Design and optimization of fluid lubricated bearings operated with extreme working performances——a comprehensive review

Fluid lubricated bearings have been widely adopted as support components for high-end equipment in metrology,semiconductor devices,aviation,strategic defense,ultraprecision manufacturing,medical treatment,and power generation.In all these applications,the equipment must deliver extreme working performances such as ultraprecise movement,ultrahigh rotation speed,ultraheavy bearing loads,ultrahigh environmental temperatures,strong radiation resistance,and high vacuum operation,which have challenged the design and optimization of reliable fluid lubricated bearings.Breakthrough of any related bottlenecks will promote the development course of high-end equipment.To promote the advancement of high-end equipment,this paper reviews the design and optimization of fluid lubricated bearings operated at typical extreme working performances,targeting the realization of extreme working performances,current challenges and solutions,underlying deficiencies,and promising developmental directions.This paper can guide the selection of suitable fluid lubricated bearings and optimize their structures to meet their required working performances.

A Review on Technologies for the Use of CO2 as a Working Fluid in Refrigeration and Power Cycles

The use of carbon dioxide as a working fluid has been the subject of extensive studies in recent years, particularly in the field of refrigeration where it is at the heart of research to replace CFC and HCFC. Its thermodynamic properties make it a fluid of choice in the efficient use of energy at low and medium temperatures in engine cycles. However, the performance of transcritical CO2 cycles weakens under high temperature and pressure conditions, especially in refrigeration systems;On the other hand, this disadvantage becomes rather interesting in engine cycles where CO2 can be used as an alternative to the organic working fluid in small and medium-sized electrical systems for low quality or waste heat sources. In order to improve the performance of systems operating with CO2 in the field of refrigeration and electricity production, research has made it possible to develop several concepts, of which this article deals with a review of the state of the art, followed by analyzes in-depth and critical of the various developments to the most recent modifications in these fields. Detailed discussions on the performance and technical characteristics of the different evolutions are also highlighted as well as the factors affecting the overall performance of the systems studied. Finally, perspectives on the future development of the use of CO2 in these different cycles are presented.

Dynamic modelling and engineering simulation of fluid mechanics in water injectors

To study the fluid dynamic response mechanism under the working condition of water injection well borehole,based on the microelement analysis of fluid mechanics and the classical theory of hydrodynamics,a fluid microelement pressure-flow rate relationship model is built to derive and solve the dynamic distribution of fluid pressure and flow rate in the space of well borehole.Combined with the production data of a typical deviated well in China,numerical simulations and analyses are carried out to analyze the dynamic distribution of wellbore pressure at different injection pressures and injection volumes,the delayed and attenuated characteristics of fluid transmission in tube,and the dynamic distribution of wellbore pressure amplitude under the fluctuation of wellhead pressure.The pressure loss along the wellbore has nothing to do with the absolute pressure,and the design of the coding and decoding scheme for wave code communication doesn’t need to consider the absolute pressure during injecting.When the injection pressure is constant,the higher the injection flow rate at the wellhead,the larger the pressure loss along the wellbore.The fluid wave signal delay amplitude mainly depends on the length of the wellbore.The smaller the tubing diameter,the larger the fluid wave signal attenuation amplitude.The higher the target wave code amplitude(differential pressure identification root mean square)generated at the same well depth,the greater the wellhead pressure wave amplitude required to overcome the wellbore pressure loss.

