• 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.

• Journal of KSNVE
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.645-653
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• 1997

For high performance rotating machinery, unstable vibrations may occur caused by hydrodynamic forces such as oil film forces, clearance excitation forces generated by the working fluid, and etc. In order to improve the availability one has to take into account the vibrations very accurately. When designing a rotating machinery, the stability behavior and the resonance response can be obtained by calculation of the complex eigenvalues. A suitable modifications of seal and/or bearing design may effectively improve the stability and the response of a rotor system. This paper deals with the optimum length and clearance of seals and bearings to minimize the resonance response(Q factor) and to maximize the logarithmic decrement in the operating speed under the constraints of design variables. Also, for an avoidance of resonance region from the operating speed, an optimization technique has been used to yield the critical speeds as far from the operating speed as possible. The optimization method is used by the genetic algorithm, which is a search algorithm based on the mechanics of natural selection and natural genetics. The results show that the optimum design of seals and bearings can significantly improve the resonance and the stability of the pump rotor system.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.92-99
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• 2005

Numerical analyses of critical speed and mass unbalance response are performed for a 30 ton thrust turbopump. The stiffness and damping of ball bearings and non-contact seals are quantified under aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loads induced by a fuel pump and turbine. Critical speed margin and tip displacements of the rotating parts are evaluated using a three-dimensional finite element method. The results are used to ensure the soundness of the rotordynamic design using an one-dimensional transfer matrix method. A further study shows that sufficient resonance margin may be assured via controlling the stiffness of the rotor support by employing an additional elastic ring to the bearing support.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.67-74
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• 1995

This study develops 2-D analysis method of a base-isolated pool structure, and verifies the method through shaking table test using a scaled model. A wall of the pool structure is modeled as lumped mass, and added mass of the fluid is imposed on the nodes of the structure to consider the hydrodynamic effect of contained fluid. The equation of motion of base-isolated pool structure is obtained by coupling of two equations for superstructure composed of wall and fluid, and for bottom slab and isolator. The scaled model for shaking table test is made with transparent acryle, and 4-high damping laminated rubber bearings are used. The responses of the scaled model by the test are generally good agreement with those by the analysis. It is shown that 2-D analysis method gives somewhat conservative results.

• Bulletin of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.51-61
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• 1989

Recently, the growth in the propulsion power and propeller size of typical energy saving ships has resulted in severe damages of the oil-lubricated stern tube bearing. Consequently, a more rational analytical method for the design of the shafting system is required. In this paper an analytical method applicable to the design of the oil-lubricated stern tube bearing and shafting system is presented. The method consists of the finite element analysis of the shafting system and the oil film hydrodynamics. The shafting system is modeled as a three-dimensional problem using beam elements taking account for the steady components of thrust, lateral forces and moments of the propeller as well as the elastic foundation effects. The oil film hydrodynamics is modeled as a two-dimensional problem. Equal and retangular elements employing hourglass control method are used for the construction of the oil film fluidity matrix. To search the quasi-static equilibrium position between the propeller shaft and the oil film, an optimization technique is employed. Some numerical results based on the proposed method are compared with some measured and numerical data available. They show acceptable agreements with the data.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2015

In this study, we apply an ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM) technique to radial journal bearings (JBs) and disks made of SUJ2 and SCM440, respectively. We investigate frictional properties of untreated and UNSM-treated specimens using a ball-on-disk tester. We construct the Stribeck curve at the boundary, under mixed and full hydrodynamic lubrication conditions for the specimens using friction data obtained from JB tests. The friction at the boundary lubrication condition and the transition period to mixed lubrication condition on the UNSM-treated specimens is reduced, which improves the service life of JBs. The major effects of this reduction in the three lubrication regimes can be explained in the terms of improved mechanical properties and the presence of micro dimples. Moreover, we estimate the friction and fatigue properties of SCM440 specimens using a ball-on-disk specimen under dry and oil-lubricated conditions. Friction test results reveal that the UNSM-treated specimens show lower friction coefficient than the untreated specimens under both dry and oil-lubricated conditions. We evaluate the fatigue properties of SCM440 specimens by calculating the Hertzian stress with respect to the failure cycles. Fatigue tests results also reveal that the UNSM-treated specimens possess a longer fatigue life than the untreated specimens. The improved properties are effective in increasing the energy efficiency of bearings.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.59-63
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• 2014

Laser Surface Texturing(LST) is a surface engineering process used to improve tribological characteristics of materials by creating patterned microstructures on the mechanical contact surface. In LST technology, a pulsated laser beam is used to create arranged dimples on a surface by a material ablation process, which can improve such as load capacity, wear resistances, lubrication lifetime, and reduce friction coefficients. In the present study, the effect of multi-scale LST on lubricant regime was investigated. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser was applied on the bearing steel(AISI 52100) to create arranged dimples. To optimize the surface texturing effect on friction, multi-scale texture dimples with some specific formula arrays were fabricated by combining circles, ellipses and the laser ablation process. The tribological testing of multi-scale textured surface was performed by a flat-on-flat unidirectional tribometer under lubrication and the results compared with that of the non-textured surface. Through an increase in sliding speed, the beneficial effect of multi-scale LST performance was achieved. The multi-scale textured surface had lower friction coefficient performances than the non-textured surface due to the hydrodynamic lubrication effect.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.251-260
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• 2002

Geotextile tribes are made of sewn geotextile sheet and hydraulically or mechanically filled with dredged materials. They have been applied in hydraulic and coastal engineering in recent years(shore protection structure, detached breakwater, groins, and jetty). Therefore, it is composed of geotextile and confined fill material. Recently, new preliminary design criteria supported by model and prototype tests, and some stability analysis calculations have been studied. The stability analysis of geotextile tube is composed of geotechnical and hydrodynamic analysis. The stability check points are sliding failure, overturning, bearing capacity failure against the wave attack. In this paper are presented the stability analysis method by empirical equation and 2-D equilibrium analysis for geotextile tube. Also, the hydraulic model tests were performed to verify the theoretical stability analysis with geotextile tube shape, filling ratio, significant wave height, and so on. The results of this study show that the stability of geotextile tube depends on the tube shape, contact area, projection area. The theoretical analysis and hydraulic model test show almost the same results.

• 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.