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In this paper, a load-sharing performance analysis method of the planetary gear system is proposed considering the coupling effects of double-helical gear and journal bearing. Firstly, the coupling effects between the meshing characteristics of the double-helical gear pair and the dynamic characteristics of journal bearing under the actual operation state are studied, the dynamic model of the double-helical gear planetary transmission system is established, and the load sharing coefficient before and after considering the coupling effects are calculated; secondly, the load sharing characteristic test rig of planetary transmission system is built, and the load sharing coefficient of gear system under the test condition is measured to verify the accuracy of the proposed method; finally, the effects of operating parameters and structural parameters on the load sharing characteristic of gear system are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper is aimed to investigate the deformability effects of the bearing surface on the lubrication performance of cylindrical journal bearing with finite length under turbulent conditions. The bush is coated with a thin resilient layer with a smooth surface, the radial distortions of which are of the same order of magnitude as the film thickness. The elastohydrodynamic problem is studied under elasticity conditions in accordance with the plain strain hypothesis (Winkler model). The modified Reynolds equation is carried out on the base of the turbulent lubrication model of Hirs (bulk flow model). The partial differential equation is solved numerically by successive over-relaxation technique on a finite difference grid, considering different values of coating materials, lubricant viscosity, and journal speed. Results for the performance characteristics of the bearing are given for several selected values of Reynolds number and elasticity parameters of the soft liner on the bush. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance of bio-based lubricants (BBL), namely, palm mid-olein (PMO) enriched with an antioxidant agent, tertiary-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and a viscosity improver, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), in journal bearing (JB) applications. Design/methodology/approach: Samples of the BBL were prepared by blending it with TBHQ and EVA at various blending ratios. The oxidative stability (OS) and viscosity of the BBL samples were examined using differential scanning calorimetry and a viscometer, respectively. Meanwhile, their performance in JB applications was evaluated through the use of a JB test rig with a 0.5 length-to-diameter ratio at various operating conditions. Findings: It was found that the combination of PMO + TBHQ + EVA demonstrated a superior oil film pressure and load-carrying capacity, resulting in a reduced friction coefficient and a smaller attitude angle compared to the use of only PMO or VG68. However, it was observed that the addition of TBHQ and EVA to the PMO did not have a significant impact on the minimum oil film thickness. Practical implications: The results would be quite useful for researchers generally and designers of bearings in particular. Originality/value: This study used PMO as the base stock, and its compatibility with TBHQ and EVA was investigated in terms of its OS and viscosity. The performance of this treated BBL was evaluated in a hydrodynamic JB. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-11-2023-0363/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To guide the stable radius clearance choice of water-lubricated bearings for single screw compressors, this paper aims to analyze the effects of turbulence and cavitation on bearing performance under two conditions of specified external load and radius clearance. Design/methodology/approach: A modified Reynolds equation considering turbulence and cavitation is adopted, based on the Jakobsson–Floberg–Olsson boundary condition, Ng–Pan model and turbulent factors. The equation is solved using the finite difference method and successive over-relaxation method to investigate the bearing performance. Findings: The turbulent effect can increase the hydrodynamic pressure and cavitation. In addition, the turbulent effect can lead to an increase in the equilibrium radius clearance. The turbulent region exhibits a higher load capacity and cavitation rate. However, the increased cavitation negatively impacts the frictional coefficient and end flow rate. The impact of turbulence increases as the radius clearance decreases. As the rotating speed increases, the turbulence effect has a greater impact on the bearing characteristics. Originality/value: The research can provide theoretical support for the design of water-lubricated journal bearings used in high-speed water-lubricated single screw compressors. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-01-2024-0029/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the 3D-printed textured journal bearings (TJBs) are developed by fused deposition modelling (FDM) process with three different polymers such as ABS, PLA and nylon. For the study, the process parameters such as texture depth (TD), rotor speed (S) and load (L) are considered as input parameters. The experimental analysis of 3D-printed TJB is performed based on the response surface methodology (RSM). With the RSM technique, the influence of these input parameters on the tribological performance of 3D-printed TJBs. The tribological performance of 3D-printed TJBs are wear resistance (WR) and wear temperature (WT). Further, the GRA analysis is performed to evaluate the optimum value of these process parameters for ABS, PLA and nylon polymer. These results demonstrate that the wear resistance (WR) of TJBs is first increases with the texture depth and then starts decreasing. Among all the polymers, the ABS polymer is the most significant, and nylon is the least significant polymer for the 3D-printed TJBs. The maximum WR (i.e. 76.576 m/mm3) of 3D-printed TJBs is observed for the PLA polymer. Whereas, nylon provides the least WR (i.e. 9.572 m/mm3) of 3D-printed TJBs. At the optimal value of process parameters (TD = 1.5 mm, S = 500 r/min and L = 10N), the WR and WT of 3D-printed TJBs (for ABS polymer) are 62.126 m/mm3 and 323.75 K respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the impact of uniform