Temporal variations in geochemistry of hydraulic fracturing fluid and flowback water in a tight oil reservoir

Hydraulic fracturing facilitates the development and exploitation of unconventional reservoirs.In this study,the injected hydraulic fracturing fluid(HFF)and flowback and produced water(FPW)in tight oil reservoirs of the Lucaogou Formation in the Junggar Basin are temporally sampled from day 1 to day 64.Freshwater is used for fracturing,and HFF is obtained.The chemical and isotopic parameters(including the water type,total salinity,total dissolved solids(TDS),pH,concentrations of Na^(+),Cl^(-),Ba^(+),K^(+),Fe^(2+)+Fe^(3+),and CO_(3)^(2-),dD,and δ^(18)O)are experimentally obtained,and their variations with time are systematically analyzed based on the flowback water.The results show that the water type,Na/Cl ratio,total salinity,and TDS of the FPW change periodically primarily due to the HFF mixing with formation water,thus causing δD and δ^(18)O to deviate from the meteoric water line of Xinjiang.Because of watererock interaction(WRI),the concentrations of Fe^(2+)+Fe^(3+)and CO_(3)^(2-)of the FPW increase over time,with the solution pH becoming more alkaline.Furthermore,based on the significant changes observed in the geochemistry of the FPW,three separate time intervals of flowback time are identified:Stage Ⅰ(<10 days),where the FPW is dominated by the HFF and the changes in ions and isotopes are mainly caused by the WRI;Stage Ⅱ(10-37 days),where the FPW is dominated by the addition of formation water to the HFF and the WRI is weakened;and finally,Stage Ⅲ(>37 days),where the FPW is dominated by the chemistry of the formation water.The methodology implemented in this study can provide critical support for the source identification of formation water.

Implication of Water-Rock Interaction for Enhancing Shale Gas Production

Horizontal well drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing technologies are at the root of commercial shale gas development and exploitation.During these processes,typically,a large amount of working fluid enters the formation,resulting in widespread water-rock interaction.Deeply understanding such effects is required to optimize the production system.In this study,the mechanisms of water-rock interaction and the associated responses of shale fabric are systematically reviewed for working fluids such as neutral fluids,acid fluids,alkali fluids and oxidative fluids.It is shown that shale is generally rich in water-sensitive components such as clay minerals,acidsensitive components(like carbonate minerals),alkali-sensitive components(like quartz),oxidative-sensitive components(like organic matter and pyrite),which easily lead to change of rock fabric and mechanical properties owing to water-rock interaction.According to the results,oxidizing acid fluids and oxidizing fracturing fluids should be used to enhance shale gas recovery.This study also indicates that an aspect playing an important role in increasing cumulative gas production is the optimization of the maximum shut-in time based on the change point of the wellhead pressure drop rate.Another important influential factor to be considered is the control of the wellhead pressure considering the stress sensitivity and creep characteristics of the fracture network.

A study of the properties of hydrophobically associating water-soluble polymers used in drilling fluids

Hydrophobically associating water-soluble polymers (HPAP) have been synthesized from acrylamide(AM), acrylate (AA), 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) and hydrophobic monomer (AP) in aqueous solution by radical polymerization. New polymer drilling fluids are made up of HPAP, which is used as viscosifiers and encapsulation agents. Properties of this system are reported in this paper. Results indicate that this system has a high value of yield point to plastic viscosity (YP/PV≥0.7), high viscosity at a low-shear rate (LSRV≥30000mPa·s), excellent shear thinning behavior, good solid-carrying behavior, resistance to shear, good thermal stability (as high as 140℃) and salt resistance. The system has excellent behavior in high-density solution of NaCl and in calcium and magnesium rich saline solutions. Hence, HPAP also can be used in saltwater polymer drilling fluids.

Gas-hydrate formation,agglomeration and inhibition in oil-based drilling fluids for deep-water drilling

One of the main challenges in deep-water drilling is gas-hydrate plugs,which make the drilling unsafe.Some oil-based drilling fluids（OBDF） that would be used for deep-water drilling in the South China Sea were tested to investigate the characteristics of gas-hydrate formation,agglomeration and inhibition by an experimental system under the temperature of 4 ？C and pressure of 20 MPa,which would be similar to the case of 2000 m water depth.The results validate the hydrate shell formation model and show that the water cut can greatly influence hydrate formation and agglomeration behaviors in the OBDF.The oleophobic effect enhanced by hydrate shell formation which weakens or destroys the interfacial films effect and the hydrophilic effect are the dominant agglomeration mechanism of hydrate particles.The formation of gas hydrates in OBDF is easier and quicker than in water-based drilling fluids in deep-water conditions of low temperature and high pressure because the former is a W/O dispersive emulsion which means much more gas-water interfaces and nucleation sites than the later.Higher ethylene glycol concentrations can inhibit the formation of gas hydrates and to some extent also act as an anti-agglomerant to inhibit hydrates agglomeration in the OBDF.

