3D Two-way Coupled TEHD Analysis on the Lubricating Characteristics of Thrust Bearings in Pump-turbine Units by Combining CFD and FEA

The thermal elastic hydro dynamic （TEHD） lubrication analysis for the thrust bearing is usually conducted by combining Reynolds equation with finite element analysis （FEA）. But it is still a problem to conduct the computation by combining computational fluid dynamics （CFD） and FEA which can simulate the TEHD more accurately. In this paper, by using both direct and separate coupled solutions together, steady TEHD lubrication considering the viscosity-temperature effect for a bidirectional thrust bearing in a pump-turbine unit is simulated combining a 3D CFD model for the oil film with a 3D FEA model for the pad and mirror plate. Cyclic symmetry condition is used in the oil film flow as more reasonable boundary conditions which avoids the oil temperature assumption at the leading and trailing edge. Deformations of the pad and mirror plate are predicted and discussed as well as the distributions of oil film thickness, pressure, temperature. The predicted temperature shows good agreement with measurements, while the pressure shows a reasonable distribution comparing with previous studies. Further analysis of the three-coupled-field reveals the reason of the high pressure and high temperature generated in the film. Finally, the influence of rotational speed of the mirror plate on the lubrication characteristics is illustrated which shows the thrust load should be balanced against the oil film temperature and pressure in optimized designs. This research proposes a thrust bearing computation method by combining CFD and FEA which can do the TEHD analysis more accurately.

Analysis of Properties of Thrust Bearing in Ship Propulsion System

Thrust bearing is a key component of the propulsion system of a ship. It transfers the propulsive forces from the propeller to the ship＇s hull, allowing the propeller to push the ship ahead. The performance of a thrust bearing pad is critical. When the thrust bearing becomes damaged, it can cause the ship to lose power and can also affect its operational safety. For this paper, the distribution of the pressure field of a thrust pad was calculated with numerical method, applying Reynolds equation. Thrust bearing properties for loads were analyzed, given variations in outlet thickness of the pad and variations between the load and the slope of the pad. It was noticed that the distribution of pressure was uneven. As a result, increases of both the outlet thickness and the slope coefficient of the pad were able to improve load beating capability.

Dynamic Characteristics of High-speed Water-Lubricated Spiral Groove Thrust Bearing Based on Turbulent Cavitating Flow Lubrication Model

The water-lubricated bearings are usually the state of turbulent cavitating flow under high-speed conditions. And the distribution of cavitation bubbles and the interface effect between the two phases have not been included in previous studies on high-speed water-lubricated bearings. In order to study the influence of interface effect and cavitation bubble distribution on the dynamic characteristics of high-speed water-lubricated spiral groove thrust bearings(SGTB).A turbulent cavitating flow lubrication model based on two-phase fluid and population balance equation of bubbles was established in this paper. Stiffness and the damping coefficients of the SGTB were calculated using the perturbation pressure equations. An experimental apparatus was developed to verify the theoretical model. Simulating and experimental results show that the small-sized bubbles tend to generate in the turbulent cavitating flow when at a high rotary speed, and the bubbles mainly locate at the edges of the spiral groove. The simulating results also show that the direct stiffness coefficients are increased due to cavitation effect, and cross stiffness coefficients and damping coefficients are hardly affected by the cavitation effect. Turbulent effect on the dynamic characteristics of SGTB is much stronger than the cavitating effect.

Experimental study of transient thermal elastic hydrodynamic lubrication of tilted thrust bearing under sudden load changes

An experimental study is performed to investigate the temperature response and distribution in a sector tilted pad thrust bearing during the transient periods such as the load on the bearing changed abruptly.Lots of thermocouples are placed on different position such as the pad surface,leading and trailing edge as well as the pad block,and then these thermocouples are used to measure the temperature variation during the transient period.The load on one pad and the displacement of the runner are measured with different sensors.The effects of a sudden load change on temperature at different position of the pads are analyzed according to the experimental data.The influence of different initial conditions and the different load increment on temperature variation at the pad surface and pad body are obtained,and temperature responses at leading edge and trailing edge under different conditions are tested.This experimental study shows a significant effect of load increment and initial condition on the temperature distribution of bearing pad interface under sudden load change conditions,and the measurement of real oil film temperature is difficult due to the large thermal inertia of pad surface.

