A Review on Active Bearings and Perspectives of Using Them in Rotating Machinery

The paper examines the issues of improving the rotor units by means of using support units with actively changeable characteristics. An overview of the known solutions related to the use of active bearings in various types of turbomachinery is provided. A closer look is given at the design and features of active radial bearings, the main elements of which are fluid film bearings. The results of mathematical modeling of active hybrid bearings are presented. The prospects of the use of this type of supports to improve the dynamic characteristics of rotating machinery, including reducing vibrations caused by various factors, are analyzed. Promising directions of development of active bearings are considered, which primarily involves the modification of system components and rotor motion control system algorithms, including intelligent technologies and artificial intelligence methods.