CAD/CAE OF THE WORKING CHARACTERISTICS OF A NEW TYPE OF FLUID COUPLING SHOCK ABSORBER

For purpose of simulation of the working characteristics of a new type offluid coupling shock absorber for vibration protection of sensitive equipment, a physical model ispresented by analyzing the internal fluid dynamic phenomenon with respect to the coupling shockabsorber and implemented in MATLAB software package. Using the model it is possible to evaluate theimportance of different factors for design of the shock absorber. In the meantime, the key-modelmachine is designed for coupling dynamic test. Comparisons with experimental results confirm thevalidity of the model. So the CAD/CAE software has been developed in MATLAB for design andexperimental test of the new coupling shock absorber.

Simulation investigation on fluid characteristics of jet pipe water hydraulic servo valve based on CFD

Simulation investigation on fluid characteristics of the water hydraulic jet pipe servo valve （WHJPSV） is conducted through a commercial computational fluid dynamics （CFD） software package FLUENT. In particular, the factors to fluid characteristics of WHJPSV are addressed, which include diameter combination of jet pipe and receiver pipe, jet pipe nozzle clearance, angle between two jet receiver pipes and deflection angle of the jet pipe. It is concluded from the results that： （i） Structural parameters have great influences on fluid characteristics of WHJPSV, when d1 = d2 = 0.3 mm, α= 45 , b = 0.5 mm, and the simulation exhibits better fluid characteristics; （ii） The magnitude of the recovery pressure and flow velocity increase almost linearly with the deflection angle of jet pipe. The research work in this paper is important for determining and optimizing the structural parameters of the jet pipe and jet receiver. The relevant conclusions could be extended to the study of other water hydraulic servo control components.

Energy Recovery Device with a Fluid Switcher for Seawater Reverse Osmosis System

Energy recovery device （ERD） is an important part of the seawater reverse osmosis （SWRO） desalination system. There are principally two kinds of ERDs, the centrifugal type and the positive displacement （PD） type. The PD type is of extensive concern and is preferred in large-scale plants. In this article, an innovative fluid switcher was presented and a two-cylinder hydraulic energy recovery unit with a lab-scale fluid switcher was set up. Tap water was used as the working medium instead of the actual seawater and brine in SWRO desalination plants. Under steady state operating conditions, the experimental results were obtained on the variations of the pressure and flow rate to and from the energy recovery unit. The hydraulic recovery efficiency （En） of the energy recovery unit with the fluid switcher reached up to 76.83%.

Measurement and Prediction of Vapor Pressure for H20 ＋ CHaOH] C2HsOH ＋ [BMIM][DBP] Ternary Working Fluids

The ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dibutylphosphate ([BMIM][DBP]) was prepared and the vapor pressures of three set of binary solutions H2O(1)/CH3OH(1)/C2H5OH(1) + [BMIM][DBP](2) were measured at different temperature and in the ILs mole fraction range from 0.1 to 0.6 with a static equilibrium apparatus. The measured vapor pressures were correlated with Non-Random Two Liquid (NRTL) activity coefficient model and the average relative deviations (ARD) between experimental and correlated vapor pressures for these binary solutions were 3.19%, 2.42% and 2.95%, respectively. Then, the vapor pressures of two set of ternary solutions H2O(1) + CH3OH(2)/C2H5OH(2) + [BMIM][DBP](3) were measured with an inclined boiling apparatus and further predicted with NRTL activity coefficient model based on the binary interaction parameters coming from fitting the vapor pressures of the binary solutions. The results indicated that the ternary solutions containing [BMIM][DBP] were shown a strong negative deviation from Raoult's Law when the mole fraction of [BMIM][DBP] was larger than 0.2, which meant that ternary solutions could absorb the refrigerant vapors at the same or below solution temperature. Meanwhile, the average relative deviations between experimental and predicted vapor pressures for ternary solutions were 2.92% and 3.06%, respectively. Consequently, the NRTL active coefficient model used for non-electrolyte solutions was still valid for predicting vapor-liquid equilibrium of binary or ternary solutions containing ILs.