and eccentric load conditions on the performance of internal feedback hydrostatic thrust and journal bearing. Two distinct models are established: a three-degrees-of-freedom uniform load model and a five-degrees-of-freedom eccentric load model. The support stiffness, overturning stiffness, and flow rate for both thrust and journal bearings are calculated. Additionally, numerical analysis is conducted to examine the influence of oil film thickness, inlet pressure, and restrictor size on the operational characteristics of the bearings, revealing the interplay between an eccentric load and journal bearing speed. The validity of the theoretical algorithm is verified through finite element simulation. The research outcomes hold significant guiding implications for the design and application of internal feedback hydrostatic bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer based additives with long chain of suspended particles in oil retain polarity effect in the presence of couple stresses. Further, at high speed of journal bearing, the oil film experiences substantial agitation due to pressure-viscosity interaction which evolve piezo-viscous dependency of the lubricant. The present article addresses the combined effects of piezo-viscous dependency and couple stresses of lubricant on the characteristics of multi-recessed hybrid journal bearing under misaligned operation. To govern the flow of piezo-viscous-polar lubricant in clearance space of the journal bearing, a piezo-polar function is used to obtain the modified form of Reynolds equation. Galerkin's technique is employed to obtain the finite element formulation in the form of algebraic equation, which is solved to determine the unknown pressure field in the bearing system. The present results reveal that the use of piezo-viscous-polar lubricant offers an enhancement in performance characteristics of bearing system, i.e., a significant hike of 13–36%, 27–30% and 7–10% in the values of S ¯ ij , C ¯ ij and ω ¯ th respectively vis-à-vis Newtonian lubricant. The numerically simulated non-dimensional results presented in the article may be useful to generate the bearing design data of the hybrid journal baring system functioning in realistic and stringent operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work is to examine the effects of wear severity on the static and dynamic characteristics of journal bearings, and on the vibration response of a rigid rotor supported by journal bearings. Numerical simulations using MATLAB was conducted for three different operating regimes, namely low loaded operating regime ( ϵ 0 = 0.15 ), moderately loaded operating regime ( ϵ 0 = 0.45 ) and highly loaded operating regime ( ϵ 0 = 0.75 ) with wear depth parameter ratio (δ ) varied from 0 to 0.5 at increments of 0.1. Numerical results showed that the vibration response of the rotor generally increases with the increase of the wear depth for all cases of low, moderately and highly loaded operating regimes of the bearings. For the values of parameters considered in this work, it was shown that the vibration response amplitude of the rotor in worn journal bearings may be six times larger compared to the response amplitude of the rotor in non-worn bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of temperature variations and viscoelastic deformation is critical in dynamically loaded journal bearings, especially under fluctuating heavy load conditions. Previous studies have not fully explored the coupling of these two factors. Addressing this gap, this research introduces a novel transient mixed lubrication model that simultaneously considers thermal and viscoelastic effects. This model reveals intricate dynamics influencing the lubrication performance of journal bearings. The findings show that the combined impact of thermal and viscoelastic factors significantly alters the amplitude and phase of lubrication performance parameters. Notably, thermal effects tend to decrease oil film pressure while increasing asperity contact pressure, whereas viscoelastic effects enhance the oil film pressure peak and adjust its phase, concurrently reducing asperity contact pressure. Moreover, varying the eccentric speed profoundly influences the interplay between bearing thermal and viscoelastic effects. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of mixed lubrication in journal bearings and provides technical support for more accurate and predictive reliability improvement in complex mechanical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the impact of full and partial surface waviness on the dynamic and stability performance of the journal bearing. The Reynolds equation is modified to account for the impact of surface waviness, and the lubricant domain is discretized using the Finite element method to obtain dynamic characteristics such as stiffness and damping coefficients and stability parameters, that is, threshold speed. Different wave numbers in the axial, circumferential and mixed directions are considered at variable wave amplitudes in different regions at an average eccentricity ratio of 0.6 to obtain the optimum values. The obtained results reveal that by application of waviness in the full region and partial waviness in the pressure‐reducing region on the bearing surface provides the enhanced value of stability parameter, fluid film stiffness and dynamic coefficients as compared to the simple journal bearing under the same working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very crucial to solve the Reynolds equation quickly and accurately using the numerical methods in the research field of fluid lubrication. For the static Reynolds equation of self‐acting gas journal bearings, the typical solution algorithm of the finite difference method is put forward and a new solution algorithm of the finite difference method is proposed. Secondly, the Reynolds equation is solved numerically with the same parameters and the pressure distribution of gas bearings is obtained. Finally, the numerical solution from the new solution algorithm can be obtained with less number of iterations and the less computing time under the different computational grids and bearing numbers. Therefore, the new solution algorithm of the finite difference method is superior to the typical solution algorithm of the finite difference method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a method for the estimation of airgap