• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.75-83
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• 2018

Microturbomachinery (< 250 kW) using gas foil bearings can function without oil lubricants, simplify rotor-bearing systems, and demonstrate excellent rotordynamic stability at high speeds. State-of-the-art technologies generally use bump foil bearings or leaf foil bearings due to the specific advantages of each of the two types. Although these two types of bearings have been studied extensively, there are very few studies on leaf-bump foil bearings, which are a combination of the two aforementioned bearings. In this work, we illustrate a simple mathematical model of the leaf-bump foil bearing with leaf foils supported on bumps, and predict its static and dynamic performances. The analysis uses the simple elastic model for bumps that was previously developed and verified using experimental data, adds a leaf foil model, and solves the Reynolds equation for isothermal, isoviscous, and ideal gas fluid flow. The model predicts that the drag torques of the leaf-bump foil bearings are not affected significantly by static load and bearing clearance. Due to the preload effect of the leaf foils, rotor spinning, even under null static load, generates significant hydrodynamic pressure with its peak near the trailing edge of each leaf foil. A parametric study reveals that, while the journal eccentricity and minimum film thickness decrease, the drag torque, direct stiffness, and direct damping increase with increasing bump stiffness. The journal attitude angle and cross-coupled stiffness remain nearly constant with increasing bump stiffness. Interestingly, they are significantly smaller compared to the corresponding values obtained for bump foil bearings, thus, implying favorable rotor stability performance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.425-432
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• 2011

In tilting pad bearing design process, the selection of the proper configuration type of either a Load-Between-Pad (LBP) or Load-On-Pad (LOP) as well as preload and pivot offset conditions is to be carefully considered. Also the bearing needs to be designed in order to be suited for the rotor-bearing system and operating condition. In this paper, it is observed that the dynamic characteristics in a 5 pad tilting pad bearing for the LBP and the LOP configurations are influenced by the variation of preload and pivot offset. In this context, rotor dynamic analysis of the 5MW industrial gas turbine supported by the tilting pad bearing at the front and roller bearing at the rear is carried out based on the dynamic coefficients of the tilting pad bearing investigated. The result shows that two rigid body critical modes experience various changes according to the influence of the tilting pad bearing uniquely applied to one side of this machine. Mainly, the second critical speed, the rigid body mode of conical shape with high whirling in the tilting pad bearing, is significantly changed by preload and pivot offset regardless of the LBP and LOP configurations. And, the first critical mode, the rigid body mode of conical shape with high whirling in the roller bearing, is sensitively affected by preload applied to the LOP configuration and by the its asymmetric dynamic properties.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.141-147
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• 2015

Gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs) have attractive advantages over rolling element bearings and oil film thrust bearings, such as oil-free operation, high speed stability, and high-temperature operation. However, GFTBs have lower load carrying capacity than the other two types of bearings owing to the inherent low gas viscosity. The load carrying capacity of GFTBs depends mainly on the compliance of the foil structure and the formed hydrodynamic wedge, where the gas pressure field is generated between the top foil and the thrust runner. The load carrying capacity of the GFTBs is very important for the suitable design of oil-free turbomachinery with high performance. The aim of the present study is to identify the characteristics of the load carrying performance of GFTBs. A new test rig for the experimental measurements is designed to provide static loads up to 800 N using a pneumatic cylinder. The maximum operating speed of the driving motor is 30,000 rpm. A series of experimental tests—lift-off test, static load performance test, and maximum load capacity test—estimate the performance of a six-pad GFTB, in terms of the static load, driving torque, and temperature. The maximum load capacity is determined by increasing the static load until the driving torque rises suddenly with a sharp peak. The test results show that the torque and temperature increase linearly with the static load. The estimated maximum load capacity per unit area is approximately 80.5 kPa at a rotor speed of 25,000 rpm. The test results can be used as a design guideline for GFTBs for realizing oil-free turbomachinery.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.300-309
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• 2019

Gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs) support axial loads in oil-free, high speed rotating machinery using air or gas as a lubricant. Due to the inherent low viscosity of the lubricant, GFTBs often have super-laminar flows in the film region at operating conditions with high Reynolds numbers. This paper develops a mathematical model of a GFTB with turbulent flows and validates the model predictions against those from the literature. The pressure distribution, film thickness distribution, load carrying capacity, and power loss are predicted for both laminar and turbulent flow models and compared with each other. Predictions for an air lubricant show that the GFTB has high Reynolds numbers at the leading edge where the film thickness is large and relatively low Reynolds numbers at the trailing edge. The predicted load capacity and power loss for the turbulent flow model show little difference from those for the laminar flow model even at the highest speed of 100 krpm, because the Reynolds numbers are smaller than the critical Reynolds number. On the other hand, refrigerant (R-134a) lubricant, which has a higher density than air, had significant differences due to high Reynolds numbers in the film region, in particular, near the leading and outer edges. The predicted load capacity and power loss for the turbulent flow model are 2.1 and 2.3 times larger, respectively, than those for the laminar flow model, thus implying that the turbulent flow greatly affects the performance of the GFTB.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.190-198
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• 2019

