Search Results (21)

Due to their self-adaptability, low friction, low loss, and high-speed stability, bump foil aerodynamic journal bearings are widely used in high-speed rotating equipment such as turbomachinery and flywheel energy storage. In the process of high-speed operation, the heat generated leads to changes in air parameters (such as viscosity, density, etc.), thus affecting the overall performance of air bearings. In this paper, combined with the compressible Reynolds equation, a fluid–solid coupling model was established to analyze the steady-state characteristics and key influencing factors of bearings. Through the energy equation, the air viscosity–temperature effect was considered, and different boundary conditions were set. The internal temperature distribution of the air bearing and the influence of the temperature on the bearing characteristics were systematically analyzed. It was found that the bearing capacity increased when the temperature was considered. In a certain range, with the increase in ambient temperature, the increase in bearing capacity is reduced. This paper provides a theoretical design basis for the design of high-stability bearings and promotes the design of next-generation air bearings with higher speed, lower loss, and stronger adaptability, which has very important theoretical and engineering significance. Full article

CuAl8Fe5Ni4Zn4Sn1 (OF 2238) is a new lead-free copper alloy for plain-bearing applications that was first officially presented in a scientific journal in 2020. Soon after its invention, the use of the alloy for connecting rod bushings in heavy-duty internal combustion engines was promoted and validated with customers. The aim of this article is to describe the material properties of the new alloy in more detail than previously and explain how the advantageous properties of CuAl8Fe5Ni4Zn4Sn1 are generated. At the beginning of this article, the general development trends in the field of copper alloys for sliding applications are presented, into which the new alloy from this publication can be classified. In the main part of this publication, the authors go through the production chain of CuAl8Fe5Ni4Zn4Sn and show how the entire manufacturing process contributes to obtaining a material with a combination of high strength, ductility and sufficient toughness. This starts with fine microstructures after casting, followed by homogenisation and refinement during hot extrusion and work hardening chiefly during cold drawing. What is most surprising, however, is the finding that a strong hardening effect can be achieved in the new alloy by precipitation of fine κ-phase at temperatures of about 400 °C and air cooling without prior solution treatment. These results make it clear that there is great potential for further material developments to support material efficiency and even to expand the application limits. Full article

Part of the gas phase within the bearing emanates from the gaseous lubricating medium generated by the phase transition of the liquid lubricant under low pressure, while the remaining portion originates from the expansion of gases, such as air, present in the lubricant. This study delves into the impact of vapor and gas cavitation on the stability of the rotor-journal bearing system. Utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD), a 3D transient lubrication model is developed for the rotor-journal bearing system. This model integrates a combined cavitation approach, encompassing both vaporous and gaseous cavitation phenomena. Based on a new structured dynamic mesh method, the journal orbits are obtained when the journal moves in the rotor-journal bearing system. In vaporous and gaseous cavitation, shear stress and non-condensable gases (NCG) are incorporated successively. Compared with the combined cavitation model, the basic cavitation model journal orbit amplitude is significantly larger than the combined cavitation model. The carrying capacity of journal bearings under the basic cavitation model is overestimated, leading to a more conservative prediction for system stability. Full article

Modern power engine concepts and environmental restrictions demand oil-free lubrication of rotors, for example, by gas bearings. However, the stiffness and damping properties ruling the rotor’s dynamics are poorly documented for aerodynamic bearings and simple calculation methods are lacking. Based on the similarity between aerodynamic and hydrodynamic journal bearings, it is investigated to what extent the hydrodynamic bearing element types of the commercial FE program ANSYS are also suitable for air bearings. Within these elements, the compressibility of the gas is neglected. After verification of the ANSYS hydrodynamic element types with literature data for cylindrical hydrodynamic bearings, the stiffness and damping coefficients of a cylindrical aerodynamic bearing are calculated by using the ANSYS hydrodynamic element types. In the examined speed range, the results agree well with literature data that consider gas compressibility. Therefore, the FE elements designed for hydrodynamical journal bearings may also be used for simulating cylindrical aerodynamic bearings. The presented calculation approach provides a compact and easy-to-use method for rotordynamic simulations with cylindrical aerodynamic bearings in a single development environment. Full article