Effects of ORC Working Fluids on Combined Cycle Integrated with SOFC and ORC for Stationary Power Generation

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of working fluid on conventional combined cycle integrated with pressurized solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and waste heat recovery organic Rankine cycle (ORC) for stationary utility power generation. The mathematical model of a natural gas fueled design configuration is developed in Matlab and Simulink and simulated with 14 working fluids. The effluent gases of SOFC undergo combustion in the combustion chamber and it is utilized in the gas turbine, steam turbine cycle and ORC. The model is compared with those found in literature and the parametric studies of temperature, flow rate, fuel utilization factor and exhaust gas on the system efficiency are examined. Results revealed that working fluids show a closely related behavior in efficiency at low pressure ratio and high flow fraction, fuel utilization, and temperature. R-123 was found to perform the best among 14 working fluids studied, yielding a system energy efficiency of 70% in the combined cycle integrated with SOFC and ORC.

Oblique Water Wave Scattering by Bottom Undulation in a Two-layer Fluid Flowing Through a Channel

The problem of oblique wave （internal wave） propagation over a small deformation in a channel flow consisting of two layers was considered. The upper fluid was assumed to be bounded above by a rigid lid, which is an approximation for the free surface, and the lower one was bounded below by an impermeable bottom surface having a small deformation; the channel was unbounded in the horizontal directions. Assuming irrotational motion, the perturbation technique was employed to calculate the first-order corrections of the velocity potential in the two fluids by using Green＇s integral theorem suitably with the introduction of appropriate Green＇s functions. Those functions help in calculating the reflection and transmission coefficients in terms of integrals involving the shape ftmction c（x） representing the bottom deformation. Three-dimensional linear water wave theory was utilized for formulating the relevant boundary value problem. Two special examples of bottom deformation were considered to validate the results. Consideration of a patch of sinusoidal ripples （having the same wave number） shows that the reflection coefficient is an oscillatory function of the ratio of twice the x-component of the wave number to the ripple wave number. When this ratio approaches one, the theory predicts a resonant interaction between the bed and the interface, and the reflection coefficient becomes a multiple of the number of ripples. High reflection of incident wave energy occurs if this number is large. Similar results were observed for a patch of sinusoidal ripples having different wave numbers. It was also observed that for small angles of incidence, the reflected energy is greater compared to other angles of incidence up to π/ 4. These theoretical observations are supported by graphical results.

Application of sustainable basil seed as an eco-friendly multifunctional additive for water-based drilling fluids

Basil seed,containing anionic heteropolysaccharides in its outer pericarp,swells as gelatinous hydrocolloid when soaked in water.In this study,basil seed powder(BSP)was used as a multifunctional additive for water-based drilling fluids.The chemical composition,water absorbency,rheological properties of aqueous suspension of BSP were tested.The effect of BSP on the rheological and filtration of bentonitebased drilling fluid before and after thermal aging was investigated.The inhibition characteristics were evaluated by linear swelling,shale cuttings dispersion and shale immersion test.Lubricity improvement by BSP was measured with extreme pressure lubricity test.The results revealed that incorporation of BSP into bentonite suspension improved rheological and filtration properties effectively after thermal aging of 120℃.BSP exhibited superior inhibitive capacity to xanthan and synergistic effect with KCl.BSP could reduce friction by forming hydration layer.The nanoscale three-dimensional network structures enable BSP to maintain high water retention and absorb strongly on bentonite and metal surface,contributing to enhanced rheology,filtration,inhibition and lubrication properties.The versatile characteristic of BSP,as well as biodegradation makes it a promising additive using in high performance water-based drilling fluid and a potential alternative to conventional synthetic polymers.

