• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.205-211
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• 2014

Recent studies emphasize the importance of pivot stiffness in the analysis of tilting pad bearings (TPBs). The present paper develops a finite element model of the pad pivot and compares the predicted pivot stiffness to the results of Hertzian contact model calculations. Specifically, a finite element analysis generates tetrahedral mesh models with ~40,000 nodes for a ball-socket pivot and ~50,000 nodes for a rocker-back pivot. These models assume a frictionless boundary condition in the contact area. Increasing the applied loads on the pad in conjunction with increasing time steps ensures rapid convergence during the nonlinear numerical analysis. Predictions are performed using the developed finite element model for increasing the differential diameters between the pad pivot (or ball) and the bearing housing (or socket). The predictions show that the pivot contact area increases with decreasing differential diameters and increasing applied loads. Further, the maximum deformation occurring at the pivot center increases with increasing differential diameters and increasing applied loads. The pivot stiffness increases nonlinearly with decreasing differential diameters and increasing applied loads. Comparisons of results of the developed finite element model to those of Hertzian contact model calculations assuming a small contact area show that the latter model underestimates the pivot stiffnesses predicted by the finite element models of the ball-socket and rocker-back pivots, particularly for small differential diameters. This result implies the need for cautionduring the design of pivot stiffness by the Hertzian contact model.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.33-40
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• 2009

The temperature of vertical pump bearing metal in the pumped storage power plant has been high enough to shutdown the unit. Attempts such as decreasing the oil supply temperature, increasing the bearing oil gap etc. were performed to resolve the problem, but the issue was not resolved. Finally, the high bearing metal temperature was corrected by adjusting the bearing preload. The preload is formed by the oil wedge between the journal surface and bearing pad surface and the degree of preload is determined by the machined radial clearance, assembled radial clearance, rotor journal diameter etc. This paper focuses on the analysis of the preload depending on the bearing parameters and the result of the modification of the bearing following the analysis. The bearing metal temperature dropped as much as $20^{\circ}C$ which was similar as expected by software calculation. But the shaft vibration could increase when the assembled radial clearance is excessive. So, the adjustment of the bearing preload for the tilting pad type journal bearing should be carefully performed.

• 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

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 1998

In this paper, an influence of inlet pressure on the running characteristics of tilting pad thrust bearing is studied by a numerical analysis. The inlet pressure is obtained from the extended Bernoulli equation including the loss coefficient which is varied with the operating conditions. The running characteristic parameters such as the minimum film thickness, the film pressure and the film thickness ratios are calculated for various runner speeds with constant load in particular two pivot positions. The results are shown that the inlet pressure has a large influence on the minimum film thickness and other running characteristic parameters.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2017

This paper presents a rotordynamic analysis and the operation of a power turbine applied to a 250 kW super-critical $CO_2$ cycle. The power turbine consists of a turbine wheel and a shaft supported by two fluid film bearings. We use a tilting pad bearing for the power turbine owing to the high speed operation, and employ copper backing pads to improve the thermal management of the bearing. We conduct a rotordynamic analysis based on the design parameters of the power turbine. The dynamic coefficients of the tilting pad bearings were calculated based on the iso-thermal lubrication theory and turbine wheel was modeled as equivalent inertia. The predicted Cambell diagram showed that there are two critical speeds, namely the conical and bending critical speeds under the rated speed. However, the unbalance response prediction showed that vibration levels are controlled within 10 mm for all speed ranges owing to the high damping ratio of the modes. Additionally, the predicted logarithmic decrement indicates that there is no unstable mode. The power turbine uses compressed air at a temperature of $250^{\circ}C$ in its operation, and we monitor the shaft vibration and temperature of the lubricant during the test. In the steady state, we record a temperature rise of $40^{\circ}C$ between the inlet and outlet lubricant and the measured shaft vibration shows good agreement with the prediction.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.711-719
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• 2002

This paper presents the synchronous vibration control of a rotor system using an active air bearing(AAB). In order to suppress the synchronous vibration, it is necessary to actively control the air film pressure or the air film thickness. In this study, active pads are used to control the air film thickness. Active pads are supported by pivots containing piezoelectric actuators and their radial position can be actively controlled by applying voltage to the actuators. Thus, disturbances, i. e. various kinds of external force can cause shaft vibration as well as change of the air film thickness. The dynamic behavior of a rotary system supported by two tilting-pad gas bearings and its active stabilization using the tilting-pads as actuators are investigated numerically. The $\mu$ synthesis are applied to the AAB system with three pads, two of which contain piezoelectric actuators. To test the validity of the theoretical method, the performance of this control method is evaluated through experiments. The experimental results also show the effectiveness of the control system for suppressing the unbalanced response of the rigid modes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 1999.11a
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• pp.174-178
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• 1999

This paper describes an investigation on bearing failure due to spragging that has been continuously occurred in turbine hearings. The spragging is defined as the damage found on the leading edge of unloaded pads in the tilting pad journal bearing, In general, the damage mechanism by spragging is classified into fatifgue failure, The principle cause of spragging could be thought as the self-excited vibration by the absence of a stable static equilibrium position of upper pads with no preload. Because of serious consequences of system breakdowns due to bearing failures, determination ar the causes of failure and effective method for countermeasures are very important. This paper describes both the causes of spragging and countermeasures for prevention of such failure, which are taken place in the electric power plants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.50-57
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• 1997

A 600HP class high-speed gear driven 3-stage turbo-compressor (IGCC : Integrally Geared Centrifugal Compressor) driven by a 3600 rpm AC induction motor has been designed, of which low speed pinion runs at 35000 rpm and high speed pinion at 50000 rpm nominally. Due to its high speed operation, the system requires very reliable bearing selection and design as well as accurate rotordynamic analysis and prediction of its dynamic behavior to secure the operating reliability. Rotordaynamic analyses of the IGCC rotor-bearing system predicted that the low speed pinion rotor mounted on 5-pad tilting pad bearings has two critical speeds before its design speed and high speed pinion rotor only one critical speed, and estimated critical speeds of both pinion shafts are away from the continuous operating speed enough to satisfy the corresponding API requirement. The forced response analysis with API specified maximum allowable unbalances also showed that unbalance responses are small enough for smooth operation of the system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.533-534
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• 2008

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.1063-1070
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• 1988

The influence of the inlet pressure on bearing performance of tilting pad bearings in laminar regime is examined. A simple flow model is presented to calculate the inlet pressure in inlet flow that occurs at a short distance ahead of the bearing inlet. The bearing performances are obtained, load capacity, friction torque and lubricated flow-rate, etc, numerically for the inlet pressure boundary conditions with and without pressure jump. The computed results of both cases show that bearing performance and the optimum pivot position changes remarkably according to the bearing operating conditions. The influence of the inlet pressure on bearing performance must be considered to analyze the bearing performance precisely.