Pressure Field of Multi-pad Annular Recess Hydrostatic Thrust Bearing

In order to solve the deformation of the hydrostatic thrust bearing with multi-pad annular recess in the heavy computer numerical control （ CNC ） equipment, the simulation concerning pressure feld of hydrostatic thrust bearing with multi-pad annular recesses was carded out. The finite volume method of computational fluid dynamics （ CFD ） was used to compute the three-dlmensional pressure field of gap fluid between the rotary worktable and the base. The influence of the rotational speed on the bearing pressure performance was studied based on CFD and lubrication theory, and the method revealed the pressure distribution law. The results qualitatively agree well with the experimental data. The results indicate that the oil cavity pressure decreases gradually with rotational speed enhancing. The reliability of a hydrostatic thrust bearing with malti-pad annular recess can be predicted through this method, and the optimal design of such products can be achieved, and the numerical simulation method can provide reasonable data for design, lubrication, experiment, and deformation computation of hydrostatic thrust bearing in the heavy CNC equipment.

Analysis of Flow Models for Aerostatic Thrust Bearings with Porous Material

The numerical determination of static characteristics of bearings allows a cost-efficient and fast pre-design.In this study,two flow models for aerostatic thrust bearings with pressurized porous material are presented and analyzed.The models are based on the coupling of the Reynolds equation for lubricants(REL)and the determination of pressure drop through porous material by Darcy’s law.The simplified model is based on the assumption of a one-dimensional axial flow through porous media.The extended model considers the three-dimensional flow in the porous body.The analysis includes pressurized air from 4 to 9 bar(a)with nominal clearance of 5 to 60μm,Commercial CFD(computational fluid dynamics)software was used to verify the results.The extended model allows a more accurate prediction about the performance in the critical gap range.In total,the results show good agreement with CFD within a short computation time.

Calculation methods of lubricant film pressure distribution of radial grooved thrust bearings

In order to calculate the pressure distribution of radial grooved thrust bearing, analytical and numerical methods were applied respectively. Grooved region and land region were linked by u- sing the mass conservations principle at the groove/land boundary in each method. The block-weight approach was implemented to deal with the non-coincidence of mesh and radial groove pattern in nu- merical method. It was observed that the numerical solutions had higher precision as mesh number exceed 70 x 70, and the relaxation iteration of differential scheme presented the fastest convergence speed when relaxation factor was close to 1.94.

Study on lift-up speed of aerodynamic compliant foil thrust bearings

Objective The experimental study on the lift-up speed of a new kind of compliant aerodynamic foil thrust bearings was performed on the multifunctional test rig established for testing the performances of foil gas bearings.Methods The lift-up speed of foil gas thrust bearing under given axial load was analyzed through the spectrum of axial displacement response in frequency domain.Results The test results indicated that the difference in the spectrum of axial displacement responses before and after lifting up of the rotor was obvious.After lifting up of the rotor,there were only larger components of rotation frequency and lower harmanic frequencies.If the rotor wasn't lift-up,there were also larger components of other frequencies in the spectrum.Conclusion So by analyzing the spectrum of axial displacement response,the results showed that the lift-up speed was about 1860rpm when the axial load was 31N.

THE STATIC PERFORMANOE AND PARAMETER STUDY OF FLOATING-RING HYDRODYNAMIC THRUST BEARINGS

In this paper, floating--ring thrust bearings are investigated. A mathematical model is established to analyze the static performance of this kind of bearings, such as the load capacity, frictional power loss, temperature rise as well as the angular speed ratio between the floating ring and runner.Meanwhile, a parameter study is also conducted on the characteristics of floating-ring thrust bearings.Finally, the theoretical calculation results are verified by experiments.