Evaluation of working fluids for organic Rankine cycles using group-contribution methods and second-law-based models

The group-contribution (GC) methods suffer from a limitation concerning to the prediction of process-related indexes, e.g., thermal efficiency. Recently developed analytical models for thermal efficiency of organic Rankine cycles (ORCs) provide a possibility of overcoming the limitation of the GC methods because these models formulate thermal efficiency as functions of key thermal properties. Using these analytical relations together with GC methods, more than 60 organic fluids are screened for medium-low temperature ORCs. The results indicate that the GC methods can estimate thermal properties with acceptable accuracy (mean relative errors are 4.45%-11.50%);the precision, however, is low because the relative errors can vary from less than 0.1% to 45.0%. By contrast, the GC-based estimation of thermal efficiency has better accuracy and precision. The relative errors in thermal efficiency have an arithmetic mean of about 2.9% and fall within the range of 0-24.0%. These findings suggest that the analytical equations provide not only a direct way of estimating thermal efficiency but an accurate and precise approach to evaluating working fluids and guiding computer-aided molecular design of new fluids for ORCs using GC methods.

Analysis on optimal working fluid flowrate and unstable power generation for miniaturized ORC systems

For efficient utilization of a limited geothermal resource in practical projects,the cycle parameters were comprehensively analyzed by combining with the heat transfer performance of the plate heat exchanger,with a variation of flowrate of R245 fa.The influence of working fluid flowrate on a 500 W ORC system was investigated.Adjusting the working fluid flowrate to an optimal value results in the most efficient heat transfer and hence the optimal heat transfer parameters of the plate heat exchanger can be determined.Therefore,for the ORC systems,optimal working fluid flowrate should be controlled.Using different temperature hot water as the heat source,it is found that the optimal flowrate increases by 6-10 L/h with 5 ℃ increment of hot water inlet temperature.During experiment,lower degree of superheat of the working fluid at the outlet the plate heat exchanger may lead to unstable power generation.It is considered that the plate heat exchanger has a compact construction which makes its bulk so small that liquid mixture causes the unstable power generation.To avoid this phenomenon,the flow area of plate heat exchanger should be larger than the designed one.Alternatively,installing a small shell and tube heat exchanger between the outlet of plate heat exchanger and the inlet of expander can be another solution.

Tribological Properties and Machining Performance of Vegetable Oil Based Metal Working Fluids—A Review

Lubricants are playing an important role in world industrial and economic development, mainly by reducing friction and wear in mechanical contacts. The outlook for eco-friendly MWFs for the next decade is 15% of global volume share. Due to ever increasing demand for environmentally acceptable products suitable for use as MWFs, vegetable oil-based MWFs are drawing the attention of researchers across the globe. Owing to the desirable properties of vegetable oils as cutting fluids, vegetable oil-based cutting fluids play an important role in conserving the environment by means of sustainability. This paper focuses on various vegetable oil being developed to promote biodegradable MWFs across the world. The performance of vegetable oils with respect to cutting and thrust force, tool wear, temperature, surface roughness in turning, drilling, milling and grinding a wide variety of materials are studied and reported. The review also throws light on the tribological behavior of vegetable oils that influence the lubricity in Metal working process. The review reveals that vegetable oils offer an alternative, eco-friendly and sustainable MFWs for the future of manufacturing.

