Thesis (M.App.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-128). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

The diploma thesis deals with calibration of AE sensors used in diagnostics of bearings. Two different conceptual solutions similar to those used in the diagnostics of bearings were designed in the design. Subsequently, the experimental device was designed for relative calibration using the rotation of bearings as a continuous AE source. The experimental part is oriented to the observation of the RMS parameter, which serves as a sensor sensitivity evaluation parameter. As sources of AE, bearings with a certain type of damage were used, which allowed for the formation of sensitivity characteristics according to the type of damage. Sensitivity characteristics of selected AE sensors have been developed to determine the effectiveness in relative calibration. The exponential sensitivity sensitivity of the MDK-13 sensors was observed on the software amplification of the AE analyzer. A proposal for the calibration method for MDK-13 type sensors was developed on the principle of comparison with the reference sensor.

<p> Steel-reinforced elastomeric isolator (SREI) bearings are currently the most commonly used type of seismic isolators. However, high manufacturing and associated installation costs prohibit their application in ordinary residential and commercial buildings. Fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolator (FREI) bearings are comprised of alternating layers of elastomer bonded to fiber-reinforcement layers. Research studies have shown that FREI bearings can be used as an alternative to SREI-bearings with comparable performance.</p> <p> FREis are much lighter in weight than traditional SREIs. In addition, their manufacturing cost can be lower, if individual FREI bearings, with the required size, are cut from a large sheet or a long strip, fabricated through mass production manufacturing techniques. An appealing application which simplifies the installation of FREI bearings is when they are placed between the substructure and superstructure with no bonding at their contact surfaces. This specific application is denoted as "unhanded application".</p> <p> When an unbonded FREI bearing is deformed laterally, it shows "rollover deformation" due to lack of flexural rigidity in the fiber-reinforcement sheets. The rollover deformation, as a beneficial feature, reduces the lateral stiffness of the bearing and enhances its seismic isolation efficiency, compared to the same bearing employed with bonded contact surfaces. However, it is important that the bearing is properly sized to maintain its lateral stability and hence exhibit ''stable rollover" (SR) deformation. Such a bearing is termed in this thesis as "stable unbonded" (SU)-FREI bearing.</p> <p> The main objectives of this research were to investigate the influence of geometry on the lateral response behavior of unbonded FREI bearings, and to evaluate the feasibility of employing SU-FREI bearings for seismic mitigation of low-rise buildings. The first objective was accomplished by conducting an experimental study on full-scale square FREI bearings. To achieve the latter objective a shake table study was performed on a 1/4 scale 2-storey steel frame which was seismically isolated with 1/4 scale SU-FREI bearings. The mechanical properties, including vertical and lateral stiffnesses and effective damping, of prototype samples of the 1/4 scale SU-FREI bearings were evaluated by vertical compression testing and cyclic lateral shear (under constant compression) testing. In addition, the influence of parameters such as lateral displacement amplitude and rate, amplitude history, and variations in the vertical pressure on the lateral response of the 1/4 scale SU-FREI bearings, were investigated.</p> <p> It was found that for FREI bearings having identical material properties and shape factor (the plan area of the bearing divided by the perimeter area of a single elastomer layer) the aspect ratio (length to total height of the bearing, also called second shape factor) plays an important role in achieving stable lateral response. All tested prototype 1/4. scale SU-FREI bearings exhibited SR-deformation with sufficient lateral flexibility and damping. Lateral response was found to be nonlinear and dependent on the amplitude and history of lateral displacement. However, due to the application of a relatively low design vertical pressure of 1.6 MPa, the influence of ±50% variation in the design vertical pressure on the lateral response was found to be insignificant. Lateral displacement capacity of the SU-FREI bearings was attained when their originally vertical faces fully contacted the upper and lower horizontal supports. This was accompanied with a significant increase in the lateral stiffness of the bearings which maintains the overall stability of the bearing to unexpectedly large ground motions. Shake table tests clearly demonstrated that SU-FREI bearings were efficient in seismic mitigation of the test-structure.