INVESTIGATION ON THE APPLICATION OF THE BOUNDARY ELEMENT METHOD TO THE SPILL GROOVED THRUST BEARING

An application of the boundary element method (BEM) is presented to calculate the behaviors of a spiral grooved thrust bearing (SGTB). The basic reason is that the SGTB has very complex boundary conditions that can hinder the effective or sufficient applications of the finite difference method (FDM) and the finite element method (FEM), despite some existing work based on the FDM and the FEM. In other to apply the BEM, the pressure control equation, i. e., Reynolds' equation, is first transformed into Laplace's and Poisson's form of the equations. Discretization of the SGTB with a set of boundary elements is thus explained in detail, which also includes the handling of boundary conditions. The Archimedean SGTB is chosen as an example of the application Of BEM, and the relationship between the behaviors and structure parameters of the bearing are found and discussed through this calculation. The obtained results lay a solid foundation for a further work of the design of the SGTB.

Itaipu Binacional Hydro Power Plant Thrust Bearing Design Optimization for Higher Efficiency

Hydro generators installed in Itaipu Binacional power plant with 824/737 MVA rated output power （50/60 Hz） belong to the largest ones in the world. Among many unique features, the generators are equipped with the largest hydrodynamic thrust bearings ever built （external diameter 5,200 mm, axial load equals approximately 3,600 t）. This paper is an attempt to propose a new thrust bearing design with the use of the state-of-the-art technologies and simulation techniques that demonstrate a reduction of friction power losses generated by the thrust bearing. This paper is divided into two parts. Within the first one, the original thrust bearing design which was implemented in the generators is described. Related calculation results based on a TEHD （thermo-elasto-hydrodynamic） calculation software used by Alstom will be presented. A comparison between measurement results gathered in the 1980s is given. In the second part, a potential solution of a more beneficial bearing design is described. The proposed thrust bearing design modification is an implementation of Alstom＇s PolypadTM coating. This modern polymer （PEEK） coating material has already been used by Alstom in projects around the world for many years. This coating allows pushing the operating parameters limits toward higher temperatures and lower oil film thicknesses far beyond the limits known for the conventional bearing materials.

IMPROVEMENTS ON THE CONFIGURATION AND OPTIMUM PARAMETERS OF HIGH一SPEED THRUST BEARINGS

It is expounded that h2/ is the Reynolds number form of thrust bearings and effects of the centrifugal forees can be judged by its magnitude. Three methods improving the configuration of pads are given out to overcome the haimful influence of the centrifugal forees on the performance of bearings, and the optimized parameters for three kinds of high一speed thrust bearings are provi- ded by solving the varying一viscositied three一dimensional Reynolds equation.

Experimental study on the feasibility of alternative materials for tilting pad thrust bearings operating in transition to mixed friction

In hydrodynamic bearings traditional bearing alloys:Babbitts and bronzes are most frequently utilized.Polymer sliding layers are sometimes applied as a valuable alternative.Hard diamond-like carbon(DLC)coatings,which are also considered for certain applications may show some advantages,as well.Although material selection is of secondary importance in a full film lubrication regime it becomes important in mixed friction conditions,which is crucial for bearings with frequent starts and stops.Experimental research aimed at studying the performance of fluid film bearings in the specific operating regime,including the transition to mixed friction,is described in the paper.The tests were carried out on four tilting pad bearings of different material compositions:Steel/bronze,DLC/steel,steel/polyether ether ketone(PEEK),and steel/Babbitt.The tests comprised stopping under load and reproduction of the Stribeck curve by decreasing rotational speed to very low values,and observing the changes of friction force during the transition to mixed friction regime.Analysis of the transition conditions and other results showed clear differences between the tested bearings,illustrating the feasibility of less popular material compositions for bearings operating in specific conditions.More specifically,the DLC/steel bearing was demonstrating superior performance,i.e.lower friction,transition to mixed friction occurring at higher load,and more stable performance at start-stop regime over the other tested bearings.