Dynamic coefficients of a bearing are basic elements of rotor dynamics analysis. At present, there are still some issues in the calculation of the dynamic coefficient of air foil bearing. In this paper, the dynamic coefficients of the air foil bearing are calculated by time-domain identification. This method does not need to linearize the system equations, so it is generally applicable to different models for air foil bearings. Using the established method, this paper verified the calculation results using the foil model with axial uniform deformation for the first time, and the influence of the foil model on the dynamic coefficients was studied. The calculation results of the foil models with axial uniform deformation and axial independent deformation have significant differences. Furthermore, the accuracy of the dynamic coefficient method for different disturbance amplitudes was compared. The results indicate that the dynamic coefficient method has good accuracy over a large disturbance range. Full article

Multi-leaf journal foil bearing (MLJFB) is well known for its applications in the air cycle machines (ACMs) of airplanes. However, its frictional energy dissipation mechanism of overlapped foils has not been theoretically studied and is still not clear to researchers. This paper models the frictional sliding/sticking behaviors between adjacent foil leaves based on the tangent gap, applying the penalty method of contact mechanics. Large foil deformations are calculated to simulate the processes of foil assembly and rotor insertion using nonlinear curve beam elements. Predictions of the frictional hysteresis characteristics of MLJFB are obtained, influenced by foil boundary conditions, leaf number, bearing radial clearance and other foil structural parameters, which correlate well with the test results. This study lays solid theoretical foundations for the static and dynamic research of MLJFB. Full article

The performance of an externally pressurized gas journal bearing lubricated with R134a vapor used in an oil-free refrigeration centrifugal compressor is calculated by solving Reynold equations with the finite difference method (CFD). The load capacity, stiffness and mass flow rate of refrigerant vapor under conditions of various operational parameters are obtained and compared with that in air gas bearings. In addition, the influences of the average clearance, eccentricity ratios and supply vapor pressure on the static characteristics of journal bearings are investigated and discussed in detail. It concluded that the optimal operation parameters of gas journal bearings lubricated with R134a vapor are different with air journal bearings. These factors should be considered in the design process of R134a refrigerant vapor gas journal bearings. Full article

Hydrostatic bearings for liquid rocket engine turbopumps provide distinctive advantages, including high load capacity even with low viscosity cryogenic fluid and extending life span by minimizing friction and wear between rotor and bearing surfaces. Application of hydrostatic bearings into turbopumps demands a reliable test database with well-quantified operating parameters and experimentally validated accurate performance predictive tools. The present paper shows the comprehensive experimental data and validation of predicted static load characteristics of hydrostatic journal bearings lubricated with air, water, and liquid nitrogen. Extensive experiments for static load characteristics of hydrostatic bearings are conducted using a turbopump-rotor-bearing system simulator while increasing supply pressure (P_s) into the test bearings. The test results demonstrate notable effects of the test fluids and their temperatures, as well as P_s, on the bearing performance. In general, the measured bearing flow rate, rotor displacement, and stiffness of the test bearings steadily increase with P_s. The static load bearing characteristics predictions considering flow turbulence and compressibility matched well with the experimental results. The work with independent test data and engineering computational programs will further the implementation of hydrostatic bearings in high-performance turbopump shaft systems with improved efficiency and enhanced reusability of liquid rocket engine sub-systems. Full article

This article presents an experimental study carried out on a rotor operating on two foil bearings. One of the bearings was built in a way to measure the temperature and deformation of the top foil of the foil bearing. The dynamic performance of the two bearing journals is presented herein using the vibration trajectories and journal positions in the foil bearing sleeve. Based on these results, a method for predicting the temperature distribution on the top foil was developed. Then, the correlations between the temperature distribution and the operating parameters of the bearing journal were illustrated. It has been observed that the symmetry of the temperature distribution on the top foil depends on the eccentricity of the rotor operation. The shape and size of the vibration trajectory had no significant effect on the temperature value in the bearing, unlike the position of the journal in the bearing. The process of loss of the gas lubricating film was observed, which provides insight into the phenomena that occur during the first few seconds of rotor operation. The areas in the bearing from which fresh air had been drawn into the gap between the journal and the top foil were also determined. Full article

