Miguel Moreira ◽  
Philippe Piteau

In this paper we develop a non-linear dynamical solution for finite length bearings and squeeze-film dampers based on a Spectral-Galerkin method. In this approach the gap-averaged pressure is approximated, in the lubrication Reynolds equation, by a truncated double Fourier series. The Galerkin method, applied over the residuals so obtained, generate a set of simultaneous algebraic equations for the time-dependent coefficients of the double Fourier series for the pressure. In order to assert the validity of our 2D–Spectral-Galerkin solution we present some preliminary comparative numerical simulations, which display satisfactory results up to eccentricities of about 0.9 of the reduced fluid gap H/R. The so-called long and short-bearing dynamical solutions of the Reynolds equation, reformulated in Cartesian coordinates, are also presented and compared with the corresponding classic solutions found on literature.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 397-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. San Andre´s ◽  
D. Lubell

Squeeze film dampers (SFDs) provide vibration attenuation and structural isolation to aircraft gas turbine engines which must be able to tolerate larger imbalances while operating above one or more critical speeds. Rotor-bearing-SFD systems are regarded in theory as highly nonlinear, showing jump phenomena and even chaotic behavior for sufficiently large levels of rotor imbalance. Yet, few experimental results of practical value have verified the analytical predictions. A test rig for measurement of the dynamic forced response of a three-disk rotor (45 kg) supported on two cylindrical SFDs is described. The major objective is to provide a reliable data base to validate and enhance SFD design practice and to allow a direct comparison with analytical models. The open-ends SFD are supported by four-bar centering structures, each with a stiffness of 3.5 MN/m. Measured synchronous responses to 9000 rpm due to various imbalances show the rotor-SFD system to be well damped with amplification factors between 1.6 and 2.1 while traversing cylindrical and conical modes critical speeds. The rotor amplitudes of motion are found to be proportional to the imbalances for the first mode of vibration, and the damping coefficients extracted compare reasonably well to predictions based on the full-film, open-ends SFD. Tight lip (elastomeric) seals contribute greatly to the overall damping of the test rig. Measured dynamic pressures at the squeeze film lands are well above ambient values with no indication of lubricant dynamic cavitation as simple theoretical models dictate. The measurements show absence of nonlinear behavior of the rotor-SFD apparatus for the range of imbalances tested.


1975 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 1366-1370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin H. Sadd ◽  
A. Kent Stiffler

Gaseous squeeze film dampers are analyzed to determine the effect of periodic disturbance amplitude on the dynamic performance. Both circular and rectangular parallel surfaces are investigated. A solution of the nonlinear Reynolds equation is obtained by expanding the pressure in powers of the squeeze number σ, retaining up to and including terms 0(σ2). The time dependent load characteristics are found. The effect of disturbance amplitude on the film stiffness and damping is given.


2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Giacopini ◽  
Mark T. Fowell ◽  
Daniele Dini ◽  
Antonio Strozzi

A new mass-conserving formulation of the Reynolds equation is developed using the concept of complementarity. This new method overcomes the drawbacks previously associated with the use of such complementarity formulations for the solution of cavitation problems in which reformation of the liquid film occurs. Validation against a number of analytical and semi-analytical formulations, for a variety of problems including textured bearings and squeeze film dampers, is performed. The current formulation is shown to be in very good agreement with existing analytical and numerical mass-conserving solutions.


Author(s):  
Feng He ◽  
Paul Allaire ◽  
Timothy Dimond

Squeeze film dampers in flexible rotors such as those in compressors, steam turbines, aircraft engines and other rotating machines are often modeled as linear devices. This linearization is valid only for a specified orbit where appropriate equivalent stiffness and damping coefficients can be found. However, squeeze film dampers are inherently nonlinear devices which complicates the analysis. This paper develops the harmonic balance method with a direct force model of the SFDs. This model is used for flexible rotors with squeeze film dampers where the rotor is treated as linear and the squeeze film damper is treated as nonlinear. The predictor-corrector method is employed to obtain the system forced response in the frequency domain after separating the nonlinear components from the linear components of the equations of motion. This approach is much more efficient than conventional full nonlinear transient analysis. The application considered in this paper is the low pressure (LP) compressor of an aircraft engine. The LP compressor rotor has two roller bearings with squeeze film dampers and one ball bearing without a squeeze film damper. Orbits at the fan end dampers and the turbine end dampers for both the harmonic balance and nonlinear transient modeling are compared for accuracy and calculation time. The HB method is shown to be 5 to 12 times faster computationally for similar results. Fast Fourier transform results were obtained for various shaft operating speeds. Results were also obtained for the unbalance response at different locations with gravity loading. Finally, unbalance response of the rotor with varying centering spring stiffness values were obtained. The results show that the centering spring stiffness for the turbine end damper is less sensitive than the fan end damper.


Author(s):  
Ramakrishnan Ambur ◽  
Xiaonan Zhao ◽  
Stephan Rinderknecht

Piezoelectric actuators provide an active solution for vibration control in aircraft engines compared to the state-of-the-art squeeze film dampers. The property of piezoelectric materials enable them to be used as sensors and actuators simultaneously. This self-sensing property of the actuator is analyzed in this paper for its ability to detect unbalance faults, which are common in rotor systems. In this paper two different actuator configurations are studied for its ability to diagnose unbalance faults in an aircraft engine. Three parameters of unbalances such as its magnitude, its position in the circumferential and axial direction in a rotor are estimated through simulations. Finally a suitable position to achieve a better fault diagnosis is identified.


Author(s):  
John A. Tichy

Fluid inertia forces are comparable to viscous forces in squeeze film dampers in the range of many practical applications. This statement appears to contradict the commonly held view in hydrodynamic lubrication that inertia effects are small. Upon closer inspection, the latter is true for predominantly sliding (rather than squeezing) flow bearings. The basic equations of hydrodynamic lubrication flow are developed, including the inertia terms. The appropriate orders of magnitude of the viscous and inertia terms are evaluated and compared, for journal bearings and for squeeze film dampers. Exact equations for various limiting cases are presented: low eccentricity, high and low Reynolds number. The asymptotic behavior is surprisingly similar in all cases. Due to inertia, the damper force may shift 90° forward from its purely viscous location. Inertia forces are evaluated for typical damper conditions. The effect of turbulence in squeeze film dampers is also discussed. On physical grounds it is argued that the transition occurs at much higher Reynolds numbers than the usual lubrication turbulence models predict.


Author(s):  
A. El-Shafei

The steady state unbalance response of a Jeffcott rotor incorporating short squeeze film dampers executing circular centered whirl is obtained by a fast algorithm. Savings in execution time of the order of fifty times are gained over numerical integration. Fluid inertia forces are included in the model of the squeeze film dampers. The fast algorithm allows parametric studies to be performed. It is shown that fluid inertia results in the excitation of a second mode for the Jeffcott rotor, decreases the possibility of jump resonance, and decreases the useful range of vibration isolation of the dampers. It is also shown that a squeeze film damper with no centering spring (or a very soft spring) may be advantageous with regards to the unbalance response and the vibration isolation capability of the dampers.


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