Theoretical and experimental research on static stiffness,performance,and lift-off characteristics of multi-layer gas foil thrust bearings

In this study,a new comprehensive fully coupled elastic–hydrodynamic model is developed for a multi-layer gas foil thrust bearing(GFTB).The interaction effects among the top foil,back board,middle foil,and bottom foil,as well as the Coulomb friction effect,are considered.The stiffness and static characteristics obtained by the experimental and theoretical approaches are in good agreement,which verifies the accuracy of the model.The contribution of each foil layer to the overall stiffness and the load-carrying mechanism are analyzed.Interaction effects of the load,preload,and rotational speed on the static performance are investigated comprehensively.Furthermore,start–stop tests are performed to achieve the lift-off speed,start-up torque,and shut-down torque under various operating conditions.

Wear monitoring method of water-lubricated polymer thrust bearing based on ultrasonic reflection coefficient amplitude spectrum

The water-lubricated thrust bearings of the marine rim-driven thruster(RDT)are usually composed of polymer composites,which are prone to serious wear under harsh working conditions.Ultrasonic is an excellent non-destructive monitoring technology,but polymer materials are characterized by viscoelasticity,heterogeneity,and large acoustic attenuation,making it challenging to extract ultrasonic echo signals.Therefore,this paper proposes a wear monitoring method based on the amplitude spectrum of the ultrasonic reflection coefficient.The effects of bearing parameters,objective function,and algorithm parameters on the identification results are simulated and analyzed.Taking the correlation coefficient and root mean square error as the matching parameters,the thickness,sound velocity,density,and attenuation factor of the bearing are inversed simultaneously by utilizing the differential evolution algorithm(DEA),and the wear measurement system is constructed.In order to verify the identification accuracy of this method,an accelerated wear test under heavy load was executed on a multi-functional vertical water lubrication test rig with poly-ether-etherketone(PEEK)fixed pad and stainless-steel thrust collar as the object.The thickness of pad was measured using the high-precision spiral micrometer and ultrasonic testing system,respectively.Ultimately,the results demonstrate that the thickness identification error of this method is approximately 1%,and in-situ monitoring ability will be realized in the future,which is of great significance to the life prediction of bearings.

Thermo-elasto-hydrodynamic analysis of a specific multi-layer gas foil thrust bearing under thermal-fluid–solid coupling

Gas foil bearing faces severe and complex thermal-fluid–solid coupling issues when in ultra-high speed and miniaturized impeller machineries.In this study,a Thermo-Elasto-Hydrodynamic(TEHD)analysis of a specific multi-layer gas foil thrust bearing on the continuous loading process within a steady rotational speed is numerically investigated by a three-dimensional thermal-fluid–solid coupling method.Results indicate that the multi-layer foil exhibits nonlinear overall stiffness,with the thrust bottom foil serving as the primary elastic deformation structure,while the thrust top foil maintains a well-defined aerodynamic shape during a loading process,which helps reduce frictional damage and achieve an adequate loading capacity.For low loads,the fluctuation of the gas film is extremely sensitive,and it weakens dramatically as the load increases.The viscous heating and friction torque exhibit a linear relationship with an increasing bearing load after a rapid growth.Depending on the exact stacking sequence and contact position of the multi-layer gas foil,the overlapping configuration allows for efficient transfer of viscous-shearing heat accumulated at the smallest air film through thermal conduction while providing elastic support.Due to the strong inhomogeneity of the viscous heat under varying loads,the temperature distribution on the top foil surface shows pronounced variations,while the difference between the peak and average temperatures of the thrust plate and top foil surfaces widens substantially with an increasing load.

