The use of PTFE-faced pads in large vertical axis hydro-generators was pioneered in Russia in the 1970s, prompted by a series of failures of conventional babbitt-faced bearings. Some advantages claimed include higher specific loading, lower power loss and the omission of oil-lift facilities. There is strong interest in the Industry concerning this material, but limited data are available on actual performance. Some results from extensive testing of PTFE-faced pads are given, for two sizes of pad. These are compared directly size-for-size with results for babbitt bearings of nominally the same area. The power losses for the two types of bearing were found to be almost identical. Some of the effects observed during testing are described and discussed, including the effect of creep. The test results are compared with predictions using the GENMAT analysis software. A method of allowing for creep in numerical modeling is discussed.
A test facility was developed for the experimerltal investigation ofthe large spring-supported thrust bearings used in hydroelectric getzercitors. The test bearing had an outer diameter of 1.168 m, ihus making it large enough to simulate most of the features of the tlzrcisl bearings in the field, yet small enough to be placed convetlierztly in a11 engineering laboratoty. It~strumentation included a distributiotl of thennocociples and pressure taps along wirh disl~lace~nenr probes of eddy current type that were located in rhe rntor to measure oil filtn thickness. A detailed description of rhe lest facility was provided alottg with some representative results crrrrl a descriptiot~ of sotne experimental d~ficulties. A survey of the ~.elevatzt literature published in the past 40 years suggested that rlzis apparatus was ~iniqcie it1 its ability to study relatively large spring-supporied thrust bearings in the laboratory.
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