Static Characteristics of a Tilting Five-Pad Journal Bearing with an Asymmetric Geometry

Abstract

In this paper, static characteristics of a tilting five-pad rocker-backed journal bearing with an asymmetric geometry, i.e., different clearance for each pad, are investigated. A thermo-elasto-hydrodynamic (TEHD) model considering the elasticity of the pad and pivot is used for the simulation. The pivot stiffness of each pad obtained by experiment is also introduced in the model. The experimental tests were carried out on a tilting pad journal bearing (TPJB) with a nominal diameter of 100 mm and a length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio of 0.7 with load-between-pad (LBP) and load-on-pad (LOP) arrangements. Several analyses, including numerical simulations and experimental measurements, are implemented in order to obtain the static behaviors of the tilting-pad bearing under variations of rotational speed, amplitude and direction of applied static load, such as clearance distribution profile, static eccentricity, temperature and pressure distribution. The results show that the effect of asymmetric geometry on the static characteristics is not negligible.

Numerical investigation of dynamic and hydrodynamic characteristics of the pad in the fluid pivot journal bearing

“…Tschoepe and Childs 18 used a test rig to consider the static and dynamic characteristics of the four-pad tilting pad bearing under variable load and rotation speed. Dang et al 19 experimentally studied the static properties of asymmetric five-pad bearings. Ciulli et al 20 even proposed a large test rig to examine the properties of tilting pad bearings of different sizes.…”

“…These had also been applied in previous studies on TPJB and FPJB. 6,14,16,19 Investigating the dynamic and static properties of the TPJB (the pads in bearing) is an important content that cannot be ignored when studying this type of bearing. The recent research in this area is mainly done with the TPJB which has mechanical pivots.…”