A turbo compressor was investigated to ensure the operational reliability of the charging of fuel cell systems. This study investigated air-lubricated herringbone bearings to support the high-speed rotating shaft. For reliable operation of the rotor bearing system, stable operation in the whole speed range (up to 120 krpm), as well as low lift-off speed, is an important issue. Some publications containing guidelines for an optimized design in terms of stability and lift-off behavior date back to the 1970s, with some simplifying assumptions (such as narrow groove theory and small eccentricity analysis). Many publications have addressed the calculations, as well as the optimization of herringbone-grooved bearings; however, general design guidelines are still missing in the view of the authors. Although the investigations related to bearings for the support of a lightweight rotor for a special compressor of a fuel cell unit, this study could also indicate favorable bearing designs for other high-speed applications. Here, the compressible Reynolds equation was solved in the whole solution domain using a conservative finite difference scheme, and the corresponding bearing characteristics were determined. In a perturbation analysis, the linearized dynamic coefficients of the herringbone bearing are calculated. To compare the suitability and performance of the various herringbone-grooved bearing designs, especially at high speed, the simple model of a Jeffcott rotor airborne with two identical herringbone-grooved journal bearings (HGJBs) was used. The geometrical parameters of the HGJBs were varied, and their effects on bearing characteristics and stability were evaluated. Recommendations concerning favorable geometrical bearing parameters for a sufficiently high stability threshold speed and reasonable low lift-off speed were the result of the parameter study. Full article

The liquefaction of hydrogen is considered to be a crucial process in the large-scale utilization of hydrogen energy. In hydrogen liquefaction, hydrogen turbo-expander is a key refrigerating machine for high liquefaction efficiency. Performance of the turbo-expander is directly affected by the hydrogen gas bearings. To obtain a deep understanding of the performance characteristics of hydrogen gas bearings, the static and dynamic characteristics of herringbone grooved journal bearings under hydrogen and other lubricating gases were numerically calculated and compared. The bearing load capacity and critical mass of hydrogen gas bearings were slightly lower than those of helium-, air- and nitrogen-lubricated bearings. To improve the performance of the hydrogen gas bearings used in high-speed turbo-machinery, the influence of working conditions was analyzed. It is found that the load capacity of hydrogen gas bearings can be improved by increasing the ambient pressure, reducing the gas film clearance, and raising the bearing eccentricity ratio. Meanwhile, the critical mass increases, and the bearing dynamic stability is enhanced. Full article

More layers in a convolution neural network (CNN) means more computational burden and longer training time, resulting in poor performance of pattern recognition. In this work, a simplified global information fusion convolution neural network (SGIF-CNN) is proposed to improve computational efficiency and diagnostic accuracy. In the improved CNN architecture, the feature maps of all the convolutional and pooling layers are globally convoluted into a corresponding one-dimensional feature sequence, and then all the feature sequences are concatenated into the fully connected layer. On this basis, this paper further proposes a novel fault diagnosis method for a rotor–journal bearing system based on SGIF-CNN. Firstly, the time-frequency distributions of samples are obtained using the Adaptive Optimal-Kernel Time–Frequency Representation algorithm (AOK-TFR). Secondly, the time–frequency diagrams of the training samples are utilized to train the SGIF-CNN model using a shallow information fusion method, and the trained SGIF-CNN model can be tested using the time–frequency diagrams of the testing samples. Finally, the trained SGIF-CNN model is transplanted to the equipment’s online monitoring system to monitor the equipment’s operating conditions in real time. The proposed method is verified using the data from a rotor test rig and an ultra-scale air separator, and the analysis results show that the proposed SGIF-CNN improves the computing efficiency compared to the traditional CNN while ensuring the accuracy of the fault diagnosis. Full article