</p> <p> The final component of this thesis involves investigating the applicability of two simplified analytical models in seismic response prediction of a base isolated structure. The two models use different techniques to simulate the lateral load-displacement hysteresis loops of prototype SU-FREI bearings which are obtained from cyclic shear tests (under constant compression). Model 1 includes the rate and the amplitude of bearings' lateral displacements to simulate the hysteresis loops through a multi-parameter curve fitting function. Model 2 uses bilinear idealization to simulate the hysteresis loops. Due to the highly nonlinear lateral response of SU-FREI bearings, these models utilize an iterative time history analysis approach to improve their accuracy. Comparisons with shake table results of a 1A scale structure show that both models can be used in response prediction of ordinary structures which are seismically isolated with SU-FREI bearings.</p>. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This thesis concentrates on the study of hybrid gas journal bearings (bearings with externally pressurized mass addition). It differs from most work in that it goes back to “basics” to explore the hydrodynamic phenomena in the bearing gap. The thesis compares geometrically identical bearings with 2 configurations of external pressurization, porous liners where mass-addition compensation is varied by varying the liner’s permeability, and bushings with 2 rows of 6 feedholes where the mass-addition compensation is varied by the feedhole diameter. Experimentally, prototype bearings with mass-addition compensation that spans 2 orders of magnitude with differing clearances are built and their aerostatic properties and mass addition characteristics are thoroughly tested. The fundamental equations for compressible, laminar, Poiseuille flow are used to suggest how the mass flow “compensation” should be mathematically modeled. This is back-checked against the experimental mass flow measurements and is used to determine a mass-addition compensation parameter (called Kmeas) for each prototype bushing. In so doing, the methodology of modeling and measuring the mass addition in a hybrid gas bearing is re-examined and an innovative, practical, and simple method is found that makes it possible to make an “apples-to-apples” comparison between different configurations of external pressurization. This mass addition model is used in conjunction with the Reynolds equation to perform theory-based numerical analysis of virtual hybrid gas journal bearings (CFD experiments). The first CFD experiments performed use virtual bearings modeled to be identical to the experimental prototypes and replicate the experimental work. The results are compared and the CFD model is validated. The ontological significance of appropriate dimensionless similitude parameters is re-examined and a, previously lacking, complete set of similitude factors is found for hybrid bearings. A new practical method is developed to study in unprecedented detail the aerostatic component of the hybrid bearings. It is used to definitively compare the feedhole bearings to the porous liner bearings. The hydrostatic bearing efficiency (HBE) is defined and it is determined that the maximum achievable hydrostatic bearing efficiency (MAHBE) is determined solely by the bearing’s mass addition configuration. The MAHBE of the porous liner bearings is determined to be over 5 times that of the feedhole bearings. The method also presents a means to tune the Kmeas to the clearance to achieve the MAHBE as well as giving a complete mapping of the hitherto misunderstood complex shapes of aerostatic load versus radial deflection curves. This method also rediscovers the obscure phenomenon of static instability which is called in this thesis the “near surface effect” and appears to be the first work to present a practical method to predict the range of static instability and quantify its resultant stiffness fall-off. It determines that porous liner type bearings are not subject to the phenomenon which appears for feedhole type bearings when the clearance exceeds a critical value relative to its mass-addition compensation. The standing pressure waves of hydrostatic and hybrid bearings with the 2 configurations of external pressurization as well as a geometrically identical hydrodynamic bearing are studied in detail under the methodology of the “CFD microscope”. This method is used to characterize and identify the development, growth, and movement of the pressure wave extrema with increased hydrodynamic action (either increasing speed or increasing eccentricity). This method is also used to determine the “cause” of the “near surface effect”. A gedanken experiment is performed based on these results which indicates that a bearing with a “stronger aerostatic strength” component should be more stable than one with a low aerostatic strength component. Numerical instability “speed limits” are found that are also related to the hydrostatic strength of the bearing. The local conditions in the standing waves are characterized in terms of their local Mach number, Knudsen number, Reynolds number, and Taylor Number. It is concluded that low eccentricity bearing whirl can be attributed to the off load-line orientation of the bearing load force caused by the overlay of the hydrodynamic bearing standing wave onto the hydrostatic bearing wave of the hybrid bearing, whereas it is hypothesized that aperiodic and random self-excited vibration which occurs at high eccentricity, as reported in the literature, is probably due to shock waves, turbulence, near surface effect, and slip at local areas of the standing wave.

