• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.43-48
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• 2018

This paper presents the thermohydrodynamic analysis of tilting journal pad bearings supporting a power turbine rotor applied to a 250 kW super-critical $CO_2$ cycle. In the analysis, the generalized Reynolds equation and 3D energy equation are solved to predict oil film temperature and the 3D heat conduction equation is solved for pad temperature. The power turbine rotor is supported by two tilting pad bearings consisting of five pads with an oil supply block between the pads. Copper backing pads with higher thermal conductivity compared to steel backing pads are adopted to improve thermal management. The predicted maximum pad temperature is around $55^{\circ}C$ which is approximately $15^{\circ}C$ higher than oil supply temperature. In addition, the predicted minimum film thickness is 50 mm at a rotating speed of 5,000 rpm. These results indicate that there is no issue in the thermal behavior of the bearing. An operation test is performed with a power turbine module consisting of a power turbine, a reduction gear and a generator. Thermocouples are installed at the 75% position from the leading edge of the pad to monitor pad temperature. The power turbine uses compressed air at a temperature of $250^{\circ}C$ in its operation. The steady state pad temperatures measured in the test show good agreement with the predicted temperatures.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.697-698
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• 2009

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.825-826
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• 2008

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.160-165
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• 1998

A theoretical analysis has been undertaken to show the influence of bearing geometry on the steady state characteristics of air lubricated spherical tilting pad bearings. The geometry variations considered are the number of pads, the eccentricity ratio, the direction of load, and the preloading.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.555-556
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• 2007

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2014

This study set out to predict the load capacity and rotordynamic coefficients of tilting-pad journal bearings, taking the pivot stiffness into account. The analysis uses rocker-back (cylindrical) and ball in socket (spherical) pivot models, both of which are based on Hertzian contact stress theory. The models ascertain the non-linear elastic deformation of the pivots according to the applied load, pivot geometry, and material properties. At present, the Reynolds equation for an isothermal, isoviscous, and incompressible fluid is used to calculate the film pressure by using the finite-element method, after which the Newton-Raphson method is used to simultaneously find the journal center location, pad angles, and pivot deflections. The bearing analysis, excluding the pivot models, is validated using predictions those are readily available in the literature. As the rotor speed increases, the predicted journal eccentricity and damping coefficients decrease, but the stiffness coefficients increase, as expected. Most importantly, the implementation of the pivot models increases the journal eccentricity but significantly decreases the stiffness and damping coefficients of the tilting-pad journal bearings.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.63-68
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• 2017

This paper predicts the rotordynamic force coefficients of tilting pad journal bearings (TPJBs) with ball-socket pivot and compares the predictions to the published test data obtained under load-between-pad (LBP) configuration. The present TPJB model considers the pivot stiffness calculated based on the Hertzian contact stress theory. Due to the compliance of the pivot, the predicted journal eccentricity agree well with the measured journal center trajectory for increasing static loads, while the early prediction without pivot model consideration underestimates it largely. The predicted pressure profile shows the significant pressure development even on the unloaded pads along the direction opposite to the loading direction. The predicted stiffness coefficients increase as the static load and the rotor speed increase. They agree excellently with test data from open literature. The predicted damping coefficients increase as the static load increases and the rotor speed decreases. The prediction underestimates the test data slightly. In general, the current predictive model including the pivot stiffness improves the accuracy of the rotordynamic performance predictions when compared to the previously published predictions.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2016

This paper focuses on the thermal deformation induced preload change in the tilting pad journal bearing, using a three-dimensional (3D) thermo-hydro-dynamic (THD) approach. Preload is considered as a critical factor in designing the tilting pad journal bearing. The initial preload measured under nil external load and nil thermal gradient is influenced by two factors, namely, the thermal deformation and elastic deformation. Thermal deformation is due to a temperature distribution in the bearing pads, whereas the elastic deformation is due to fluid forces acting on the pads. This study focuses on the changes induced in preload and film clearance due to thermal deformation. The generalized Reynolds equation is used to evaluate the force of the fluid and the 3D energy equation is used to calculate the temperature of the lubricant. The abovementioned equations are combined by establishing a relationship between viscosity and temperature. The heat transfer within the bearing pads, the lubricant, and the spinning journal is calculated using the heat flux boundary condition. The 3D Finite Element Method (FEM) is used in modeling the (1) heat conduction in the spinning journal and bearing pads, (2) thermal gradient induced thermal distortion of the spinning journal and pads, and (3) viscous shearing, and heat conduction and convection in a thin film. This evaluation method has an increased fidelity, and it can prove to be a cost-effective tool that can be used by designers to predict the dynamic behavior of a bearing.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.37-44
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• 2017

A DE-side LBP tilting pad journal bearing of a 1-stage overhung heat-pump compressor in a propylene process exhibited abnormal high-temperature behavior. Its temperature had been relatively high at $78^{\circ}C$ from the beginning of operation. In 2014, after three years of operation, it increased suddenly and reached $103^{\circ}C$. Installing a varnish removal equipment and others managed to stabilize the temperature at $95^{\circ}C$. We undertook a troubleshooting approach for reviewing the comprehensive status and integrity of the temperature design of the bearing. We performed lubrication and heat-balance analysis, based on the design engineering data and documents supplied by the OEM. For the base design data of DE-side TPJB, evaluating the effects of key design variables on bearing metal temperature showed that firstly, increasing the bearing clearance and supply oil flow-rate, and next, changing the oil type, and finally, increasing the machined pad clearance and offset, are more effective in reducing the bearing metal temperature. Furthermore, a clarification meeting with the OEM revealed that an incorrect decision had been made to decrease the bearing clearance to eliminate the SSV harshness issue, while not maintaining a sufficient oil flow-rate. We conducted a detailed retrofit design analysis, wherein we increased the oil flow-rate and bearing clearance by decreasing the preload. We predicted that the bearing temperature would decrease to $63^{\circ}C$ from $75.7^{\circ}C$ even at the rerate condition. Finally, after installing and operating a retrofit replacement bearing in 2015, the bearing temperature stabilized at a low temperature of $65^{\circ}C$. Currently (January. 2017), two year later, the bearing metal temperature remains at $65^{\circ}C$. Therefore, we can conclude that the abnormal high-temperature behavior of the bearing has been resolved completely.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.22-28
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• 1993

The experimental investigation on the inlet pressure of a large tilting pad journal bearing is studied. The continuous distribution of the film pressure and film thickness are measured along with the shaft speed and bearing load for various flow rates. Considerably large inlet pressure is observed at the entrance of each pad, especially lower pads. The inlet pressure increases with the increase of shaft speed as well as bearing load, but it is almost independent on the folw rate and the oil supply temperature. Because of the inlet pressure, the upper pads always keep up slight wedge film shape which are almost parallel to the journal surface, and spragging is not observed in the upper pads with no preload.