An Optimum Design Approach for Textured Thrust Bearing With Elliptical-Shape Dimples Using CFD and DOE Including Cavitation

Author(s):  
Gen Fu ◽  
Alexandrina Untaroiu

Surface texturing has been used to enhance contact performance for decades since 1960s. Surface structures can tremendously change the friction coefficient of the contact surface. These structures have been widely used in bearings and seals. According to previous studies, textured thrust bearings provide more loading capacity than non-textured bearings. Compared to tapered and step bearings, the dimples can also reduce the friction torque. However, most previous optimization efforts for texturing geometry were focused on rectangular dimples and employed Reynolds equation. Limited studies have been done to investigate the effects of partially textured thrust bearings with elliptical dimples. This study proposes a new optimization approach to find the optimal partially texture geometry with elliptical dimples, which maximize the loading capacity and minimize the friction torque. In this study, a 3D computational fluid dynamics model for a parallel sector-pad thrust bearing is built using ANSYS CFX software instead of solving Reynolds equation with simplified field assumptions. Only one sector of the thrust bearing is modeled. Mass conserving cavitation model is used to simulate the cavitation region inside the dimples. Energy equation for Newtonian flow is also solved. Realistic boundary conditions are applied. The results of the model are validated by the experimental data from the literature. Based on this model, the flow pattern and pressure distribution inside the dimples are analyzed. Then, the geometry of elliptical dimple is parameterized and analyzed using the method of design of experiments (DOE). In this study, all the dimples have identical geometry. The selected geometry parameters include the length of major axis, the length of minor axis, dimple depth, circumferential space between two dimples, radial space between two dimples, radial extend and circumferential extend. The design space is sampled using central composite method. A temperature threshold is set to exclude the design points which result in high temperatures. A quadratic response surface model is created based on the results of the DOE process. Next, a multi-objective optimization scheme is used to find the optimal texture structure with the load force and friction torque set as objective functions. The results show that the shape of dimples has a crucial effect on the performance of the textured thrust bearings. This optimization approach proposed is expected to be useful in typical texture design process of thrust bearing.

Author(s):  
Gen Fu ◽  
Alexandrina Untaroiu

Textured thrust bearings are capable of providing higher load capacity and lower friction torque compared to nontextured bearings. However, most previous optimization efforts for texturing geometry were focused on rectangular dimples and employed Reynolds equation. Limited studies have been done to investigate the effects of partially textured thrust bearings with elliptical dimples. This study proposes a new optimization approach to find the optimal partially texture geometry with elliptical dimples, which maximize the loading capacity and minimize the friction torque. In this study, a 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for a parallel sector-pad thrust bearing is built using ANSYS cfx. Mass conserving cavitation model is used to simulate the cavitation regions. Energy equation for Newtonian flow is also solved. The results of the model are validated by the experimental data from the literature. Based on this model, the flow pattern and pressure distribution inside the dimples are analyzed. The geometry of elliptical dimple is parameterized and analyzed using design of experiments (DOE). The selected geometry parameters include the length of major and minor axes, dimple depth, radial and circumferential space between two dimples, and the radial and circumferential extend. A multi-objective optimization scheme is used to find the optimal texture structure with the load force and friction torque set as objective functions. The results show that the shape of dimples has a crucial effect on the performance of the textured thrust bearings. Searching the design space for a proper combination among the design variables satisfying the constraints has the advantage of capturing the codependence among design variables and leads to a surface patterning of the bearing, which showed a 42.7% improvement on the load capacity.


Lubricants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Christian Ziese ◽  
Cornelius Irmscher ◽  
Steffen Nitzschke ◽  
Christian Daniel ◽  
Elmar Woschke

The vibration behaviour of turbocharger rotors is influenced by the acting loads as well as by the type and arrangement of the hydrodynamic bearings and their operating condition. Due to the highly non-linear bearing behaviour, lubricant film-induced excitations can occur, which lead to sub-synchronous rotor vibrations. A significant impact on the oscillation behaviour is attributed to the pressure distribution in the hydrodynamic bearings, which is influenced by the thermo-hydrodynamic conditions and the occurrence of outgassing processes. This contribution investigates the vibration behaviour of a floating ring supported turbocharger rotor. For detailed modelling of the bearings, the Reynolds equation with mass-conserving cavitation, the three-dimensional energy equation and the heat conduction equation are solved. To examine the impact of outgassing processes and thrust bearing on the occurrence of sub-synchronous rotor vibrations separately, a variation of the bearing model is made. This includes run-up simulations considering or neglecting thrust bearings and two-phase flow in the lubrication gap. It is shown that, for a reliable prediction of sub-synchronous vibrations, both the modelling of outgassing processes in hydrodynamic bearings and the consideration of thrust bearing are necessary.


2013 ◽  
Vol 365-366 ◽  
pp. 304-308
Author(s):  
Lei Wang

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.


2013 ◽  
Vol 694-697 ◽  
pp. 538-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Yan Liu ◽  
Jia Sheng Wang

The water lubrication performance of spiral groove thrust bearings was affected by different groove molded lines. The pressure fields and the load capacity of water-lubricated spiral groove thrust bearings with different groove molded lines were simulated by computational fluid dynamics. The results show that the spiral groove which can produce the best loading capacity and steadier pressure field is appropriate to water-lubricated spiral groove thrust bearing. The line spiral groove can be used for decrease the process difficult when the loading capacity require is low.