In Vakuumanwendungen, wie Molekularpumpen oder Schwungradenergiespeichern, treffen oftmals hohe Drehzahlen auf schwierige Kühlbedingungen. Es besteht daher der Bedarf nach aktiven Magnetlagern mit einem besonders geringem Leistungsbedarf sowie geringen Ummagnetisierungsverlusten im Rotor. Die zur Verlustminimierung prädestinierten Pulververbundwerkstoffe (SMC - Soft Magnetic Composites) finden aufgrund ihrer geringen mechanischen Festigkeit bisher keine Anwendung in industriellen Hochgeschwindigkeitsanwendungen. In diesem Artikel wird das DFG-Projekt „Verlustarme magnetische Radial-/Axiallagerung unter Verwendung von Pulververbundwerkstoffen“ zusammengefasst sowie abschließend der experimentelle Nachweis erbracht, dass die neu entwickelte dreipolige Lagerstruktur mit kombiniertem Radial- und Axiallager den Einsatz von SMC auch bei Drehzahlen von bis zu 30 000 U/min erlaubt. Eine Projizierung der Messergebnisse auf verlustoptimierte industrielle SMC-Sorten verspricht zudem ein Reduzierungspotential der Ummagnetisierungsverluste von mindestens 23 – 44%, wobei insbesondere kompakte und hochausgenutzte Geometrien im Vorteil sind.

<p dir="ltr">Rolling element bearings (REBs) are common components in rotating equipment. They are used to carry loads and allow for rotation and misalignments with minimal friction. There exists a wide variety of ball and roller bearings that are suited for a wide variety of applications. All varieties of REBs operate with the same fundamental principles: force transferred from the shaft is applied to the inner race of a bearing, distributed among the rolling elements, and passed on through the outer race to the bearing housing. Load distribution among the rolling elements and the dynamic performance of the bearing is dependent on the bearing’s specifications and operating conditions. Bearing-housing and inner race-shaft fit classifications also control the bearing radial internal clearance (RIC), which eventually affects the bearing performance and load transferred to the housing.</p><p dir="ltr">This thesis experimentally and analytically investigates the load distribution and dynamic performance of rolling elements and investigates roller slip, tilt, and skew in a spherical roller bearing (SRB) under various combinations of loads and speeds. In order to have better insight into the effect of flexible housing and shaft on load distribution and dynamics of REBs, it was experimentally investigated the variation of inner race-shaft and outer race-housing interfaces on load and pressure maps at the bearing-housing interface for four different varieties of rolling element bearing: deep groove ball bearings, angular contact ball bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, and spherical roller bearings. Moreover, an integrated rotor-bearing housing system model developed to examine the behaviors of the rotor, bearing, and housing operating under various conditions.</p><p dir="ltr">In order to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamic behavior of REBs, a full six degree of freedom SRB dynamic model was developed in MSC ADAMS software. C++ based ADAMS/Solver subroutines, called dynamic bearing model (DBM), were developed and incorporated in ADAMS to compute reaction forces and moments in a rolling element bearing. DBM is based on the discrete element method (DEM), which assumes each of the bearing elements (i.e., rolling elements, cage, inner race, and outer race) to be a rigid body with six degrees-of freedom (DOF) in a three-dimensional space. A novel test rig (spherical roller bearing test rig, SRBTR) was also designed and developed to investigate load distribution and roller slip, tilt, and skew in an SRB. The test rig utilized a double-row SRB and was designed to allow for direct visual access to each row using a high-speed camera. The dynamic behavior of the rollers was corroborated with the developed analytical model. The experimental and analytical results indicate that the roller tilt angle increases with axial load, remains constant with speed, and decreases with increasing radial load when the roller is located in the load zone. Furthermore, roller skew in the load zone increases with axial load and shaft speed; however, it decreases with the radial load. The results indicate that when the radial-to-axial load ratio is greater than 4, roller tilt and skew are minimized. Due to roller intermittent slip and roller cage pocket collision in the unload zone, tilt and skew become unpredictable. The magnitude of the tilt and skew in the unload zone is directly related to the roller-race and roller-cage pocket clearances, respectively. Another test rig (pressure mapping test rig, PMTR) was designed to solely investigate how bearing-housing and inner race-shaft interfaces affect the load distribution in REBs. Thin film pressure sensors were utilized and placed around the perimeter of the test bearings inside of a housing to experimentally evaluate the pressure distribution between REBs and a housing under different loads and bearing-shaft and bearing-housing interfaces. Pressure map results were used to evaluate the effect of radial internal clearance on the load distribution of different bearing types. Pressure map results confirmed that the amplitude of load variation reduces with the bearing internal clearance. The thin film sensor system was also used to investigate the circumferential load distribution on the housing.