spatial variation from the harmonics that appear in the stator's current under static eccentricity conditions. We move beyond the detection of the eccentricity fault and endeavour to quantify the severity of this fault. To achieve this, we formulate the problem as a mathematical inverse problem and attempt to solve it in the Bayesian framework using the so-called Bayesian approximation error approach. The solution takes the form of an algorithm capable of estimating the parameter(s) that characterize the spatial variation of the airgap length from noisy and limited data. Furthermore, it can quantify the uncertainty associated with the results as a byproduct of the Bayesian analysis approach employed in this paper. The results demonstrate that with each iteration of the algorithm, estimation accuracy improves, and the uncertainty of the estimated results reduces. • Bayesian approximation error analysis shows promise in monitoring electrical machines with eccentric rotors. • The paper applies Bayesian inversion for online estimation of airgap length in induction machines with eccentric rotors. • The study estimates static eccentricity ratio from limited data on harmonics of the machine line currents. • This paper gives an analytical method for calculating all inductances of induction machines under static eccentricity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity of increasing the efficiency and reducing the carbon foot-print of machines is pushing centrifugal compressor bearings design to higher and higher peripheral speed and lower oil consumptions especially in the new energy transition fields, resulting in an increase in the bearing temperatures. Therefore, the bearing thermal management starts to play a major role in extending the machine operability and reducing the maintenance frequency. A full three-dimensional (3D) parametric conjugate heat transfer computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model for tilting pad journal bearings (TPJBs) is introduced in this paper to address the temperature aspects of oil-film bearings. The parametric geometry of the model and the automatic mesh update, allow the equilibrium position search to be obtained without adopting any dynamic mesh algorithms. The tilting pad and rotating shaft equilibrium position are automatically calculated with a Newton-Raphson algorithm. The static performance of the TPJB is investigated for different journal diameters, bearing clearance, and operating conditions. The numerical results obtained are compared with experimental data from compressor mechanical running tests to demonstrate the reliability of the model presented. The 3D distributions of the oil pressure, velocity, and temperature given by the CFD model, can be locally optimized to face the new energy transition challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to verify the effectiveness of the 250 HP class compressor system to which the integrated hybrid air-foil magnetic thrust bearing (i-HFMTB) proposed in (Ha et al., 2023, "Integrated Hybrid Air Foil-Magnetic Thrust Bearing (i-HFMTB) Part I: Preliminary Experimental Test for Rotordynamic Parameter Identification and Behavior With PD Control," ASME Paper No. GT2023-102860) [1] is applied, and the vibration and instability problems of air-foil journal bearing (AFJB) occurring in the rigid mode are controlled by i-HFMTB. The compressor rotor is supported by two AFJB (journal diameter = 60 mm) and an i-HFMTB, and the length and mass of the rotor are 550 mm and 15.24 kg, respectively. i-HFMTB has a structure in which air-foil thrust bearing (AFTB) pads are inserted into eight slotted active magnetic thrust bearings (AMTB), and PD control (proportional gain: 4000; differential gain: 10) is applied. The operating area was identified through AFJB's dynamic coefficients and rotordynamic analysis. As a result, in the experiment with the 250 HP compressor system supported only by two AFJB, sub- and super-synchronous vibrations were generated owing to the AFJB's insufficient load capacity and damping in the rigid mode (7000 rpm) region, and this instability did not disappear even upon increasing the speed to 15,000 rpm. However, when i-HFMTB was turned on in rigid mode, it was confirmed that the sub- and super-synchronous vibrations were significantly reduced. The thrust collar tilt angle was calculated through orbit trajectory analysis of the impeller and cooling side, and it was confirmed that the tilt angle of the thrust collar was reduced during i-HFMTB operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to examine the compound impact of adding rectangular textures to various zones on the surface of the bearing and nanoparticles in the lubricant on the properties of journal bearing. A lubrication models with various texture depths and eccentricity ratios of journal bearing are created and simulated using CFD-FSI method to get static properties like load capacity and frictional force. Aluminum oxide nanoparticles were added in weight ratios ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 %, and the change in viscosity due to these additives in the lubricant was considered. Cavitation and the dependence of viscosity on temperature effects are also considered. The validation results show that the acquired results from the current simulation method agree well with the experimental results in the reference. The outcomes indicated that the highest load capacity and the lowest frictional force are found in the high-pressure region. It was noted that the maximum rise in load capacity was 16.51% without nanoparticles at a texture depth of 0.5 mm and eccentricity ratio of 0.1, and with the adding of 0.5 wt. % of nanoparticles to the lubricant in the same region, the load carrying capacity increased to 40.87 % compared to a bearing without textures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, finite element method is used to calculate the static performance of gas journal bearing, in which rotation speed term is introduced into the stiffness matrix of linear triangular element to realize the performance calculation of the bearing with rotation speed. The results indicate that the average gas film thicknesses corresponding to the maximum load capacity and stiffness, and the minimum attitude angle increase with the growth of orifice diameter. Load capacity and stiffness significantly improved with the increase of rotation speed, eccentricity