Author(s):  
Jianbo Zhang ◽  
Chunxiao Jiao ◽  
Donglin Zou ◽  
Na Ta ◽  
Zhushi Rao

The solution of Reynolds equation and computational fluid dynamics are widely employed for the lubrication performance analysis of aerostatic thrust bearing. However, the solution of Reynolds equation may be inaccurate and cannot present detailed performance near orifice, while computational fluid dynamics method has low computational efficiency with time consumption in mesh generation and solving Navier–Stokes equations. In order to overcome the drawbacks of Reynolds equation and computational fluid dynamics, based on the method of separation of variables, a semianalytical method is developed for describing the characteristics of aerostatic bearings available. The method of separation of variables considering the initial and viscous effect is more accurate than the Reynolds equation and can present detailed performance near orifice in the aerostatic thrust bearings, while method of separation of variables has great computational efficiency compared to computational fluid dynamics. Meanwhile, the pressure distribution calculated by method of separation of variables is compared to the published experimental data and the results obtained by computational fluid dynamics. The comparative results indicate validity of the method. Furthermore, the influences of flow and geometry parameters, such as supply pressure, orifice diameter, film thickness, and bearing radius, on the characteristics of aerostatic thrust bearings with single orifice are studied. The results show that there exists pressure depression phenomenon near orifice. The depression phenomenon is strengthened with increase of film thickness and supply pressure and decrease of orifice diameter and bearing radius, while the maximum speed increases with strengthening of pressure depression due to decrease of minimum local pressure near orifice. Moreover, the bearing capacity increases with increase of supply pressure, orifice diameter, and bearing radius and decreases with increase of film thickness, while mass flow rate increases with supply pressure, orifice diameter, and film thickness and it is not sensitive to bearing radius.


2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (2) ◽  
pp. 319-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergei B. Glavatskih

This paper compares and analyses operating characteristics of equalizing tilting pad thrust bearings with babbitt and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composite facings. Each bearing arrangement included six pads with an outer diameter of 228.6 mm and 60 percent offset. The babbitted bearing was typical of design in general use. A PTFE composite was applied instead of the babbitt to a similar bearing. Bearings were tested at different load-speed combinations in the fully flooded mode. Pad temperature distributions, collar temperatures and bearing friction torque were continuously measured. Test results show that the PTFE composite provides excellent thermal insulation so that pad thermal crowning is eliminated. PTFE-faced bearings operate with lower power loss and slightly higher collar temperatures compared to similar babbitted bearings.


2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Henry ◽  
J. Bouyer ◽  
M. Fillon

An experimental study is presented with the main objective of understanding the hydrodynamic behavior of a tapered-land thrust bearing with fixed geometry. The experimental results were obtained using an original test rig designed at the “Institut Pprime.” Extensive instrumentation applied to the thrust bearing allows a precise evaluation of various characteristics such as the temperature, the film thickness and the friction torque. The results are in good agreement with the findings of other surveys in the literature. However, large differences between the measured parameters were observed from one pad to another. The authors demonstrate that this is due to the imperfections on the active surface, produced during machining. For a better understanding of the influence of irregularities in the flatness, the test was repeated with a thrust bearing manufactured using a high-precision surface polishing process. Experimental results with respect to the real geometry of the bearings were presented with both processes being compared. Interesting features, such as hot spots and a pressure peak, were identified on the pad at different supply temperatures and inlet pressures. This experimental study significantly advances the comprehension of the hydrodynamic behavior of tapered-land thrust bearings.


1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 633-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Tieu

In this paper results from experimental studies and computer simulation of hydro-dynamic tilting thrust bearings are presented. The bearing performance in terms of outlet film thickness, friction coefficient, and bearing temperature was measured in a high speed thrust bearing test rig. The numerical simulation involves the solution of the generalized Reynolds equation and the energy equation, which considers thermal effects on the oil viscosity and the squeezing of the oil film.


Author(s):  
Hao Li ◽  
Haipeng Geng ◽  
Lei Qi ◽  
Lu Gan

Foil thrust bearings have attracted considerable attention in small-sized turbo machines with its excellent stability, high compliance, temperature durability. Geometric structure play an important role on the performance of foil thrust bearings. However, the current research on the structure mainly focuses on the underlying foil type, such as bump foil, protuberant bump. In fact, the foil profile, especially in the convergent region has significant influence. In this paper, foil thrust bearings were classified into convex, slope and concave types according to the profile curvature. A numerical model of six pads foil thrust bearing was established by combining the shell model and Reynolds equation. The static and dynamic performance of thrust bearings with different curvature was calculated. The results showed that the convex convergent possessed higher capacity and was not sensitive to displacement disturbance. A stiffness testing system for thrust foil bearing was set up, and the results verified that the foil with convex wedge had higher stiffness. The experiment also indicated that all the thrust foil bearings had typical damping hysteresis. The axial force of a 10 kW on-board compressor was calculated. Based on the conclusion of this paper, the design scheme of curvature value β = 0.6 and gas thickness h2=15 µm was given in consideration of bearing capacity and machining robustness.


Author(s):  
Narendra Kumar ◽  
Satish C Sharma

Fluid film bearings operated with smart lubricants have been successfully used to enhance the lubricating performance. This article proposes a computational model to analyze the influence of magnetorheological lubricant on the performance of an annular recessed hybrid thrust bearing system. The governing modified Reynolds equation for circular thrust pad orifice compensated bearing is solved by finite element method. Further, for simulating the flow behavior of magnetorheological lubricant, a constitutive relation for the Bingham model Dave equation, has been used. The numerical results reveal that using magnetorheological lubricant improves the loading carrying capacity and damping coefficient of both annular and circular recess hybrid thrust bearings. Additionally, bearing lubricated with magnetorheological lubricant requires a lesser quantity of flow and hence less pumping power.


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