Micro-turbomachinery (MTM) implements gas bearings in compact units of enhanced mechanical reliability. Gas bearings, however, have little damping and are prone to wear during frequent rotor start-up and shut down conditions. Externally pressurized gas bearings provide a simple solution to overcome excessive drag and allowing rub-free operation during transient response events. Some commercial MTM currently implements gas foil bearings, a costly proprietary technology with few, if any, proven reliable predictive design models. The thrust of this research is to investigate conventional bearings of low cost, easy to manufacture (common materials) and easy to install and align. Flexure pivot tilting pad bearings offer little or no cross-coupled stiffnesses with enhanced rotordynamic stability. These bearings, modified for hydrostatic pressurization, demonstrated superior rotordynamic performance over other simple gas bearing configurations. The test rig comprises of a rigid rotor, 0.825 kg and 28.6 mm in diameter, supported on two hybrid flexure pivot hybrid gas bearings, each with four pads and 60% pivot offset and 0.6 mm feeding holes. Experimental results show that external pressurization stiffens the gas bearings, increasing the system critical speed while reducing the modal damping. Most importantly, the tests demonstrate that external pressurization is not needed for super critical speed operation. In practice, the supply pressure could be shut off at high speeds with substantial savings in operational efficiency. In addition, controlling the feed pressure while the rotor passes through its critical speeds can eliminate high amplitude motions because of the bearings’ inherent little damping. In 2007, the test rig integrates an inexpensive automatic air pressure regulator to control the supply pressure into the gas bearings. The measured system dynamic response determines the regulator control scheme with a programmed schedule over a rotor speed region enclosing the system critical speeds. Rotor speed coast-down tests with controlled supply pressure into the bearings demonstrate the effective elimination of large rotor motion amplitudes while crossing the system critical speeds. The simple on-off supply pressure control, i.e. a sudden increase in pressure while approaching a critical speed, is the best since it changes abruptly the bearing stiffness coefficients and moves the system critical speed to a higher speed. A rotordynamic analysis, integrating bearing force coefficients predicted by an existing TRC computational model, forwards critical speeds in agreement with the test results. Predicted rotor synchronous responses for the cases with controlled supply show an excellent correlation with the measured responses. The experiments validate the predictive tools and demonstrate the controllable rotordynamic characteristics of the flexure pivot hybrid gas bearings.

Hydrodynamic flexure pivot tilting pad gas bearings (FPTPGBs) can enable successful operation of oil-free microturbomachinery. This work presents the experimental and analytical study of such bearings with different damper configurations. A test rig was constructed that could safely operate a ~28.6 mm, 0.8 kg rotor beyond 120 krpm. A time domain orbit simulation, which integrates nonlinear equations of motion for the rotor-bearing elements, was implemented as the primary analysis tool to predict rotor-bearing responses to imbalance, the presence and location of critical speeds, etc. Complementary analyses were also performed with a model that uses linear bearing impedance coefficients to predict system natural frequencies. Imbalance response testing verified that the rotor-bearing system behaved linearly in the region above the critical speed, and orbit simulations predicted the response to a calibrated imbalance with notable agreement. Viscoelastic dampers added behind the FPTPGB pads delayed the onset of subsynchronous vibrations (from 43 krpm without damper to above 50 krpm with damper) of the system with bearing clearance increased by shims. Midrange subsynchronous vibrations initiated at ~20 krpm were eventually suppressed by ~25 krpm due to the stabilizing effect of rotor centrifugal growth. The viscoelastic dampers had a negligible effect on suppressing these midrange subsynchronous vibrations in experiments, but this was not demonstrated in simulations, presumably due to much lower stiffness contribution of the damper at lower frequencies. The ideal, perfectly aligned models in the simulations were able to tolerate shims up to only 10% of nominal clearance, but the test rig exhibited surprising stability with shims as much as 200% of nominal clearance; this increase may be caused by imposed eccentricities due to misalignments in the test rig. FPTPGBs supported by compliant bump foils can have the ability to tolerate rotor misalignments and shock loading like foil gas bearings. Simulation studies on imbalance response characteristics for several bearing shell mass and support stiffness configurations present initial design guidelines for the application. Namely, results showed that FPTPGBs favored large bearing shell mass and large support stiffness, while FPTPGBs with radial compliance favored small bearing shell mass with large support stiffness.

