Foil bearings � Performance testing of foil thrust bearings � Testing of static load capacity, bearing torque, friction coefficient and lifetime

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Friction Coefficient ◽  
Static Load ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings

Theoretical Study on Static Performance of Double-Bump Foil Bearings

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fangcheng Xu ◽  
Jianhua Chu ◽  
Wenlin Luan ◽  
Guang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Static Characteristics ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Static Performance ◽  
Initial Clearance

Abstract In this paper, single-bump foil models with different thickness and double-bump foil models with different initial clearances are established. The structural stiffness and equivalent viscous damping of double-bump foil and single-bump foil are analyzed by finite element simulation. The results show that the double-layer bump foil has variable stiffness and the displacement of the upper bump is greater than the initial gap when the two-layer bumps contact. A model for obtaining static characteristics of aerodynamic compliant foil thrust bearing is established on the basis of the stiffness characteristics of the double-bump foil. This paper solves gas Reynolds equation, the gas film thickness equation and the foil stiffness characteristic equation via the finite element method and the finite difference method. The static characteristics of the thrust bearings including the bearing pressure distribution, the gas film thickness and the friction power consumption have been obtained. The static characteristics of two kinds of foils have been compared and analyzed, and the effect of initial clearance on the static performance of double-bump foil bearings is studied. The results show that the double-bump foil structure can effectively improve the load capacity of thrust bearing. In addition, the static performance of double-bump foil thrust bearings is between the performance of the single-bump foil bearing and the double-bump foil bearing whose foil’s clearance is zero. The smaller the initial clearance is, the easier it will be to form a stable double-bump foil supporting structure.

Development of Foil Thrust Bearings with Simple Structure for Micro Turbines

2011 ◽  
Vol 368-373 ◽  
pp. 1392-1395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quan Zhou ◽  
Yu Hou ◽  
Ru Gang Chen
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Simple Structure ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Complicated Structure ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Rotational Systems ◽  
Micro Turbine ◽  
Foil Thrust Bearing

Because of the low power loss and high stability, foil bearings are suitable lubrication components for high speed rotational systems. At present, the foil bearings used in actual applications almost have complicated structure and are hard to manufacture. In this paper, two kinds of foil thrust bearings with simple structure are presented. Configurations of these two foil thrust bearings are introduced; meanwhile, the load capacity and running stability are also tested in a high speed micro turbine. It is shown that viscoelastic supported foil thrust bearing has higher load capacity and hemisphere convex dots supported foil thrust bearing is more stable in high speed operational condition.

Rotordynamic Behavior of 225 kW (300 HP) Class PMS Motor–Generator System Supported by Gas Foil Bearings

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bok Seong Choe ◽  
Tae Ho Kim ◽  
Chang Ho Kim ◽  
Yong Bok Lee
Keyword(s):  
Axial Length ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Stability Margin ◽  
Generator System ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Stiffness And Damping

This paper presents the dynamic behavior of a 225 kW class (300 HP), 60,000 rpm, permanent magnet synchronous (PMS) motor–generator system supported on gas foil bearings (GFBs). The rotor of a 225 kW PMS motor is supported by two identical gas foil journal bearings (GFJBs) and one pair of gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs). The total weight and axial length of the coupled rotors are 272 N and 1042 mm, respectively. During the speed-up test to 60,000 rpm, unexpected large subsynchronous rotor motions appear at around 120–130 Hz above 35,040 rpm. After disassembling the motor, an inspection of the top foils of the GFJBs reveals significant rotor rubbing. Thus, the GFJBs are redesigned to have a smaller load capacity by reducing their axial length to 45 mm. In addition, three 50 μm thick shims are installed in the GFJBs at 120 deg intervals for reducing the swirl speed of air and producing bearing preloads. The modification delays the onset speed of subsynchronous motions to 43,200 rpm and decreases the amplitude of the subsynchronous motions from 20 to 15 μm. These results indicate that the modification improves the stability margin of the high-speed rotor system with increasing stiffness and damping. In addition, the logarithmic decrement trends are in good agreement with the test results.

Numerical Investigation on the Mixed Lubrication Performance of Water-Lubricated Coupled Journal and Thrust Bearings

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanfeng Han ◽  
Guo Xiang ◽  
Jiaxu Wang
Keyword(s):  
Friction Coefficient ◽  
Film Thickness ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Journal Bearing ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Hydrodynamic Pressure ◽  
Mixed Lubrication ◽  
Eccentricity Ratio ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Lubrication Performance

Abstract The mixed lubrication performance of water-lubricated coupled journal and thrust bearing (simplified as coupled bearing) is investigated by a developed numerical model. To ensure the continuity of hydrodynamic pressure and flow at the common boundary between the journal and thrust bearing, the conformal transformation is introduced to unify the solution domain of the Reynolds equation. In the presented study, the coupled effects between the journal and thrust bearing are discussed. The effects of the thrust bearing geometric film thickness on the mixed lubrication performance, including the load capacity, contact load and friction coefficient, of the journal bearing are investigated. And the effects of the journal bearing eccentricity ratio on the mixed lubrication performance of the thrust bearing are also investigated. The simulated results indicate the mutual effects between the journal and thrust bearing cannot be ignored in the coupled bearing system. The increasing thrust bearing geometric film thickness generates a decrease in load capacity of journal bearing. There exists an optimal eccentricity ratio of journal bearing that yields the minimum friction coefficient of the thrust bearing.