ratio and supply pressure when the bearing has thin average gas film thickness. Attitude angle increases with the growth of rotation speed, while the growth rate slows down or even decreases at high speed. The most effective way of reducing attitude angle is to increase supply pressure. It can be found that rotation speed affects attitude angle through changing gas pressure difference between two orifices, while other parameters have the same effect by changing gas pressure at orifice outlet. Article Highlights: Analyzing performances of gas journal bearings by solving Reynolds equation with FEM. Solving Reynolds equation with speed term using FEM. Investigating the effect of bearing parameters on attitude angle, stiffness, and load capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starved lubrication occurs intentionally or unconsciously in many journal bearing applications. However, the determination of its concrete distribution in a journal bearing is rather complex as the different lube oil feed grooves interact with each other due to their connection by the lubricant flow along the pad surfaces and the periodic geometric property of the entire bearing. A robust numerical procedure to determine the lube oil distribution between the different feed grooves in a starved lubricated fixed-pad journal bearing is presented as an extension to Elrod's cavitation algorithm. The enhanced algorithm partly integrates flow rate boundary conditions into the linear system of equations for the solution of Reynolds equation and the transport equation. A strategy to couple these flow rate boundary conditions with the iterative procedure to determine the binary cavitation index is proposed. In particular, the algorithm enables an appropriate modeling of lube oil grooves with locked oil supply including the consideration of groove-specific dissipation or design features like bleed notches. The novel algorithm is implemented as a submodule of a thermo-elasto-hydrodynamic bearing code and validated with test data for a high-speed two-lobe bearing with embedded arc. Furthermore, a comprehensive parametric study provides an insight on the robustness of the implemented numeric procedure. Results, current limitations, and possible extensions to the algorithm are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the recent advances in the development of smart rotating machineries, there is a high demand for automated support bearings with efficient integrated control systems. Existing research studies have indicated that high-end performance can be attained from automated bearings through effective control and modification of the bearing performance parameters. In this study, an innovative journal bearing geometry with multi-control operations is presented. The four controllable bearing pads enclosed in the bearing casing have a novel feature to translate radially and undergo controlled tilt motions. The multi-control bearing system with radial and tilt pad motions will significantly influence the stability responses of the rotorsystem, which is theoretically analysed in this study. To predict the variation in film thickness for varied pad adjustments, a modified film thickness equation is incorporated in the linearised perturbed model for dynamic analysis. A notable variation in dynamic coefficients and stability parameters are observed for negative radial adjustment and tilt angles. Results indicate that negatively adjusted radial and pad tilt motion can generate improved stability margins at higher eccentricities. Data generated on stability margins at specific pad adjustments will be helpful while developing the control system for the actuation mechanism in the experimental setup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gaseous cavitation occurs due to change of refrigerant solubility in bearing. • Load-carrying capacity in high eccentricity is increased due to cavitation. • Negative pressure zone occurs in bearing at pressurized refrigerant environments. • Reversed flow from ambient should be addressed in bearing design and simulation. The journal-bearing system is crucial for the reliability of refrigerant compressors that operate under high-ambient-pressure environments. The pressure changes rapidly, which hereby results in the variation in solubility of refrigerant in oil, and causes gaseous cavitation of the refrigerant-oil mixture in the bearing. However, the cavitation mechanism under high-pressure environments is not well understood, and its impact on lubrication characteristics has been rarely discussed. In this paper, a numerical model is developed to simultaneously solve the gaseous cavitation and two-phase lubrication problems. The first systematic comparison of lubrication characteristics for constant-eccentricity journal bearings, in such a special environment, between the classical Reynolds boundary and gaseous cavitation boundary is presented. Results indicate the load-carrying capacity is reduced by about 3% at a lower eccentricity of 0.3, but is greatly enhanced by about 21% at a higher eccentricity of 0.9 due to the gaseous cavitation. Meanwhile, the 'reverse' flow rate is found to reach -0.057 at the end side of the bearing owing to sub-ambient pressure up to -1 MPa at the eccentricity of 0.8. The cavitation-induced sub-ambient pressure should be addressed for the design of the bearing operating in such pressurized refrigerant environments as ambient gas might be sucked into the bearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To exactly describe lubrication problems modeling micro-scale influence in rough lubricated contact is unavoidable. In this study a novel computational scheme for lubricated problem is presented based on two-scale homogenization method, which facilitates solving the two-scale problem. Homogenization model of mass fluxes is implemented at the micro-scale domain, and represents the influence of surface topography. A linearization method is developed to derive finite derivatives of mass fluxes at the micro-scale domain defined by scale separation. The key strength of the proposed procedure is the finite difference derivative coupling which represents the lubricated problem inclusive of the effect of surface topography. The effectiveness of the proposed multiscale scheme is validated by comparing with the deterministic method. The numerical results show that increasing topography amplitude can improve the performance of journal bearing in terms of load carrying capacity and friction coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to improve the tribological properties of hydrodynamic journal bearing via surface texture, as well as the wear and antifriction mechanisms of textured bearing were represented. It provides a design direction for solving the tribological problem of rotor-bearing system. