A Test Stand for Dynamic Characterization of Oil-Free Bearings for Modern Gas Turbine Engines

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik E. Swanson ◽  
James F. Walton ◽  
Hooshang Heshmat
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Dynamic Test ◽  
Magnetic Bearing ◽  
Magnetic Bearings ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Rotating Shaft ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Rotor Bearing ◽  
Dynamic Simulator

A multi-purpose rotor-bearing dynamic simulator was designed and fabricated for the purpose of experimentally evaluating and validating performance of advanced oil-free and back-up bearings under realistic dynamic conditions. The rotor-bearing dynamic test rig is capable of operation to 25,000 RPM, has a 54 kg test rotor, is designed to simulate a medium size aero gas turbine engine rotor, and incorporates an electromagnetic loader/shaker capable of applying both static and dynamic loads to the rotating shaft. Testing was completed with the rotor fully supported by magnetic bearings, compliant foil bearings, hybrid foil/magnetic and Zero Clearance Auxiliary Bearings. These tests demonstrated numerous advances in oil-free bearing technology. The first ever achievements include: operation of a rotor with a mass in excess of 50 kg supported solely by foil bearings, operation of hybrid foil/magnetic bearings to high speed, continued operation following simulated magnetic bearing failures for a fully hybrid foil/magnetic bearing support system, and operation of a rotor supported solely by Zero Clearance Auxiliary Bearings. Data from several tests of the bearing systems are presented.

Oil-Free Turbocharger Demonstration Paves Way to Gas Turbine Engine Applications

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hooshang Heshmat ◽  
James F. Walton ◽  
Christopher Della Corte ◽  
Mark Valco
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Rotor Bearing ◽  
Component Development ◽  
Solid Film ◽  
Dynamic Simulator ◽  
Bearing Loads ◽  
Bearing System

An oil-free, 150 Hp turbocharger was successfully operated to 100% speed (95,000 rpm), with turbine inlet temperatures to 650°C on a turbocharger gas test stand. Development of this high speed turbomachine included bearing and lubricant component development tests, rotor-bearing dynamic simulator qualification and gas stand tests of the assembled turbocharger. Self acting, compliant foil hydrodynamic air bearings capable of sustained operation at 650°C and maximum loads to 750 N were used in conjunction with a newly designed shaft and system center housing. Gas stand and simulator test results revealed stable bearing temperatures, low rotor vibrations, good shock tolerance and the ability of the rotor bearing system to sustain overspeed conditions to 121,500 rpm. Bearing component development tests demonstrated 100,000 start stop cycles at 650°C with a newly developed solid film lubricant coating. In a separate demonstration of a 100 mm compliant foil bearing, loads approaching 4,500 N were supported by a compliant foil bearing. This combination of component and integrated rotor-bearing system technology demonstrations addresses many of the issues associated with application of compliant foil bearings to gas turbine engines.

scholarly journals Instability Study of Magnetic Journal Bearing under S-CO2 Condition

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3491
Author(s):  
Dokyu Kim ◽  
SeungJoon Baik ◽  
Jeong Ik Lee
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Journal Bearing ◽  
Magnetic Bearing ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Magnetic Bearings ◽  
Brayton Cycle ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Rotating Shaft ◽  
Levitation Performance

A supercritical CO2 (S-CO2)-cooled Brayton cycle is under development for distributed power applications for remote regions. In order to successfully develop it, issues of controlling shaft levitation with bearings have to be solved. From several studies, magnetic bearings have been suggested for reliable levitation performance with reduced cost and complexity. However, several studies on magnetic bearing show that instability issues under high-pressure fluid and high-speed operating conditions may exist. The purpose of this research is to provide background for understanding the instability of magnetic bearings under S-CO2 conditions and propose functional requirements of the magnetic bearing. Thus, the rotating shaft with magnetic bearings operating under high pressure fluid was first analyzed. To test the theory, a magnetic bearing test rig was constructed. By comparing experimental data to the analysis results, the analysis results were verified. Therefore, the analysis results can be used for predicting instability in the future and can contribute to the development of better magnetic bearing controllers.

