Textured thrust bearings are capable of providing higher load capacity and lower friction torque compared to nontextured bearings. However, most previous optimization efforts for texturing geometry were focused on rectangular dimples and employed Reynolds equation. Limited studies have been done to investigate the effects of partially textured thrust bearings with elliptical dimples. This study proposes a new optimization approach to find the optimal partially texture geometry with elliptical dimples, which maximize the loading capacity and minimize the friction torque. In this study, a 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for a parallel sector-pad thrust bearing is built using ANSYS cfx. Mass conserving cavitation model is used to simulate the cavitation regions. Energy equation for Newtonian flow is also solved. The results of the model are validated by the experimental data from the literature. Based on this model, the flow pattern and pressure distribution inside the dimples are analyzed. The geometry of elliptical dimple is parameterized and analyzed using design of experiments (DOE). The selected geometry parameters include the length of major and minor axes, dimple depth, radial and circumferential space between two dimples, and the radial and circumferential extend. A multi-objective optimization scheme is used to find the optimal texture structure with the load force and friction torque set as objective functions. The results show that the shape of dimples has a crucial effect on the performance of the textured thrust bearings. Searching the design space for a proper combination among the design variables satisfying the constraints has the advantage of capturing the codependence among design variables and leads to a surface patterning of the bearing, which showed a 42.7% improvement on the load capacity.
Contact performance can be enhanced by using textured surfaces. These are also found to have influences on lubricated contacts. A procedure to find the optimal partially textured thrust bearing configuration is presented in this study. A parallel sector-pad thrust bearing is simulated by a three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The stationary surface of the bearing is textured with dimples, while the rotor surface is flat. The results of the baseline model are validated by experimental data. In this study, we compare rectangular and elliptical dimples by investigating design parameters, such as major the length of the major axis (width), the length of the minor axis (length), dimple depth, circumferential space between two dimples, radial space between two dimples, radial extent, circumferential extent are selected as design parameters. A parametric study is conducted to investigate the influence of the texture geometries and a surrogate model is created. Based on the surrogate model, a multi-objective optimization scheme is used to navigate the design space and find the optimal texture structure that provides a lower maximal temperature inside the fluid film, higher load capacity, and lower friction torque. The results show that the optimal radial extent of the texture is around 80% of the pad radial length for both cases. The optimal length of the elliptical dimples in the circumferential direction is about 30% larger than the value of the rectangular dimples. In the final optimal design, the maximal temperature reduces 1.1% and 1.3% for rectangular and elliptical dimples while the load capacities are maintained at the same level.
In noncontact annular labyrinth seals used in turbomachinery, fluid prerotation in the direction of shaft rotation effectively increases fluid velocity in the circumferential direction and generates fluid forces with potential destabilizing effects to be exerted on the rotor. Swirl brakes are typically employed to reduce the fluid prerotation at the inlet of the seal. The inlet flow separates as it follows the swirl brakes, and the ratio between tangential component of the velocity at the seal, and the velocity of the rotor surface varies consequently. Effective swirl brakes can significantly suppress the destabilizing fluid forces as it is effectively reducing the tangential velocity. The literature shows that leakage rate can also be reduced by using swirl brakes with “negative-swirl.” In this study, a labyrinth seal with inlet swirl brakes is selected from the literature and considered the baseline design. The seal performance is evaluated using ANSYS-cfx. The design of experiments (DOEs) approach is used to investigate the effects of various design variables on the seal performance. The design space consists of the swirl brake's length, width, curvature at the ends, the tilt angle, as well as the number of swirl brakes in the circumferential direction. Simple random sampling method with Euclidean distances for the design matrix is used to generate the design points. Steady-state computational fluid dynamics simulations are then performed for each design point to analyze the performance of the swirl brakes. Quadratic polynomial fitting is used to evaluate the sensitivity of the average circumferential velocity with respect to the design variables, which gives a qualitative estimation for the performance of the swirl brakes. These results assist in creating a better understanding of which design variables are critical and more effective in reduction of the destabilizing forces acting on the rotor, and thus will support the swirl brake design for annular pressure seals.
Gas foil bearings can operate in extreme conditions such as high temperature and high rotating speed, compared to traditional bearings. They also provide better damping and stability characteristics and have larger tolerance to debris and rotor misalignment. Gas foil bearings have been successfully applied to micro- and small-sized turbomachinery, such as microgas turbine and cryogenic turbo expander. In the last decades, a lot of theoretical and experimental work has been conducted to investigate the properties of gas foil bearings. However, very little work has been done to study the influence of the foil bearing pad configuration. This study proposes a robust approach to analyze the effect of the foil geometry on the performance of a six-pad thrust foil bearing. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for a parallel six-pad thrust foil bearing is created. In order to predict the thermal property, the total energy with viscous dissipation is used. Based on this model, the geometry of the thrust foil bearing is parameterized and analyzed using the design of experiments (DOE) methodology. In this paper, the selected geometry parameters of the foil structure include minimum film thickness, inlet film thickness, the ramp extent on the inner circle, the ramp extent on the outer circle, the arc extent of the pad, and the orientation of the leading edge. The objectives in the sensitivity study are load capacity and maximal temperature. An optimal foil geometry is derived based on the results of the DOE process by using a goal-driven optimization technique to maximize the load capacity and minimize the maximal temperature. The results show that the geometry of the foil structure is a key factor for foil bearing performance. The numerical approach proposed in this study is expected to be useful from the thrust foil bearing design perspective.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.