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, the variation of surface texture parameters (e.g. texture diameter, d; area density, sp; and depth, hp) were analyzed based on finite difference method. The optimal surface texture parameters were obtained by designing orthogonal experiments, and the relationship between friction and wear properties and microstructure was studied via combining electron probe microanalyzer, scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer and friction and wear testing machine. Findings: Dimensionless film pressure P increased as the d increased, whereas P first increased and then decreased as the sp and hp increased, and the maximum P was got as sp = 15% and hp = 25 µm, respectively. The friction coefficient of textured surface with suitable parameters was effectively reduced and the textured surface with the best antifriction effect was 5#. Orthogonal experimental design analysis showed that the influence order of factors on friction coefficient was as follows: sp > sp × d > d > d × hp > hp > sp × hp and the friction coefficient first decreased and then increased as the sp, d and hp increased. In addition, the friction and wear mechanism of textured bearing were three body friction and abrasive wear as the matrix structure and hard phase were a single β phase and Mn5Si3, respectively. While the antifriction mechanism of textured surface was able to store abrasive particles and secondary hydrodynamic lubrication was formed. Originality/value: The sample with reasonable texture parameter design can effectively reduce friction and wear of hydrodynamic journal bearing without reducing the service life, which can provide a reference for improving the lubrication performance and mechanical efficiency of rotor-bearing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the stability performance of partial journal bearings of 120° and 180° partial angles with micropolar lubricant. Design/methodology/approach: To investigate the stability characteristics of partial journal bearing, a MATLAB source code is written. To solve the Reynolds' equation, the finite element method is used. Stability performances of 120° and 180° partial journal bearings are computed for a wide range of non-dimensional micropolar fluid parameters and working eccentricities. Findings: The presented results provide design data for stability parameters in terms of equivalent stiffness, whirl frequency ratio, critical mass and threshold speed of the rotor with respect to eccentricities and material size of the lubricant. The stability of 180° partial journal bearing is found to be higher than 120° partial journal bearing. Originality/value: In open literature, it is rare to find the stability of a partial journal bearing lubricated with micropolar fluid. Very few researchers have studied the combined effect of eccentricities and micropolar lubricant parameters on the dynamic performance of such bearings. Hence, it is important to study the dynamic stability to explore the complete investigation of the performance of partial journal bearings with micropolar fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface texturing is an efficient approach for boosting the performance of bearing. In this paper, a vein bionic texture has been applied to the surface of hydrodynamic journal bearing in order to improve its bearing performance. The bionic texture is inspired by the pattern of a peepal (ficus religiosa) leaf and optimized by a bio-inspired genetic algorithm technique. In this study, the use of bionic texture without GA optimization has been observed to increases the value of stability parameter by 13.08% and reduces the value of friction torque by 21.17%, while the use of the GA-optimized vein-bionic texture resulted in a significant improvement in bearing performance, with the stability parameter increases by up to 18.24% and friction torque being reduced by up to 46.66%. This class of surface texture improves both static and dynamic characteristics of the bearing. Further, the bifurcation diagram has been plotted to examine the system's stability. The findings of this study should prove useful for rotor-dynamic researcher in their efforts to stabilize systems with the use of GA-optimized vein-bionic textured journal bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address the problems of insufficient load capacity and rotor vibration, an active fluid-film bearing lubricated with magnetorheological fluid (MRF) is proposed. First, the geometry of the MRF fluid-film bearing is designed and its intelligent lubrication mechanism is analyzed to clarify its advantages. In addition, mathematical model of MRF fluid-film bearing-rotor system is derived, and FEM model is utilized to obtain stiffness and damping coefficients to supplement mathematical model. Moreover, an improved gray wolf optimization (IGWO) algorithm is developed to tune the PID controller parameters. The validity of the proposed method is verified by numerical simulation. Furthermore, the simulation results show that with the increasing of current magnitude, the orbits of shaft center decrease. Under the presence of magnetic fields, the shaft center orbits of the MRF bearing can converge to a point, and therefore this bearing has ability to suppress rotor vibration. Finally, IGWO-PID controller has better response characteristics than GWO, PSO, and GA algorithms, and hence the IGWO algorithm can find the more appropriate PID controller parameters, that the validity of the improved algorithm is further proved. Therefore, the active bearing and its research findings provide new reference for MRF vibration control in the field of journal bearing lubrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to propose a reasonable nonlinear dynamic model of gas dynamic bearing–rotor system for the stable operation of turbocharger. This paper presents a hybrid gas journal bearing (HGJBs)–rotor system with flexible supporting structure. A fractional-order dynamic model of the symmetrical flexible