Oil-Free Foil Bearings as a Reliable, High Performance Backup Bearing for Active Magnetic Bearings

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. Swanson ◽  
H. Heshmat
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Magnetic Bearing ◽  
Magnetic Bearings ◽  
Stable Operation ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Limited Life ◽  
Rolling Element

Gas turbine engines and other high speed rotating machinery supported by magnetic bearings require some form of backup bearing to ensure reliable and safe operation. To date, this backup capability has been provided by either rolling element bearings or solid lubricated bushings. Both of these solutions have drawbacks — must notably limited life and uncertain dynamic performance. In many cases, the backup bearing system requires substantial maintenance following an activation event. An alternative approach investigated in this work is the use of a compliant foil bearing as a backup bearing. This work discusses tests of this concept on a test rig with a 63 kg rotor. In this application, the foil bearing demonstrated smooth, stable operation during a variety of simulated magnetic bearing failure events, and allowed for continued operation of the rotor following the simulated failures.

The Application of Gas- and Oil-Lubricated Foil Bearings for the ERDA/Chrysler Automotive Gas Turbine Engine

1976 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Gray ◽  
N. Sparks ◽  
J. McCormick
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Rotor Bearing ◽  
Dynamic Simulator ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Engine Rotor

A design study has been made of a resilient hydrodynamic foil bearing support system for a 58,500-rpm automotive gas turbine rotor utilizing an air-lubricated journal bearing at the hot turbine end and an oil-lubricated journal and thrust bearing at the compressor end. The paper includes a review of earlier engine rotor/bearing systems and lists the potential advantages of the foil bearings. Design analysis of the bearings and rotordynamics is given including critical speeds, rotor unbalance response, bearing performance, and temperature distributions to confirm the feasibility. The study shows that potential improvements to the overall system in terms of cost savings, reliability, and performance are possible. Full-scale dynamic simulator testing of the rotor bearing system as designed is in progress.

Coatings for High Temperature Foil Bearings

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hooshang Heshmat ◽  
Said Jahanmir ◽  
James F. Walton
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Magnetic Bearing ◽  
Magnetic Bearings ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Limited Life ◽  
Wear Life ◽  
Tribological Coatings ◽  
Rolling Element

High operating speeds and temperatures required for advanced turbomachinery necessitate the development of bearings capable of continuous operation between 3 to 4 million DN at temperatures up to 820°C. Non-contact oil-free bearings such as compliant foil bearings, active magnetic bearings and hybrid foil and magnetic bearings are alternate solutions to the current liquid-lubricated hydrodynamic and rolling element bearings, which have limited life under these extreme conditions. A critical component in these oil-free bearings is the tribological coating system that must be used on the journal and the foil pads to ensure reliable operation during transient periods and start-stop cycles. The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the reliability of tribological coatings being implemented for a large (150 mm diameter) hybrid foil/magnetic bearing. In order to be suitable for use in large turbine engine type applications, the journal coating must accommodate the thermal and centrifugal growth experienced as well as providing the wear life and friction coefficient. Based upon the limitations identified in PS304, this coating is not yet suitable for demanding high temperature and high-speed applications. On the other hand an alternative nickel-chrome based coating applied to the foils versus a shaft with thin dense chrome or a nickel-chrome based coating a has shown excellent characteristics under conditions up to 820°C.

scholarly journals Tip Clearance Actuation With Magnetic Bearings for High-Speed Compressor Stall Control

2000 ◽  
Vol 123 (3) ◽  
pp. 464-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. S. Spakovszky ◽  
J. D. Paduano ◽  
R. Larsonneur ◽  
A. Traxler ◽  
M. M. Bright
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Design Procedure ◽  
Magnetic Bearing ◽  
Rotating Stall ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Magnetic Bearings ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Control Analysis ◽  
Servo Actuator ◽  
Stall Control

