• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.97-108
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• 2001

This paper describes the development of performance analysis technique for a leaf-type gas lubricated fail bearing. Stiffness coefficient and frictional damping due to the slip between all contacts of leaves are evaluated for various leaf structures. The fluid film thickness and pressure distribution are computed but it is not considered the elastic deformation by film pressure. The analysis results include the effects that the curvature radius and the length of leaf and the friction coefficient have on the static and dynamic characteristics of the foil bearings.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.256-262
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• 2005

The calculation of bump foil deflection is very important to predict the performance of foil bearings more accurately, because the foil bearings consist of top foil and its elastic foundation usually called bump foil. For the purpose of this, a finite element model considering 3-dimensional structure of the bump foil is developed to calculate the deflection of inter-connected bump. The results obtained from the suggested model are compared and analyzed with those from the previous proposed deflection models. In addition, load capacity of the foil bearings is analyzed by using this model.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2009

This paper presents a experimental results for the performance evaluation of a double-bumped air foil bearing. The test results of a double-bumped AFB is compared with a single-bumped AFB at a heavily-loaded condition. The diameter of the test bearing is 50 mm, and the axial length is 50 mm. Nominal clearance of the single-bumped AFB is evaluated as $105{\mu}m$, and that of the double-bumped AFB is as $95{\mu}m$. The test of the AFBs are demonstrated at 3 test mode; the load variation mode, the speed variation mode, and start-stop mode. The single-bumped AFB demonstrated a upward load-carrying capacity of 95 N and a downward load-carrying capacity of 130 N at 20,000 rpm. The double-bumped AFB demonstrated a upward load-carrying capacity of 170 N and a downward load-carrying capacity of 170 N at 20,000 rpm. The single-bumped AFB demonstrated a downward lift-off speed of 16,300 rpm at 105 N. The double-bumped AFB demonstrated a downward lift-off speed of 15,400 rpm at 105 N. The start-stop test of the AFBs assure 5,000 cycle endurance life. The test results are compared with the theoretical calculation results. The test and theorectical results show thata double-bump air foil bearing provides a higher load-carrying capacity, stiffness and damping than a single-bump air foil bearing in a heavily-loaded condition.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2024

This study analyzes the thermal effects on the performance of an air foil thrust bearing (AFTB) using COMSOL Multiphysics to approximate actual bearing behavior under real conditions. An AFTB is a sliding-thrust bearing that uses air as a lubricant to support the axial load. The AFTB consists of top and bump foils and supports the rotating disk through the hydrodynamic pressure generated by the wedge effect from the inclined surface of the top foil and the elastic deformation of the bump foils, similar to a spring. The use of air as a lubricant has some advantages such as low friction loss and less heat generation, enabling air bearings to be widely used in high-speed rotating systems. However, even in AFTB, the effects of energy loss due to viscosity at high speeds, interface frictional heat, and thermal deformation of the foil caused by temperature increase cannot be ignored. Foil deformation derived from the thermal effect influences the minimum decay in film thickness and enhances the film pressure. For these reasons, performance analyses of isothermal AFTBs have shown few discrepancies with real bearing behavior. To account for this phenomenon, a thermal-fluid-structure analysis is conducted to describe the combined mechanics. Results show that the load capacity under the thermal effect is slightly higher than that obtained from isothermal analysis. In addition, the push and pull effects on the top foil and bump foil-free edges can be simulated. The differences between the isothermal and thermal behaviors are discussed.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.283-288
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• 2005

This paper presents the theoretical model and analysis results to investigate the effect of Coulomb damping in the sub-structure of a foil bearing. Vertical and horizontal deflection of a bump is restricted by friction of the bump. Equivalent viscous damping of the bump foil is derived from the Coulomb friction. Dynamic equation of the bump is constituted by stiffness and damping terms. The air film is modeled by the compressible Reynolds equation. A perturbation approach and finite difference numerical method is used to determine the static and dynamic performance of the bearing from the coupled fluid-structural model. The analysis result shows that the static and dynamic performance is enhanced by the bump friction.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.64-71
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• 1998

In this study deals with measurement of the vibration amplitudes of rotor-bearing system supported by foil bearing were performed experimentally, and the stability of the system were analyzed by using those results. Considering initial operating friction, compare bearing lubricated with only air and bearing surface lubricated with oil. Analyzing the transient data, the understanding of the characteristics fur startup and shutdown of rotor-bearing system are available and the dynamic characteristics of the system also can be analyzed exactly.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.44-51
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• 2019

The paper presents the rotordynamic performance measurements and model predictions of a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) air compressor supported on gas foil bearings (GFBs). The rotor has an impeller on one end and a thrust runner on the other end. The front (impeller side) and rear (thrust side) gas foil journal bearings (GFJBs) are located between the impeller and thrust runner to support the radial loads, and a pair of gas foil thrust bearings are located on both sides of the thrust runner to support the axial loads. The test GFJBs have a partial arc shim foil installed between the top foil and bump strip layers to enhance hydrodynamic pressure generation. During the rotordynamic performance tests, two sets of orthogonally installed eddy-current displacement sensors measure the rotor radial motions at the rotor impeller and thrust ends. A series of speed-up and coast-down tests to 100k rpm demonstrates the dominant synchronous (1X) rotor responses to imbalance masses without noticeable subsynchronous motions, which indicates a rotordynamically stable rotor-GFB system. Finite element analysis of the rotor determines the rotor free-free (bending) natural modes and frequencies well beyond the maximum rotating frequency. The predicted damped natural frequencies and damping ratios of the rotor-GFB system reveal rotordynamic stability over the speeds of interest. The imbalance response predictions show that the predicted critical speeds and rotor amplitudes strongly agree with the test measurements, thus validating the developed rotordynamic model.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.12a
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• pp.453-458
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• 2002

The feasibility study on supporting a turbocharger rotor on air foil bearing is investigated. Based on finite difference method and Newton-Raphson method, the static equilibrium position of a turbocharger rotor is predicted. And using finite difference method and perturbation method, dynamic characteristics of air foil bearings are calculated. Rotordynamic analysis is performed by finite element method, with collaboration of calculated stiffness and damping of foil bearing. The effect of compliance and clearance of bump foil bearing on the oil-free turbocharger is investigated in terms of rotordynamics. And the critical speeds, eccentricity ratio, vibration amplitude, and stability are considered. It is demonstrated that foil bearings offer a rlausible replacement for oil-lubricated bearings in turbocharger.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.6 no.1 s.18
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• pp.51-56
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• 2003

The feasibility study on the oil-free turbocharger supported by air foil bearings is investigated. Using the perturbation method, dynamic characteristics of air foil bearings are calculated based on the static equilibrium position of a turbocharger rotor is predicted. With collaboration of calculated stiffness and damping of foil bearing, rotordynamic analysis is performed using the finite element method. The effects of bump compliance and bearing clearance on rotordynamic characteristics of the oil-free turbocharger such as the critical speeds, eccentricity ratio, vibration amplitude and stability are investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2001.05a
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• pp.936-941
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• 2001

This paper deals with the design of oil-tree motor-driven two-stage centrifugal compressor supported by air-lubricated multi-leaf foil bearings. The design of this compressor is performed, based upon prediction of critical speeds, load capacity, and stability. It is demonstrated in this paper that multi-leaf foil bearings can be adopted to satisfactorily support this centrifugal compressor.