Micro-turbomachinery (MTM) implements gas bearings in compact units of enhanced mechanical reliability. Gas bearings, however, have little damping and are prone to wear during frequent rotor start-up and shut down conditions. Externally pressurized gas bearings provide a simple solution to overcome excessive drag and allowing rub-free operation during transient response events. Some commercial MTM currently implements gas foil bearings, a costly proprietary technology with few, if any, proven reliable predictive design models. The thrust of this research is to investigate conventional bearings of low cost, easy to manufacture (common materials) and easy to install and align. Flexure pivot tilting pad bearings offer little or no cross-coupled stiffnesses with enhanced rotordynamic stability. These bearings, modified for hydrostatic pressurization, demonstrated superior rotordynamic performance over other simple gas bearing configurations. The test rig comprises of a rigid rotor, 0.825 kg and 28.6 mm in diameter, supported on two hybrid flexure pivot hybrid gas bearings, each with four pads and 60% pivot offset and 0.6 mm feeding holes. Experimental results show that external pressurization stiffens the gas bearings, increasing the system critical speed while reducing the modal damping. Most importantly, the tests demonstrate that external pressurization is not needed for super critical speed operation. In practice, the supply pressure could be shut off at high speeds with substantial savings in operational efficiency. In addition, controlling the feed pressure while the rotor passes through its critical speeds can eliminate high amplitude motions because of the bearings’ inherent little damping. In 2007, the test rig integrates an inexpensive automatic air pressure regulator to control the supply pressure into the gas bearings. The measured system dynamic response determines the regulator control scheme with a programmed schedule over a rotor speed region enclosing the system critical speeds. Rotor speed coast-down tests with controlled supply pressure into the bearings demonstrate the effective elimination of large rotor motion amplitudes while crossing the system critical speeds. The simple on-off supply pressure control, i.e. a sudden increase in pressure while approaching a critical speed, is the best since it changes abruptly the bearing stiffness coefficients and moves the system critical speed to a higher speed. A rotordynamic analysis, integrating bearing force coefficients predicted by an existing TRC computational model, forwards critical speeds in agreement with the test results. Predicted rotor synchronous responses for the cases with controlled supply show an excellent correlation with the measured responses. The experiments validate the predictive tools and demonstrate the controllable rotordynamic characteristics of the flexure pivot hybrid gas bearings.

No description available.

No description available.

Rotordynamic and thermal analyses of compliant flexure pivot tilting pad gas bearings were performed. First, compliant flexure pivot tilting pad gas bearings with pad radial compliance (CFTPBs) were introduced and designed for high-speed oil-free micro turbomachinery. The pad radial compliance was for accommodation of large rotor growth at high speeds. Parametric studies on pivot offset, preload, and tilting stiffness were performed using non-linear orbit simulations and coast-down simulations for an optimum design. Second, coast-down tests for imbalance response and stability of typical rotor-bearing system with a rigid rotor and two CFTPBs designed from the above design studies were conducted over operating speeds up to 55 krpm. Prediction of synchronous rotordynamic responses was made in terms of critical speed for various imbalance modes by using a rotordynamic analysis software (XLTRC), combined with dynamic force coefficients from the perturbation analysis. For stability analyses, a generalized orbit simulation program was developed considering both the translational and angular rotor motions with two different bearings. Linear stability analyses for the conical vibration mode were also performed by using XLTRC and the perturbation analysis based on the Lund method. Predictions of whirl speed showed good agreement to the tests, but the estimated onset speed of instability appeared lower than the measured instability. Finally, a new thermo-hydrodynamic analysis model of a typical rotor-bearing system with CFTPBs was presented, accompanying linear perturbation analyses to investigate thermal effects on the rotordynamic performance. A numerical procedure was established for solving the generalized Reynolds equation, the 3-D energy equation, and the associated boundary conditions at the pad inlet flow and solid walls (rotor and pad) simultaneously. Parametric studies were conducted on nominal clearance and external load. Nominal clearance showed significant influence on temperature fields, and external load had uneven thermal effects among pads. Case studies with heat flux and temperature boundary conditions on the rotor end surface were performed to simulate various working conditions of the bearing. Large rotor thermal growth due to the high rotor temperature showed noticeable influence on rotordynamic performance by increasing direct stiffness and damping coefficients.

Rotordynamic and thermal analyses of compliant flexure pivot tilting pad gas bearings were performed. First, compliant flexure pivot tilting pad gas bearings with pad radial compliance (CFTPBs) were introduced and designed for high-speed oil-free micro turbomachinery. The pad radial compliance was for accommodation of large rotor growth at high speeds. Parametric studies on pivot offset, preload, and tilting stiffness were performed using non-linear orbit simulations and coast-down simulations for an optimum design. Second, coast-down tests for imbalance response and stability of typical rotor-bearing system with a rigid rotor and two CFTPBs designed from the above design studies were conducted over operating speeds up to 55 krpm. Prediction of synchronous rotordynamic responses was made in terms of critical speed for various imbalance modes by using a rotordynamic analysis software (XLTRC), combined with dynamic force coefficients from the perturbation analysis. For stability analyses, a generalized orbit simulation program was developed considering both the translational and angular rotor motions with two different bearings. Linear stability analyses for the conical vibration mode were also performed by using XLTRC and the perturbation analysis based on the Lund method. Predictions of whirl speed showed good agreement to the tests, but the estimated onset speed of instability appeared lower than the measured instability. Finally, a new thermo-hydrodynamic analysis model of a typical rotor-bearing system with CFTPBs was presented, accompanying linear perturbation analyses to investigate thermal effects on the rotordynamic performance. A numerical procedure was established for solving the generalized Reynolds equation, the 3-D energy equation, and the associated boundary conditions at the pad inlet flow and solid walls (rotor and pad) simultaneously. Parametric studies were conducted on nominal clearance and external load. Nominal clearance showed significant influence on temperature fields, and external load had uneven thermal effects among pads. Case studies with heat flux and temperature boundary conditions on the rotor end surface were performed to simulate various working conditions of the bearing. Large rotor thermal growth due to the high rotor temperature showed noticeable influence on rotordynamic performance by increasing direct stiffness and damping coefficients.

Thesis (M.S.)--Air Force Institute of Technology, 2005. / "September 2005" Also available as a PDF file on the Air Force Institute of Technlogy website.

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.