Magnetic bearings are widely used as active suspension devices in rotating machinery, mainly for active vibration control purposes. The concept of active tip-clearance control suggests a new application of magnetic bearings as servo-actuators to stabilize rotating stall in axial compressors. This paper presents a first-of-a-kind feasibility study of an active stall control experiment with a magnetic bearing servo-actuator in the NASA Glenn high-speed single-stage compressor test facility. Together with CFD and experimental data a two-dimensional, incompressible compressor stability model was used in a stochastic estimation and control analysis to determine the required magnetic bearing performance for compressor stall control. The resulting requirements introduced new challenges to the magnetic bearing actuator design. A magnetic bearing servo-actuator was designed that fulfilled the performance specifications. Control laws were then developed to stabilize the compressor shaft. In a second control loop, a constant gain controller was implemented to stabilize rotating stall. A detailed closed loop simulation at 100 percent corrected design speed resulted in a 2.3 percent reduction of stalling mass flow, which is comparable to results obtained in the same compressor by Weigl et al. (1998. ASME J. Turbomach. 120, 625–636) using unsteady air injection. The design and simulation results presented here establish the viability of magnetic bearings for stall control in aero-engine high-speed compressors. Furthermore, the paper outlines a general design procedure to develop magnetic bearing servo-actuators for high-speed turbomachinery.

Vibration Mitigation of Rotors Suspended on Low-Cost Hybrid Gas Foil Bearing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamal Kumar Basumatary ◽  
Karuna Kalita ◽  
Sashindra K. Kakoty ◽  
Seamus D. Garvey
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Current Source ◽  
Magnetic Bearing ◽  
Active Magnetic Bearing ◽  
Electromagnetic Actuators ◽  
Manufacturing Method ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Small Series

Abstract The hybrid Gas Foil Bearings combining the Gas Foil Bearing and Active Magnetic Bearing is a possibility for application in high-speed turbomachinery and a few developments have been made in this context. As such, the cost of conventional Gas Foil Bearing increases due to its requirement of precise manufacturing method and the coating material for the top foil and bump foil. In case of Active Magnetic Bearing, the normal electrical arrangement includes a multiplicity of independently controlled current sources usually at least four drives per bearing which increases its cost. Therefore, the hybrid Gas Foil Bearing will have much higher cost. In this work, a new electrical arrangement for the electromagnetic actuators of the hybrid Gas Foil Bearing has been proposed. The new arrangement requires only two drives per bearing and the bias current has been provided (in the same set of windings) through a simple rectifier with small series choke and shunt capacitor. As the number of drives required is less, the proposed bearing will have low cost. Implementing the new approach, the force vectors are achieved using only two current-source drives whereas the usual conventional arrangement requires four such drives. Numerical simulations are performed to explore the capabilities of the low cost bearing.

Foil Bearings Makes Oil-Free Turbocharger Possible

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal A. Heshmat ◽  
Hooshang Heshmat ◽  
Mark J. Valco ◽  
Kevin C. Radil ◽  
Christopher Della Corte
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Solid Lubricant ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Maximum Load ◽  
Solid Lubricant Coating ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Rotor Bearing ◽  
Component Development ◽  
Bearing System

This paper describes an oil-free, 150 Hp turbocharger that was successfully operated with compliant foil bearings in a range of pitch and roll angles, including vertical operation, thereby demonstrating its viability for aircraft applications. On a gas test stand the turbocharger was operated to 120,000 rpm, under extreme conditions. In addition, the compliant foil bearing-supported turbocharger successfully tolerated shock and vibration of 40 g. Advanced technologies have been applied to the second generation of this turbocharger, shown in Figure 1, including self acting, compliant foil hydrodynamic air bearings with advanced coatings capable, of operation above 815 °C (1500°F). Journal foil bearings with maximum load capacity up to 670 kPa (97 psi) were used in conjunction with thrust foil bearings capable of maximum loads to 570 kPa (83 psi). Bearing component development tests demonstrated 30,000 start stop cycles at 815 °C (1500°F) with a newly developed, solid lubricant coating, KOROLON™. KOROLON™ exhibits a coefficient of friction of less than 0.1 at a wide range of temperatures. Current-designed foil bearings with KOROLON™ have immensely decreased turbolag, allowing acceleration from rest to over 100,000 rpm in less than 2 seconds. Advanced bearing stiffness maintained rotor total axial end-to-end motion within 100 microns (0.004 inch). Total radial static and dynamic motion was controlled within 25 microns (0.001 inch). Development of this high speed turbomachine included bearing and solid lubricant component development tests, rotor-bearing dynamic simulator qualification and gas stand tests of the assembled turbocharger. Gas stand and simulator test results revealed stable bearing temperatures, low rotor vibrations, good shock tolerance and the ability of the rotor bearing system to sustain overspeed conditions beyond 120,000 rpm. This combination of component and integrated rotor-bearing system technology addresses many of the issues associated with application of compliant foil bearings to industrial compressors, blowers, and gas turbine engines, overcoming many of the inherently show-stopping and debilitating features of rolling element bearings, i.e., speed and temperature limitations.