Evaluation of Coated Top Foil Bearings: Dry Friction, Drag Torque, and Dynamic Force Coefficients

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis San Andrés ◽  
Wonbae Jung
Keyword(s):  
Friction Coefficient ◽  
Dry Friction ◽  
Loss Factor ◽  
Static Load ◽  
Sliding Friction ◽  
Dry Sliding ◽  
Drag Torque ◽  
Specific Load ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Mos2 Coating

Despite their many advantages, bump-type foil bearings (BFBs) have issues of dry-friction during sliding contact at rotor start/stop cycles. To prevent premature wear of both shaft and the BFB, the proper selection and application of a coating on the top foil is of importance to ensure bearing long life. This thesis presents measurements characterizing the static and dynamic load performance of a Generation I BFB having uncoated and coated (VN, TiSiN, MoS2) top foils. The bearing, with length L and diameter D = 38 mm, integrates a 360° 0.127 mm thick top foil made of Inconel X-750, and a 27 bumps strip layer, 0.47 mm in height, made of the same stock as for the top foils. The VN and TiSiN coating, 0.005 mm thick, applies to the front and back surfaces of a top foil. The MoS2 coating, 0.020 mm thick, is sacrificial. The tests were conducted at room temperature (21°C), determined by the existing test facility. The dry-sliding torque (T) increases linearly with an increase in applied static load, max W/(LD) = 25.6 kPa. The bearing with a VN coated top foil shows the largest turning torque. The dry-sliding friction factor f = T/(½WD) decreases as the specific load (W/(LD)) increases. As expected, journal rotation towards the top foil free end (clockwise) produces a larger f than for rotations in reverse. A test-rig records the BFB drag torque during rotor acceleration and deceleration procedures to/from 70 krpm (138 m/s). The vertical load applied into a bearing equals W/(LD) = −8.0 kPa, 0 kPa and 8.0 kPa. In general, the bearing with a coated top foil shows a lesser drag torque than that of the uncoated top foil bearing. Among the coated foil bearings, the one with VN coating shows the highest drag torque, whereas another with MoS2 coating shows the lowest. When the rotor starts up, the dry-sliding friction coefficient (f) of the bearing with VN coating is ∼0.4 while f for the bearing with TiSiN coating is 0.3∼0.4. The uncoated bearing shows the largest f ∼0.6, and the MoS2 coated one has the lowest f = 0.2∼0.3. The drag torque, increasing with an increase in applied static load, is small when the rotor is airborne (lesser than ∼10% of peak torque). Dynamic load tests spanning excitation frequencies (ω) from 200 Hz to 400 Hz serve to identify force coefficients for the test BFBs with a specific load of 16 kPa and operating with shaft speed at 50 krpm (833 Hz). Baseline measurements correspond to a null applied load and no shaft rotation. The test bearings show a remarkable behavior with nearly isotropic direct coefficients and very small cross-coupled ones. The bearing direct stiffnesses (K) increase with frequency whereas the direct damping coefficients (C) quickly decrease. The bearing material loss factor, γ = ωC/K, represents best the BFB ability to dissipate mechanical energy. Over the excitation frequency range, γ = 0.34, 0.28, and 0.12 for the uncoated top foil, VN coated and TiSiN coated bearings. The test data show the bearing loss factor correlates with the dry friction coefficient as γ ∼ (0.71 × f) at a rotor speed of 50 krpm (95 m/s). Since the top foils with VN or TiSiN are coated on both sides, kinetic friction between the back of a top foil and the bumps’ crests likely lessens during sustained contact.

The Static Characteristics of Bump Foil Thrust Bearing Considering Tilting Condition

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae-Young Kim ◽  
Dong-Jin Park ◽  
Yong-Bok Lee
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Static Characteristics ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Thrust Bearing ◽  
Thrust Pad ◽  
Air Film

Air foil thrust bearings are the critical component available on high-efficiency turbomachinery which needs ability to endure the large axial force. Previous investigations about the static characteristics were obtained over the region of the thin air film using finite-difference method and the characteristics of the corrugated bump foil using finite-element method. Moreover, a recent study demonstrated that bearing performance is sensitive to tilting thrust pad condition. In this study, experimentally measured bearing static characteristics are compared with the numerical model of the foil thrust bearing considering tilting pad condition. Three geometrically different type foil bearings were tested to measure their load capacity under tilting conditions that have continuous angles from zero to 0.0002 rad. These data are presented for use i1n the development of more accurate foil thrust bearing numerical models.

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