THE EFFECT OF OIL CAVITY DEPTH ON TEMPERATURE FIELD IN HEAVY HYDROSTATIC THRUST BEARING

For a heavy hydrostatic bearing with a high linear velocity, the results of numerical calculations often differ from practical conditions if the viscosity is considered as constant. In this article, the influence of the oil cavity depth on the temperature field in the heavy hydrostatic bearing is discussed in the context of variable viscosity. The viscosity-temperature relations for the gap oil film are first established by fitting B-Spline curves, then, numerical calculations for the temperature field in the heavy hydrostatic bearing of different oil cavity depths are carried out based on Finite Volume Method （FVM） under the same rotating speed, and the influence of the oil cavity depth on the temperature distribution in the gap oil film of the hydrostatic bearing is discussed. The results of numerical calculations provide the temperature distribution state inside the hydrostatic bearing, which would help the selection and the design of hydrostatic bearings in engineering practice.

Effect of presence of lifting pocket on the THD performance of a large tilting-pad thrust bearing

Hydrostatic assistance is a commonly used method to improve limited load carrying ability of tilting-pad thrust bearings during transient states of operation of vertical shaft hydro-generators.Despite of special hydraulic equipment(as pumps,valves,etc.),it also requires manufacturing of special recesses/pockets at pad sliding surfaces,into which oil is injected under high pressure.It allows to lift the rotor before start-up of the machine and form a hydrostatic film between pads and collar.There is a quite wide variety of geometry of recesses(shape,depth,and size)met in practical large bearing applications.The presence of a hydrostatic pocket(usually located in the sliding surface above the pivot area,where thin film,high oil pressure and temperature are observed)affects bearing performance under hydrodynamic operation.In theoretical researches,there is an almost common practice not to include hydrostatic recess in thermohydrodynamic(THD)or thermoelastohydrodynamic(TEHD)analysis.This is probably due to the problems with obtaining solution for oil film geometry with pocket,the order of magnitude of the pocket depths being larger than gap thickness.In this paper,an attempt was taken to study the effect of lifting pocket on THD performance of a large tilting-pad thrust bearing of Itaipu power plant.Bearing performance was evaluated including recess shape for several cases of its depth.The results show that hydrostatic recess changes calculated bearing properties quite significantly,especially in vicinity of the pocket.

Surface roughness characteristics effects on fluid load capability of tilt pad thrust bearings with water lubrication

The effects of surface roughness characteristics on the fluid load capacity of tilt pad thrust bearings with water lubrication were studied by the average flow model.The flow factors utilized in the average flow model were simulated with various surface roughness parameters including skewness,kurtosis and the roughness directional pattern.The results indicated that the fluid load capacity was not only affected by the RMS roughness but also by the surface roughness characteristics.The fluid load capacity was dramatically affected by the roughness directional pattern.The skewness had a lower effect than the roughness directional pattern.The kurtosis had no notable effect on the fluid load capacity.It was possible for the fluid load capacity of the tilt pad thrust bearings to be improved by the skewness and roughness direction pattern control.

New analytical solution for the analysis and design of permanent magnet thrust bearings

On the basis of the current sheet model, a new analytical solution for permanent magnet （PM） bearings is developed. Compared with analytical methods based on the coupling energy model and the magnetic dipole model, the proposed one is more physically intuitive and convenient for engineering designers. According to the analytical model, the thrust characteristics of a novel PM thrust bearing is studied and verified by finite element analysis （FEA）. In the proposed thrust bearing configuration, the rotor is composed of stacked PM tings with alternative axial magnetization directions, and the stator with alternative radial magnetization directions while copper rings are used to separate adjacent PM rings. A prototype PM thrust bearing with the proposed configuration is designed and fabricated. The performances of the PM thrust beating are experimentally validated. It is shown that the calculation accuracy of the presented analytical solution is satisfying.