HGJB–rotor system is established. A tracking–alarming method is proposed to obtain the rotational speed ratio at the bifurcation point. The stable and unstable regions of the rotational speed ratio Ω ω for both the rigid bearing–rotor system and flexible HGJB–rotor system are analyzed. The nonlinear dynamic behaviors of HGJB–rotor system versus the fractional order α d and rotational speed ratio Ω ω are studied. Results show the fractional-order dynamic model can realize the reasonable prediction of nonlinear dynamic behaviors. An increase in the rotational speed ratio Ω ω and the decrease of fractional order α d result in a growth of the vibration amplitude. The adoption of flexible supporting structure is a good strategy to increase the size of stable region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas foil bearings are gaining popularity for their compliance properties in various high-speed turbomachinery applications such as air cycle machine, turbocompressor, turbocharger, turboexpander etc. A modest attempt is made in the current research to study the feasibility of gas foil bearing for a turboexpander rotating at 1,75,000 rpm. The turboexpander rotor with 16 mm diameter and 91 mm length used for experimentation is supported by a pair of gas foil journal bearings and mounted with turbine and compressor wheels at both ends of the rotor. The feasibility study was performed based on comparison of rotodynamic analysis and experimental data for the critical speed of the rotor and unbalance response at bearing locations. The critical speeds and the unbalance response are predicted using the finite element analysis, which takes into account the gyroscopic effect, shear deformation, internal damping, inertia of the rotor and the dynamic coefficients of the gas foil bearing. The predicted and experimental variation of critical speed is found to be within a relative error of 3–6%; similarly, the variation of unbalance response was found with a relative error of 2–9%. The low relative errors suggest that the experiment and prediction methodology are credible. The author believes that the rotodynamic analysis methodology will be quite valuable for researchers working in the area of high-speed rotors supported with gas foil bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive maintenance is considered a proactive approach that capitalizes on advanced sensing technologies and data analytics to anticipate potential equipment malfunctions, enabling cost savings and improved operational efficiency. For journal bearings, predictive maintenance assumes critical significance due to the inherent complexity and vital role of these components in mechanical systems. The primary objective of this study is to develop a data-driven methodology for indirectly determining the wear condition by leveraging experimentally collected vibration data. To accomplish this goal, a novel experimental procedure was devised to expedite wear formation on journal bearings. Seventeen bearings were tested and the collected sensor data were employed to evaluate the predictive capabilities of various sensors and mounting configurations. The effects of different downsampling methods and sampling rates on the sensor data were also explored within the framework of feature engineering. The downsampled sensor data were further processed using convolutional autoencoders (CAEs) to extract a latent state vector, which was found to exhibit a strong correlation with the wear state of the bearing. Remarkably, the CAE, trained on unlabeled measurements, demonstrated an impressive performance in wear estimation, achieving an average Pearson coefficient of 91% in four different experimental configurations. In essence, the proposed methodology facilitated an accurate estimation of the wear of the journal bearings, even when working with a limited amount of labeled data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose a type of hybrid bearing lubricated with supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) and to investigate the stiffness and damping characteristics of the bearing under hydrostatic status. Design/methodology/approach: Established a test rig for radial bearings lubricated with S-CO2 and used it to measure the dynamic coefficients by recording the relative and absolute displacements of bearing. Test bearing is mounted on a nonrotating, stiff shaft. Using static loading experiments to obtain structural stiffness. The dynamic coefficient regularities of the test bearing under hydrostatic status were revealed through dynamic loading experiments. Findings: Experiment results indicate that test bearing displayed increased stiffness when subjected to high excitation frequencies and low excitation forces, as well as elevated damping when exposed to low excitation frequencies and low excitation forces. Additionally, an increase in either environmental pressure or hydrostatic recess pressure can elevate the dynamic coefficient. The effect of temperature on the dynamic coefficient is more pronounced around the critical temperature of S-CO2. Originality/value: Designed a type of hybrid bearing for use in the Brayton cycle that is lubricated with S-CO2 and uses hydrostatic lubrication during start-stop and hydrodynamic lubrication during high-speed operation. The hybrid bearing reduces the wear and friction power consumption of gas bearing. However, few experimental analyses have been conducted by researchers in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to understand how the texture shape, number of textures and addition of nanoparticle additives in lubricants impact the dynamic characteristics of journal bearing by comparing six different texture shapes like triangle, chevron, arc, circle, rectangle and elliptical applied in pressure-increasing region under various geometrical and operating conditions. Design/methodology/approach: The finite element method approach has been employed to solve governing Reynold's equation, assuming iso-viscous Newtonian fluid, for computation of performance parameters like stiffness and damping coefficient, threshold speed, etc. By using a regression model, the impact of adding nanoparticles Al2O3 and CuO to the base lubricant on viscosity variation is calculated for selected temperature ranges and weight fractions of nanoparticles. Findings: The arc-shaped texture with an area density of 28.27%, eccentricity ratio of 0.2 and texture depth