</p><p dir="ltr">Previous ADAMS bearing models have assumed the bearing outer race to be fixed to the ground and the bearing inner race to be attached to a rigid shaft. In order to develop a more realistic and versatile bearing simulation tool, ADAMS bearing models were combined with flexible housings and rotor. To achieve an integrated rotor-bearing housing system model, the ADAMS bearing model was coupled through a set of interface points using component-mode-synthesis (CMS) for the rotor and housing model. The bearing outer races were discretized into multiple nodes to compute the force and deformation at the bearing housing conformal contact as well as to minimize the computational requirements associated with the conformal contact problems. The integrated model was then utilized to investigate the effects of rotor flexibility in the bearing rotor system and the effect of bearing clearance and housing clearance on bearing dynamics. It was demonstrated that the flexibility of the rotor has a significant effect on bearing element motion and dynamics. The results also indicated that depending on the bearing type, the shaft deflection can induce a moment within the bearing that is not readily identifiable from elementary theory. The results showed that the flexible housing undergoes deformations that create ovality in the bearing housing, thus affecting bearing dynamics. The model was also used to investigate bearing performance in a miniature wind turbine main shaft, utilizing a combination of SRB and cylindrical roller bearing (CRB) ADAMS models. Results suggest that the axial-to-radial load ratio should be less than the tangent of the SRB contact angle to avoid premature failure due to rollers sliding in the SRB as well as detrimental parallel misalignment in the CRB.</p>

Control Designs for Low-Loss Active Magnetic Bearings: Theory and Implementation Brian C. D. Wilson 327 Pages Directed by Dr. Panagiotis Tsiotras and Dr. Bonnie Heck-Ferri Active Magnetic Bearings (AMB) have been proposed for use in Electromechanical Flywheel Batteries. In these devices, kinetic energy is stored in a magnetically levitated flywheel which spins in a vacuum. The AMB eliminates all mechanical losses, however, electrical loss, hich is proportional to the square of the magnetic flux, is still significant. For fficient operation, the flux bias, which is typically introduced into the electromagnets to improve the AMB stiffness, must be reduced, preferably to zero. This zero-bias (ZB) mode of operation cripples the classical control techniques which are customarily used and nonlinear control is required. As a compromise between AMB stiffness and efficiency, a new flux bias scheme is proposed called the generalized complementary flux condition(gcfc). A flux-bias dependent trade-off exists between AMB stiffness, power consumption, and power loss. This work theoretically develops and experimentally verifies new low-loss AMB control designs which employ the gcfc condition. Particular attention is paid to the removal of the singularity present in the standard nonlinear control techniques when operating in ZB. Experimental verification is conduced on a 6-DOF AMB reaction wheel. Practical aspects of the gcfc implementation such as flux measurement and flux-bias implementation with voltage mode amplifiers using IR compensation are investigated. Comparisons are made between the gcfc bias technique and the standard constant-flux-sum (cfs) bias method. Under typical operating circumstances, theoretical analysis and experimental data show that the new gcfc bias scheme is more efficient in producing the control flux required for rotor stabilization than the ordinary cfs bias strategy.

This thesis deals with the structural design of a test rig for combustion engine bearings with static and dynamic loading capabilities. The first part of thesis summarizes materials, geometries and possible bearing failures, then analyzes existing test rigs. The second part contains different solutions and summarizes these solutions to a final design. The last part contains analysis of possible failure of the test rig and solutions for these problems. The thesis contains drawings prepared for manufacturing and a design report.