Development and applications of solids-free oil-in-water drilling fluids

The increasing application of near balanced drilling technology to low-pressure and depleted fractured reservoirs requires the use of low-density drilling fluids to avoid formation damage. Solidsfree oil-in-water （O/W） emulsion drilling fluid is one type of low-density drilling fluid suitable for depleted fractured reservoirs. In this paper, the solids-free O/W drilling fluid was developed and has been successfully used in the Bozhong 28-1 oil and gas field, by which lost circulation, a severe problem occurred previously when drilling into fractured reservoir beds, was controlled, thereby minimizing formation damage. The O/W emulsion drilling fluid was prepared by adding 20% （by volume） No. 5 mineral oil （with high flash point, as dispersed phase） into seawater （as continuous phase）. Surfactant HTO-1 （as a primary emulsifier） and non-ionic surfactant HTO-2 （as a secondary emulsifier） were added into the drilling fluid system to stabilize the emulsion; and YJD polymer was also added to seawater to improve the viscosity of the continuous phase （seawater）. The drilling fluid was characterized by high flash point, good thermal stability and high stability to crude oil contamination.

Selection of organic Rankine cycle working fluid based on unit-heat-exchange-area net power

To improve energy conversion efficiency, optimization of the working fluids in organic Rankine cycles(ORCs) was explored in the range of low-temperature heat sources. The concept of unit-heat-exchange-area(UHEA) net power, embodying the cost/performance ratio of an ORC system, was proposed as a new indicator to judge the suitability of ORC working fluids on a given condition. The heat exchange area was computed by an improved evaporator model without fixing the minimum temperature difference between working fluid and hot fluid, and the flow pattern transition during heat exchange was also taken into account. The maximum UHEA net powers obtained show that dry organic fluids are more suitable for ORCs than wet organic fluids to recover low-temperature heat. The organic fluid 1-butene is recommended if the inlet temperature of hot fluid is 353.15-363.15 K or443.15-453.15 K, heptane is more suitable at 373.15-423.15 K, and R245 ca is a good option at 483.15-503.15 K.

A simulating experiment on the geochemical variation trend at the initial period of meteoric waters converting to underground waters and ore fluids

Experimental studies were undertaken on leaching of sedimentary rocks (dolomite and sandstone) and Hg, Sb ores by distilled water under the condition of a completely open system (room temperature and room pressure). The aim is to find whether the halogen elements or metal elements first enter the solution at the early stage of meteoric waters converting to groundwaters and ore fluids, and, at the same time, to understand how and when they enter distilled water solutions from the rocks. The experimental results have shown that F and Cl began to enter the fluids in the initial period of thirty days. With increasing leaching duration, the amounts of the elements that entered the fluids increased steadily. During the period from 120 days to 150 days the amounts increased more drastically, followed a slow increase. It is found that the capability of Cl entering the solutions is much greater than that of F. Hg and Sb were found not to have entered the solutions till 120 days later. During this period of time the pH value of the solutions began to drop. As for Hg and Sb ores, Hg and Sb began to enter the solutions on the 60th or 90th day, greatly ahead of schedule, but the two metallic elements in the rock samples began to enter the solutions 150 days later. Relatively speaking, Hg is more easily leached out than Sb from the rocks. In some rock samples, Sb could be detected in the solutions at the end of the experiment. However, Cu, Pb and Zn had not been detected in the leaching solutions from the beginning to the end of the experiment. In the whole leaching process the pH value of the solutions tend to decrease slowly from {7.1} at the beginning to {6.5} at the end. That is to say, in the interaction between pure water and rock the halogen elements in the rocks were preferentially leached out and then entered the fluids. With increasing water/rock reaction duration and amount of halogen-group elements in the solution and with decreasing pH value of the solution, some active metallic elements began to release in small amounts. This experimental result can explain the source and mechanism of volatile components and trace metals in underground waters. Meanwhile, as for those ore deposits produced by ore fluids derived from meteoric waters, the experimental result is also helpful to the understanding of the geochemical variation trend at the initial stage of conversion of meteoric waters to ore fluids.