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Thermohydrodynamic analysis of a textured sector-pad thrustbearing: effects on mechanical deformations
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 August 2014
Abstract
In this paper, a computational investigation of thermohydrodynamic performance andmechanical deformations of a fixed-geometry thrust bearing with artificial surfacetexturing is presented. A parallel eight-pad bearing is considered; the surface of eachpad is partially textured with square dimples. Here, a CFD-based thermohydrodynamicmodeling approach, recently introduced by the authors, is used to calculate theperformance of the bearing; the THD results are then used to quantify the deformations ofthe bearing mechanical parts. The bearing is modelled as a sector-shaped channel,consisting of a smooth rotating wall (thrust collar) and a partially textured stationarywall (bearing pad). The bearing performance characteristics are computed by means ofnumerical simulations, based on the numerical solution of the Navier-Stokes and energyequations for incompressible flow, as well as on the solution of the elasticity equationsfor the bearing solid parts. Here, a reference texture geometry is considered, whileproper thermal and structural boundary conditions are implemented. For representative filmthickness values, the effect of rotational speed and collar thickness on bearingperformance is quantified, and the resulting pad and rotor deformation fields arecomputed. It is found that, due to oil heating, the load carrying capacity decreases withrotational speed for values higher that approximately 2000 rpm. The computed rotordeformation field is representative of a fixed support beam, characterized bysubstantially higher levels than those of the bearing pad. Rotor deformations increasesubstantially at low values of collar thickness.
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- Research Article
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- © AFM, EDP Sciences 2014
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