of 0.6 exhibited 35.22% higher direct stiffness and 41.4% higher damping coefficient compared to the lowest value in the circle-shaped texture. Increasing the number of arc-shaped textures on the bearing surface with low area density led to declining stiffness and damping parameters. However, with nanoparticle additives, the arc-shaped texture further showed 10.75% and 8.11% improvement in stiffness and 9.99% and 4.87% enhancement in damping coefficient for Al2O3 and CuO, respectively, at 90 °C temperature and 0.5% weight fraction. Originality/value: By understanding the influence of texture shapes on the dynamic characteristics, engineers can design bearings that exhibit improved stability and enhance overall performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bearing performance characteristics such as stiffness, and load capacity, are related to the lubrication fluid circulating through the gap. In the fluid film bearings, the characteristic of the lubrication film also depends on the journal geometry and the viscosity. This study aimed to research the bearing geometry influences on the thermohydrodynamic performance of a circular journal bearing. The temperature distribution is modeled using a 3-dimensional energy equation. The velocity components are obtained on the pressure distribution governed by Dowson's equation. Moreover, the heat transfer between the journal and oil is modeled with Fourier heat conduction equation, and the viscosity equation is derived for SAE10W30 commercial oil as a function of the temperature. An algorithm based on the finite difference method is developed, and a serial simulation is performed for different geometrical parameters such as bearing clearance, and bearing length-to-diameter ratio (L/D). When the radial clearance decreases from 150 μm to 100 μm, the maximum pressure grows up by 53%, and the maximum temperature decreases by 21%. On the other hand, when the L/D ratio rises from 0.8 to 1, the maximum pressure grows up by 22%, but the temperature distribution does not significantly change. The load capacity, and the stiffness are higher for low radial clearance. The load capacity, and the stiffness increase when the L/D ratio grows up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turbopumps in reusable and low-cost liquid rocket engines require compact and simple hydrostatic (i.e., externally pressurized) bearings to support large static and dynamic loads at high shaft speeds with no bearing DN (diameter in millimeters times rpm) life limitation. Hydrostatic bearings are one of the key mechanical components for cryogenic turbopumps to improve their reliability and reusability. Hydrostatic bearings offer significantly enhanced durability with very low friction and wear while providing accurate rotor positioning as well as large load and static stiffness characteristics even working with low-viscosity liquids. This work measures static load characteristics of hydrostatic journal bearings in air (25 °C), water (from 25 °C to 70 °C), and liquid nitrogen (-197 °C). Air, water, and liquid nitrogen are used as test fluids for the test bearing to evaluate the effects of fluid properties and temperatures on the bearing performance. A complete set of applied static load, bearing eccentricity, and bearing supply pressure for each test fluid (i.e., air, water, and liquid nitrogen) is presented for the test hydrostatic bearing. Measurements show that the applied static load on the test bearing significantly affects the recorded journal eccentricity ratio, bearing flow rate, and bearing static stiffnesses. Predictions are in good agreement with measurements. The predictable performance of hydrostatic journal bearings in air, water, and liquid nitrogen can further their application in various cryogenic turbopumps for liquid rocket engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel analytical solution for journal-bearing viscoelastic lubrication using the perturbation method. The nonlinear Giesekus model was used for the constitutive equations to study the effects of fluid elasticity, shear-thinning viscometric functions, and strain-hardening elongational viscosity of viscoelastic lubrication. The investigation focuses on the impact of characteristic parameters such as mobility factor, eccentricity ratio, and Weissenberg number on the fluid film pressure distribution, load capacity, and shear stress. Although distinguishing between the normal stress differences and extensional viscosity in mixed viscoelastic flows is complicated, we investigated the role and contribution of these two factors. By increasing the elasticity of the fluid, the portion of both mentioned parameters increases consequently. Furthermore, analyses and comparisons show the contributions of the first normal stress and elongational viscosity to the load capacity of the bearing through the stress ratio and flow type parameter for the first time. The research findings indicate that fluid elasticity enhances the load capacity of the bearing compared to a Newtonian lubricant with the same effective viscosity. Moreover, the bearing load capacity is divided into two regions. In the linear region, the mobility factor and Weissenberg numbers have minimal effects leading to a linear increase in the load distribution, and in the exponential region, the load capacity changes are considerable. This research provides valuable insights into the behavior of viscoelastic lubrication in journal-bearing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In subtractive manufacturing processes, swarf, burrs or other residues are produced, which can impair the function of a tribological system (e.g., journal bearings). To prevent premature engine damage, cleanliness requirements are defined for production processes. Damaging particle tests are an experimental approach for validating these defined cleanliness requirements. This methodical approach is not yet widely used. For one, the test setup must be developed and proven for the respective application. For another, in order to carry out the tests in a systematic manner, defined test particles with properties similar to those of the contaminants encountered in reality are required. In the second part of the paper, the process chain for manufacturing artificial test swarf by micro powder injection molding (MicroPIM) is described. The size and shape of the swarf were derived from real swarf via several abstraction