Effect of Oil Supply Direction on Power Loss and Bearing Temperature of Elliptical Bearing

Elliptical bearings are widely used for large steam turbines owing to their excellent load carrying capacity and good dynamic stability. Power loss in bearings is an extremely important parameter, especially for high turbine capacities. Optimization of operation conditions and design variables such as bearing clearance and bearing length can reduce the power loss in elliptical bearings. Although changes in the oil supply method have served to increase the efficiency of the tilting pad journal bearing, it has not explicitly improved elliptical bearings. In this study, we verify the static characteristics of an elliptical bearing by changing the direction of oil supply. We evaluate the bearing power loss and bearing metal temperature, and compare the bearing performance and reliability in different test cases. The direction of oil supply is $90^{\circ}$ (9 o'clock) and $270^{\circ}$ (3 o'clock) when the rotor rotates in a counterclockwise direction. We use an elliptical bearing with an inner diameter and active length of 220.30 and 110.00 mm, respectively. Bearing power loss and bearing metal temperatures are measured and evaluated by rotor rotational speed, oil flow rate, and bearing load. The results reveal a 20 reduction in the power loss when the direction of oil supply is 90. Furthermore, the oil film on the upper part of the bearing has a high temperature when the direction of oil supply is $90^{\circ}$. In contrast, when the direction of oil supply is $270^{\circ}$, the oil film on the upper part of the bearing is relatively cold.

오일공급 방향에 따른 타원형 베어링 손실 및 온도 특성