Numerical and experimental study on dynamic characteristics of tilting-pad journal bearings considering pivot stiffness in a vertical rotor system

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of pivot stiffness on the dynamic characteristics of tilting-pad journal bearings (TPJBs) and the stability of the bearing-rotor system. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical numerical model is established, and the influences of pivot stiffness on TPJBs and a bearing-rotor system are analyzed. Then, two kinds of pivot structures with different stiffness are designed and the vibration characteristics are tested on the vertical rotor bearing test bench. Findings The pivot stiffness has an obvious effect on the dynamic characteristics of the TPJBs and the stability of the bearing-rotor system. As a result of appropriate pivot stiffness, the critical speed and the vibration amplification factor can be reduced, the logarithmic decay rate and the stability of the rotor system can be effectively increased. While the journal whirl orbit is smoother and the rubbing is obviously reduced when the bearings have flexible pivots. Originality/value The influence of pivot stiffness on TPJBs and a vertical rotor-bearing system is studied by theoretical and experimental methods.

Numerical and experimental study on the dynamic bearing properties of a four-pad and eight-pad tilting pad journal bearings in a vertical rotor

In this paper, the dynamics of tilting pad journal bearings with four and eight pads are studied and compared experimentally and numerically. The experiments are performed on a rigid vertical rotor supported by two identical bearings. Two sets of experiments are carried out under similar test setup. One set is performed on a rigid rotor with two four-pad bearings, while the other is on a rigid rotor with two eight-pad bearings. The dynamic properties of the two bearing types are compared with each other by studying the unbalance response of the system at different rotor speeds. Numerically, the test rig is modeled as a rigid rotor and the bearing coefficients are calculated based on Navier-Stokes equation. A nonlinear bearing model is developed and used in the steady state response simulation. The measured and simulated displacement and force orbits show similar patterns for both bearing types. Compared to the measurement, the simulated mean value and range (peak-to-peak amplitude) of the bearing force deviate with a maximum of 16 % and 38 %, respectively. It is concluded that, unlike the eight-pad TPJB, the four-pad TPJB excite the system at the third and fifth-order frequencies, which are due to the number of pads, and the amplitudes of these frequencies increase with the rotor speed.

Estimation of the stress state of agricultural harrows with vertical axis rotor, using mathematical models with finite elements

In this paper we simulated through mathematical models the interaction between the agricultural harrow with vertical rotor (equipped with 4 boxes per rotor) and soil. Due to the large or even very large number of mathematical models that can be developed and can receive a solution using the finite element method, there are also many new possibilities to approach and improve some already developed models. The most important benefits of using finite element modeling are: increasing the quality of projects by checking the resistance, noticing dangerous vibration problems, remedying deficiencies reported in the testing of experimental models or even in operation. Normal optimization aims to reduce material consumption, its own vibration spectrum or other mechanical qualities.By using mathematical methods, a resistance check of the subassemblies of the working member (knife), connected to the action device, is obtained.

A CFD-Based Examination of Rotor-Rotor Separation Effects on Interactional Aerodynamics for eVTOL Aircraft

This study systematically investigates the aerodynamic interactions of a two-rotor system with a front rotor and an aft rotor aligned with the direction of flow. The rotors are 5.5 ft diameter fixed-pitch rotors operating at approximately 12 lb/ft2 disk loading, representative of large eVTOL aircraft. Fluid flow is simulated using the commercial Navier–Stokes solver, AcuSolve, with a detached eddy simulation (DES) model. Simulations were performed nominally at 40 kt edgewise flight for nine cases corresponding to three values of longitudinal hub–hub separation (2.5R, 3R, 3.5R) and three values of vertical offset (0, 0.25R, 0.5R). Aft rotor performance was compared to an isolated rotor operating in the same conditions in order to quantify the effects of rotor–rotor interaction. For the cases where the aft rotor is closest to the front rotor (2.5R longitudinal offset, zero vertical offset), the aft rotor produced 8.4% less thrust and required 13.4% higher torque than a rotor in isolation. When vertical rotor separation was increased, interactional aerodynamic effects decreased. For a 2.5R longitudinal offset, increasing the vertical offset to 0.5R decreased the lift deficit to 4.6% and the torque penalty to 6.8%. Increasing the longitudinal offset to 3.5R (while keeping the vertical offset at zero) also reduced interactional aerodynamic effects, but reductions in lift deficit and torque penalty were smaller than those observed with 0.5R vertical offset. Reducing disk loading was found to strengthen interactional aerodynamic effects, with an 11.5% thrust deficit at 6 lb/ft2 compared to 9.0% at 12 lb/ft2. An increase in flight speed also increased interactional aerodynamic penalties from 5.4% thrust deficit at 20 kt to 12.2% at 60 kt. The increased interactional aerodynamic penalties with the reduction in disk loading and increase in flight speed were both attributed to an increase in wake skew angle and the resulting decrease in separation between the aft rotor disk and front rotor wake.