processes. Although certain design guidelines for MicroPIM parts could not be taken into account, the targeted manufacturing tolerances were achieved in most cases. During demolding, it became apparent that the higher ejection forces of the free-formed geometries must be taken more into account in the design of the mold. The experiments on the test setup also revealed that the artificial test swarf was unexpectedly brittle and was therefore ground up in the bearing gap without causing any substantial damage to the bearing. Thus, the artificial test swarf in its current sintered state is not a suitable substitute for micromilled swarf. However, MicroPIM could still be used to manufacture test particles in applications involving lower mechanical forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of space technology, the traditional aerospace cooling technology is hard to meet the constantly developing requirements of heat dissipation. In order to address the problem of temperature control for aerospace systems, the pump-driven fluid loop system has been often adopted. In the pump-driven fluid loop system, the rotor system is needed to be analyzed. In this paper, the rotor coupling system of the canned pump with multiple journal bearings has been studied based on the bearing data, lumped parameter method, Reynolds equation and finite element method. By solving the Reynolds equation, parameters of each bearing have been solved, and a database file has been formed. The bearing data have been addressed by linear interpolation. In this study, the static indeterminate problem has been combined to analyze the bearing force, and the bearing characteristic parameters under the steady-state condition have been solved based on the iterative method. The results indicated that the influences of clearance ratio and rotational speed on the natural frequency, critical rotational speed and unbalanced response of the rotor show certain regularity. The study provides a theoretical basis for the stable operation of the whole rotor system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the actual working condition, due to the manufacturing errors, improper installation, load, thermal deformation or other factors can cause the journal surface to produce the form and position errors. The mathematical models are developed that takes into account the form and position errors, the lubrication performance of four‐recess capillary restrictor hybrid journal bearings with different journal tilt angles and cylindricities is studied, and the effect of eccentricity on the oil film lubrication performance is analysed. The results show that the dimensionless oil film pressure and loading capacity increase as the journal tilt angle and eccentricity increase considering journal tilt, and the friction coefficient tends to increase and then decrease. Compared with journal alignment, the oil film thickness distorts, the oil film pressure peak shifts to the edge of bearing, and the horizontal tilt has a greater impact on bearing when the journal is tilted. The oil film pressure distribution has no significant change considering cylindricity errors, while the oil film pressure value increases, the loading capacity increases and the coefficient of friction decreases as the cylindricity and eccentricity increase. The research shows that the presence of a certain cylindricity error contributes to the lubrication performance of four‐recess capillary restrictor hybrid journal bearings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to present a numerical model for scratched tilting-pad bearings (STPBs) with nonuniform grids. In addition, the model is used to reveal the effects of the structural parameters of bearings on the dynamic characteristics of STPBs under impact loading. Design/methodology/approach: By combining the Reynolds equation, the flow balance equation and the assumption of adiabatic bearings and shafts, a thermo-hydrodynamic model with nonuniform grids of scratched journal bearings was built. Describing the motion of the shaft using the Euler method and introducing the pad-tilting-angle modification equation, a dynamic model of STPBs was established. Findings: The occurrence of scratches in tilting-pad bearings yields great sensitivity to impact loading. Less width-to-diameter ratio and larger clearance ratio reduce the minimum film thickness and enlarge the maximum film pressure, which may lead to bearing collision or abrasion. Moreover, STPBs with larger clearance ratios take longer to recover from impact loading. Originality/value: This work is original and a valuable reference for the analysis of the dynamic characteristics of STPBs. The effects of other factors on the dynamic characteristics of STPBs can be further investigated based on this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In high-pressure pumps, due to the interaction of asperities on the upper and lower surfaces, the piston–cylinder interface suffers severe lubrication and sealing problems during mixed lubrication. This study aims to establish a mixed thermo-elastohydrodynamic (EHD) model for the lubrication gap to determine how working conditions affect the lubricating characteristics and sealing performance of the interface. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed thermo-EHD lubrication model is established to investigate the lubricating characteristics and sealing performance of the interface between the piston and cylinder. The model considers piston tilting, thermal effect, surface roughness and bushing deformation. The interface lubricating characteristics and sealing performance under different working conditions are calculated by the proposed numerical model. Findings: A higher inlet pressure contributes to an increase in the minimum film thickness. Increased shaft speed can significantly reduce the minimum film thickness, resulting in severe wear. Compared to roughness, the impact of the thermal effect on the interface sealing performance is more significant. Originality/value: The proposed lubrication model in this study offers a theoretical framework to evaluate the lubricating characteristics and sealing performance at the lubrication gap. Furthermore, the results provide references for properly selecting piston-cylinder surface processing parameters. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-03-2023-0072/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]