High-Speed Rotor Losses in a Radial Eight-Pole Magnetic Bearing: Part 1—Experimental Measurement

1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. F. Kasarda ◽  
P. E. Allaire ◽  
E. H. Maslen ◽  
G. R. Brown ◽  
G. T. Gillies
Keyword(s):  
Power Loss ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Eddy Currents ◽  
Magnetic Bearing ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Magnetic Bearings ◽  
Power Losses ◽  
Loss Mechanism ◽  
Pole Configuration

The continual increase in the use of magnetic bearings in various capacities, including high-speed aerospace applications such as jet engine prototypes, dictates the need to quantify power losses in this type of bearing. The goal of this study is to present experimentally measured power losses during the high-speed operation of a pair of magnetic bearings. A large-scale test rotor has been designed and built to obtain unambiguous power loss measurements while varying a variety of test parameters. The test apparatus consists of a shaft supported in two radial magnetic bearings and driven by two electric motors also mounted on the shaft. The power losses of the spinning rotor are determined from the time rate of change of the kinetic energy of the rotor as its angular speed decays during free rotation. Measured results for the first set of magnetic bearings, a pair of eight-pole planar radial bearings, are presented here. Data from three different parameter studies including the effect of the bias flux density, the effect of the bearing pole configuration, and the effect of the motor stator on the power loss are presented. Rundown plots of the test with the bearings in the paired pole (NNSS) versus the alternating (NSNS) pole configuration show only small differences, with losses only slightly higher when the poles are in the alternating pole (NSNS) configuration. Loss data were also taken with the motor stators axially removed from the motor rotors for comparison with the case where the motor stators are kept in place. No measurable difference was observed between the two cases, indicating negligible windage and residual magnetic effects. Throughout most of the speed range, the dominant loss mechanism appears to be eddy currents.

Dynamic Analysis and Control of High Speed and High Precision Active Magnetic Bearings

1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 623-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Youcef-Toumi ◽  
S. Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Time Delay ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Dynamic Stiffness ◽  
Magnetic Bearing ◽  
Magnetic Bearings ◽  
Successful Operation ◽  
Highly Nonlinear ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Control ◽  
Digital Time

The successful operation of actively controlled magnetic bearings depends greatly on the electromechanical design and control system design. The function of the controller is to maintain bearing performance in the face of system dynamic variations and unpredictable disturbances. The plant considered here is the rotor and magnetic bearing assembly of a test apparatus. The plant dynamics consisting of actuator dynamics, rigid rotor dynamics and flexibility effects are described. Various components of the system are identified and their corresponding linearized theoretical models are validated experimentally. Tests are also run to identify the coupling effects and flexibility modes. The highly nonlinear behavior of the magnetic bearings in addition to the inherent instability of such a system makes the controller design complex. A digital Time Delay Controller is designed and its effectiveness evaluated using several simulations based on linear and nonlinear models for the bearing including bending mode effects. This controller is implemented as an alternative to an existing linear analog compensator. Several experiments are conducted with each controller for spinning and nonspinning conditions. These include time responses, closed loop frequency responses and disturbance rejection responses. The experimental results and comparisons between those of a digital Time Delay Controller and an analog compensator indicate that the Time Delay Controller has impressive static and dynamic stiffness characteristics for the prototype considered. The Time Delay Controller also maintains almost the same dynamic behavior over a significantly wide range of rotor speeds.

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