Gas foil bearings (GFBs) enable small- to medium-sized turbomachinery to operate at ultra-high speeds in a compact design by using ambient air or process gas as a lubricant. When using air or process gas, which have lower viscosity than lubricant oil, the turbomachinery has the advantage of reduced power loss from bearing friction drag. However, GFBs may have high Reynolds number, which causes turbulent flows due to process gas with low viscosity and high density. This paper analyzes gas foil journal bearings (GFJBs) with high Reynolds numbers and studies the effects of turbulent flows on the static and dynamic performance of bearings. For comparison purposes, air and R-134a gas lubricants are applied to the GFJBs. For the air lubricant, turbulence is dominant only at rotor speeds higher than 200 krpm. At those speeds, the journal eccentricity decreases, but the film thickness, power loss, and direct stiffness and damping coefficients increase. On the other hand, the R-134a gas lubricant, which that has much higher density than air, causes dominant turbulence at rotor speeds greater than 10 krpm. The turbulent flow model predicts decreased journal eccentricity but increased film thickness and power loss when compared with the lamina flow model predictions. The vertical direct stiffness and damping coefficients are lower at speeds below 100 krpm, but higher beyond that speeds for the turbulent model. The present results indicate that turbulent flow effects should be considered for accurate performance predictions of GFJBs with high Reynolds number.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 2023

This study presents an experimental investigation of the effects of surface roughness on gas foil thrust bearing (GFTB) performance. A high-speed motor with the maximum speed of 80 krpm rotates a thrust runner and a pneumatic cylinder applies static loads to the test GFTB. When the motor speed increases and reaches a specific speed at which a hydrodynamic film pressure generated within the gap between the thrust runner and test GFTB is enough to support the applied static load, the thrust runner lifts off from the test GFTB and the friction mechanism changes from the boundary lubrication to the hydrodynamic lubrication. The experiment shows a series of lift-off test and load-carrying capacity test for two thrust runners with different surface roughnesses. For a constant static load of 15 N, thrust runner A with its lower surface roughness exhibits a higher start-up torque but lower lift-off torque than thrust runner B with a higher surface roughness. The load capacity test at a rotor speed of 60 krpm reveals that runner A results in a higher maximum load capacity than runner B. Runner A also shows a lower drag torque, friction coefficient, and bearing temperature than runner B at constant static loads. The results imply that maintaining a consistent surface roughness for a thrust runner may improve its static GFTB performance.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.203-211
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• 2023

This study experimentally investigates the effects of angular acceleration on the friction and wear performances of a gas foil thrust bearing (GFTB) using a typical GFTB with six pads. The outer radius of the bearing is 31.5 mm, the total bearing area is 2,041 mm² , and the bump foil and incline (ramp) height are both 500 ㎛. The newly developed GFTB test rig for measuring the friction torque and coefficient measures the axial load, drag torque, lift-off speed, and touch-down speed. The experiment is conducted for angular accelerations of 78.5, 314.2, and 328.3 rad/s² at axial loads of 5, 10, and 15 N, respectively. The test shows that the start-up friction coefficient increases with increasing axial load at the same angular acceleration, and the friction coefficient decreases with increasing angular acceleration under the same axial load. As the angular acceleration increases, the lift-off speed at the motor start-up increases, and the touch-down speed at the motor stop decreases. The wear distance of the GFTB for a single on/off cycle increases with increasing axial load at the same angular acceleration and decreases nonlinearly with increasing angular acceleration under the same axial load. The test results suggest that adjusting the rotational angular acceleration helps reduce bearing friction and wear.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.103-110
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• 2024

Gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs) are oil-free self-acting hydrodynamic bearings that support axial loads with a low friction during airborne operation. They need solid lubricants to reduce dry-friction between the runner and top foil and minimize local wears on their surfaces during start-up and shutdown processes. In this study, we evaluate the lift-off speeds and load capacity performance of a GFTB with Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surface coating by measuring drag torques during a series of experimental tests at increasing ambient temperatures of 25, 75 and 110℃. An electric heat gun provides hot air to the test GFTB operating in the closed booth to increase the ambient temperature. Test results show that the increasing ambient temperature delays the lift-off speed and decreases the load capacity of the test GFTB. An early developed prediction tool well predicts the measured drag torques at 60 krpm. After all tests, post inspections of the surface coating of the top foil are conducted. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images imply that abrasive wear and oxidation wear are dominant during the tests at 25℃ and 110℃, respectively. A quantitative energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) microanalysis reveals that the weight percentages of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen decrease, while that of fluorine increases significantly during the highest-temperature tests. The study demonstrates that the increasing ambient temperature noticeably deteriorates the static performances and degrades the surface coating of the test GFTB.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.19.2-19.2
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• 2009