Bump foil journal bearings (BFJBs) are widely used in the superchargers of aviation piston engines (APEs). This paper proposes a method to evaluate the operating state of superchargers by monitoring the bearing temperature. A numerical model with a repeating symmetrical structure in the axial direction is established based on a certain type of supercharger, which solves the temperature field of BFJBs with the non-isothermal Reynolds equation and energy equation. It can be used to analyze the effect of thermal expansion on lift-off speed and stop-contact speed. A new test rig and six various BFJBs were designed to check the temperature characteristics of the BFJBs with variable load and speed. By comparing the numerical results with the experimental results, it was shown that the air film temperature increased almost linearly with the increase in bearing load and speed. However, the temperature increase caused by the rotation speed was significantly greater than the load. The structural parameters of the BFJB affected the bearing support stiffness, which had a nonlinear effect on the lift-off speed and air film temperature. Therefore, the proposed method to evaluate the state of superchargers with BFJBs was effective. These thermal characteristics can be used to guide BFJB design and predict the life cycle of BFJBs. Full article

The spiral-grooved structure has been proposed for promoting the load capacity and stiffness of hybrid air journal bearings. In this paper, the dynamic characteristics of spiral-grooved hybrid bearings are first calculated. The stability criteria of the bearings are proposed and analyzed with different groove structure parameters using frequency domain analysis. It is found that the length of the spiral-groove has significant influence on the stability of the spindle system. Finally, the critical speed of the spiral-grooved hybrid bearing and rotor system is analyzed, and an experiment is carried out to validate the proposed model, finding that groove structure can promote the stability of the air bearing systems. Full article

This paper systematically reviews the research progress in the field of the influence of air pollutants in the engine inlet on the accelerated wear of the elements of the association: piston, piston rings, cylinder liner (P-PR-CL), and plain bearing (journal–panel). It was shown at the outset that the primary component of air pollution is road dust. Its main components are dust grains of hard minerals (SiO₂, Al₂O₃), which penetrate the oil film area between two frictionally mating surfaces causing their abrasive wear. Therefore, the effect of three dust parameters (grain size and hardness, and dust concentration in air) on the accelerated wear of the friction pair: piston, piston rings, cylinder liner(P-PR-CL), and plain bearing (journal–pan) is presented extensively. It was noted that the wear values of the same component were obtained by different researchers using different testing techniques and evaluated by different indices. It has been shown that the greatest wear of two frictionally cooperating surfaces is caused by dust grains with sizes equal to the thickness of the oil film at a given moment, which in typical combustion engine associations assumes varied and variable values in the range of 0–50 µm. The oil film thickness between the upper ring and the cylinder liner varies and depends on the crankshaft rotation angle, engine speed and load, and oil viscosity, and takes values less than 10 µm. It was shown that the maximum wear of the cylinder liner, resulting from the cooperation with the piston rings, occurs in the top dead centre (TDC) area and results from unfavorable (high temperature, low piston speed) operating conditions of these elements. From the extensive literature data cited, it follows that abrasive wear is caused by dust grains of specific dimensions, most often 5–20 µm, the greater the wear the greater the hardness of the grains and the sulfur content of the fuel. At the same time, it was shown that the main bearing, crankshaft bearing, and oil ring experienced maximum wear by a different range of particle size, respectively: 20–40, 5–10, and 20–80 μm. It was shown that the mass of dust that enters the engine cylinders and thus the wear of the components is determined by the concentration of dust, the value of which is definitely reduced by the air filter. However, it was pointed out that the low initial filtration efficiency and the presence of large dust grains in the purified air in the initial period of the filter operation (after replacement of the filter element with a new one) may have an impact on the accelerated wear of mainly (P-PR-CL) association. The next stage of the paper presents the effects of excessive wear of the cylinder liner and piston rings of the engine, resulting from actual vehicle operation and bench tests on the decrease in compression pressure and engine power, increase in the intensity of exhaust gas blow-by into the oil sump and increase in oil consumption and exhaust gas toxicity. This paper addresses the current problem of the effect of engine inlet air contaminants on the performance of the air flow meter, which is an essential sensor of the modern internal combustion engine. The phenomenon of deposition of contaminants (mineral dust, salt, carbon deposit, and moisture) on the measuring element (wire or layer anemometer) of the air flow meter has been analyzed. The empirical results presented show that the mineral dust layer on the measuring element of the air flow meter causes a 17.9% reduction in output voltage, and the dust and oil layer causes a 46.7% reduction in output voltage. This affects the decrease in engine power and exhaust toxicity. Full article