Submitted by Maria Medeiros (maria.dilva1@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-08-20T12:32:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ADRIANO DE SOUSA CABRAL - DISSERTAÇÃO (PPGEM) 2017.pdf: 4297640 bytes, checksum: 947cc1f3c800182da45417aaab2b3861 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T12:32:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ADRIANO DE SOUSA CABRAL - DISSERTAÇÃO (PPGEM) 2017.pdf: 4297640 bytes, checksum: 947cc1f3c800182da45417aaab2b3861 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-26 / O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar se a Termografia pode auxiliar na detecção de falhas em elementos de máquinas, notadamente rolamentos autocompensadores com 2 carreiras de esferas. A motivação surgiu da necessidade de verificar os pontos de falhas existentes nestes elementos mecânicos visando minimizar e/ou eliminar paradas inesperadas que possam comprometer o bom funcionamento dos mesmos e consequentemente das máquinas às quais estão inseridos. A pesquisa é classificada como investigativa, documental, prescritiva, qualitativa e quantitativa. A metodologia utilizada fez uso de bancada de testes composta por elementos mecânicos diversos a citar: motor elétrico controlado por inversor de frequência, amortecedores de vibração (vibra-stop), polias e correias, mancais de rolamentos, carga em eixo, câmera térmica e rolamentos autocompensadores modificados com defeitos nas pistas interna e externa em cenário com condições de controle e não-controle de temperatura ambiente, umidade relativa, rotação do motor, velocidade do ar, temperatura refletida e emissividade. Como resultado, observou-se que houve alteração significativa de temperatura nas pistas interna e externa dos rolamentos com falha do tipo sulco. Por outro lado, não foram percebidas alterações significativas nas pistas interna e externa do rolamento com falha por desgaste por abrasão. Por fim, conclui-se, neste trabalho, que a hipótese inicial foi parcialmente confirmada, isto é, a Termografia pode sim auxiliar a detectar as falhas mecânicas, mas falhas do tipo sulco e não as falhas do tipo desgaste abrasivo. / The aim of this study was to verify if Thermography can help in the diagnosis of failures in machine elements, notably self-aligning bearings with 2 rows of balls. The motivation arose from the need to verify the fault points existing in these mechanical elements to minimize and / or eliminate unexpected stops that could compromise the proper functioning of themselves and consequently of the machines of which they are part of. This study is classified as investigative, documentary, prescriptive, qualitative and quantitative. The methodology made use of test bench composed of several mechanical elements: electric motor controlled by frequency inverter, vibration-stop buffers, pulleys and belts, house bearings, radial load, thermal camera and self-aligning bearings with inner and outer race fault in a scenario with control conditions and non-control of ambient temperature, relative humidity, engine speed, air velocity, reflected temperature and emissivity. It was confirmed that there was a significant temperature change in the inner and outer races of groove-type failure bearings. On the other hand, no significant changes were observed in the inner and outer races of the bearing with abrasion wear failure. Finally, it was concluded in this work that the initial hypothesis was partially confirmed, that is, the Thermography can help to detect mechanical failures in groove type failures but not abrasive wear type failures.

Improving vehicle efficiency and complying to stricter exhaust emission legislations are some of the driving factors to advancement in technology of engine components. The main bearings in an internal combustion engine contribute significant amount of friction. These bearings support engine loads and allow free rotation of the crankshaft. The bearings consist of a steel backing, a lining material and an optional overlay. The overlays help to minimize friction and enhance seizure resistance during adverse operating conditions. The aim of the thesis is to study the friction and wear performance of five multi-layered bearings with various overlays. A bi-metal bearing is used as the reference for comparison. Additionally, influence of two shaft surface textures are also studied comparing to the standard shaft surface finish. A modified twin-disc test rig is used to evaluate tribological performance of the bearing system. Forced misalignment tests were also performed to simulate edge contact conditions, which occur in an engine due to shaft deflection, asymmetrical loading and other factors. The bearing surface profiles were measured using an optical interferometer. The test setup showed good repeatability and consistent results. Relative friction and wear performance are compared and the bearings are ranked accordingly. One bearing type with a polymer and MoS2 overlay showed the best overall performance. This bearing combined with a plateau textured shaft further lowered the friction coefficient by 3 % in boundary and mixed lubrication regime.