금속을 용해 응고시킬 때 생성되는 소위, 주조 결함이나 소결금속 내의 기공은 재료의 성능이나강도를 현저하게 낮추는 결함으로서 예전부터 기피되어 왔다. 또한, 재료공정에있어서도 여하의 기공이나 기포가 없는 치밀한 고강도 및 고기능성 재료를 개발하는 것에 최대한의 주의와 관심을 기울여 왔다. 그렇지만, 우리가 자연계의 천연물이나 인공물을 둘러보면 그 대부분이다공질임을 쉽게 눈치챌 수 있다. 예를 들어 목재, 지엽등의 생물을 시작해서 콘크리트 등의 인공물, 우리 체내의 뼈도 전형적인 다공질구조로 구성되어 있다. 이러한 구조로부터 재료의 재질제어 이외에 구조제어라는 새로운 어프로치를 고려할 수 있고, 최근 들어, 금속재료에 있어서도 이러한 다공질구조에 관한 연구가활성화되어 충격흡수재, 생체재료, 베어링재료 등의 다양한응용이 전개되고 있다. 특히, 원주상의 방향성 기공을 갖는 로터스금속은 기존의 복잡한구조의 다공질금속보다 뛰어난 기계적 성질을 갖는다. 이러한 다공질금속은 일방향응고할 때 생성하는 과포화가스원자를 석출시켜 기공을 일방향으로 성장시킨다. 즉, 융점에서의 고상과 액상의 가스 용해도 차를 이용하는 것으로서 응고시에 고용할 수 없는 가스원자가 기공을 형성한다. 이와같이 제조한 방향성 다공질금속은 BT (인플란트, 생체적합성, 저탄성, 경량), ST (초음속기엔진부품, 경량), IT (고성능수냉모듈), ET(고온촉매, 필터)의 분야로의 응용이 기대된다. 본 강연에서는 방향성 다공질금속의 제조법, 특성 및 응용을 포함하여그 동안의 연구성과 및 앞으로의 과제 등을 소개하고자 한다.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.57.1-57.1
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• 2012

금속을 용해 응고시킬 때 생성되는 소위, 주조 결함이나 소결금속 내의 기공은 재료의 성능이나 강도를 현저하게 낮추는 결함으로서 예전부터 기피되어 왔다. 또한, 재료공정에 있어서도 여하의 기공이나 기포가 없는 치밀한 고강도 및 고기능성 재료를 개발하는 것에 최대한의 주의와 관심을 기울여 왔다. 반면에 자연계의 천연물이나 인공물을 둘러보면 그 대부분이 다공질임을 쉽게 눈치챌 수 있다. 예를 들어 목재, 지엽 등의 생물을 시작해서 콘크리트 등의 인공물, 우리 체내의 뼈도 전형적인 다공질구조로 구성되어 있다. 이러한 구조로부터 재료의 재질제어 이외에 구조제어라는 새로운 어프로치를 고려할 수 있고, 최근 들어, 금속재료에 있어서도 이러한 다공질 구조에 관한 연구가 활성화되어 충격흡수재, 생체재료, 베어링재료 등의 다양한 응용이 전개되고 있다. 원주상의 방향성 기공을 갖는 로터스 금속의 제조 원리는 용융금속의 높은 가스용해도와 고체금속의 낮은 가스고용도의 차이를 이용하여 응고할 때 고용되지 않는 가스원자가 기포를 형성시키는 것이다. 수소용해도는 모든 금속에 있어서 온도상승에 따라 증가하지만 융점에 있어서 용해도의 불연속적 증가를 나타내며 응고할 때 고액계면에서 다량의 가스를 방출하고 기공 생성을 야기한다. 특히, 고 액상에 있어서 수소용해도 차가 큰 마그네슘, 니켈, 철, 동 등은 기포를 생성하기 쉽다. 또한 기공의 배열구조를 제어하기 위해 일방향응고법를 이용하여 기공에 방향성을 부여한다. 외관상 기공구조가 연근뿌리를 닮은 것으로 부터 로터스 금속이라는 명칭이 널리 알려져 있다. 이와 같은 제조방법에 의해 로터스 금속은 기공 방향, 기공크기, 기공률을 자유롭게 제어할 수 있고 우수한 기계적 성질이 기존의 발포금속, 소결금속과 전혀 다른 특성을 가지고 있다. 이러한 기공구조는 용해온도, 응고속도, 분위기 가스압, 불활성가스와의 혼합체적비 등의 제어를 통해서 조절할 수 있다. 이와 같이 제조한 방향성 다공질금속은 BT (인플란트, 생체적합성, 저탄성, 경량), ST (초음속기엔진부품, 경량), IT (고성능수냉모듈), ET(고온촉매, 필터)의 분야로의 응용을 기대한다.