• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.173-181
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• 2006

In the present study, we developed a numerical analysis software to predict performance of tilting-pad thrust bearings. The finite element method was adopted to compute lubricant film pressure and temperature. Three-dimensional heat transfer equations were solved simultaneously for the lubricant film, pad, and runner. Groove temperature was assumed with two different models. From application of the software to a thrust bearing, it has been seen that the three-dimensional analysis predicts higher temperature than the average temperature analysis. It has also been found that the groove model with a hot-oil-carry-over factor predicts higher temperature.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.22-31
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• 1993

The thermohydrodynamic performance of large tilting pad journal bearings is analyzed, taking into account the three dimensional variation of lubricant viscosity. The eddy viscosity model based on wall formula is applied. The effects of temperature rise and turbulence on the bearing performance are studied in comparision with the isothermal or the laminar analysis. It is shown that these effects have significant influence on temperature distribution, load capacity and power loss of the bearing.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.33-41
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• 1997

In this paper the linearized stiffness and damping coefficients of tilting pad thrust bearing are calculated by the perturbation method. The coefficients are obtained for a wide range of pivot positions. The effects of exciting frequency and pad mass on stiffness and damping coefficients are investigated. Critical frequencies due to the tilting motions of the pad are presented and are shown to be strongly influenced by the pivot position and the pad mass.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.107-112
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• 2016

This paper presents a rotordynamic analysis of the reduction gear system applied to the 250 kW super critical CO₂ cycle. The reduction gear system consists of an input shaft, intermediate shaft, and output shaft. Because of the high rotating speed of the input shaft, we install tilting pad bearings, rolloer bearings support the intermediate and output shafts. To predict the tilting pad bearing performance, we calculate the applied loads to the tilting pad bearings by considering the reaction forces from the gear. In the rotordynamic analysis, gear mesh stiffness results in a coupling effect between the lateral and torsional vibrations. The predicted Campbell diagram shows that there is not a critical speed lower than the rated speed of 30,000 rpm of the input shaft. The predicted modes on the critical speeds are the combined bending modes of the intermediate and output shaft, and the lateral vibrations dominate when compared to the torsional vibrations. The damped natural frequency does not strongly depend on the rotating speeds, owing to the relatively low rotating speed of the intermediate and output shaft and constant stiffness of the roller bearing. In addition, the logarithmic decrements of all the modes are positive; therefore all modes are stable.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.291-297
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• 2003

Fluid film tilting pad journal bearings are widely used for large steam turbines. However, bearing problems by pad fluttering, such as fatigue damage in the upper unloaded pad, the break of locking pins and the wear of pinholes etc., are frequently taken place in the actual steam turbines. The purpose of the present work is to investigate on the mechanism of pad fluttering and the prevention of pad fluttering with the variation of preload(m) in a tilting pad journal bearing. It is estimated that upper pad is easy to flutter because the film shape of upper pad is diverged one from the analysis of moment direction acting on pivot point. Effective preload range in order to be statically loaded pad under all operating conditions is suggested as m＞0.5. Also, as a bearing that can be prevented pad fluttering, design modified bearing is suggested. For the adjustment in actual steam turbines, bearing and rotor dynamic analysis are performed to identify bearing characteristics and to verify the reliability of rotor-bearing system.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.309-314
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• 2017

This paper presents a theoretical investigation of the dynamic characteristics of externally pressurized air pad bearings with closed loop grooves. These grooves are made on the surface of bearings to reduce the number of supply holes so that manufacturing costs can be reduced. The semi-implicit method is applied to calculate the time varying pressure profile on the air bearing surface owing to the advantages of numerical stability and fast time tracing characteristics. The static pressure of the groove bearings is much higher than that without grooves, so the groove bearings can provide high load carrying capacity. The equation of motion considering vertical motion and tilting motion are also solved using the Runge-Kutta 4th order method. By combining the semi-implicit method and the Runge-Kutta method, fast calculations of the dynamic behavior of the air bearing can be achieved. The variations of bearing reaction force, air film reaction moment, height, and tilting angle are investigated for the step force input, which is 20% higher than the bearing reaction, when the nominal clearance is 6 mm. The effect of the groove width and the groove depth are investigated by calculating the dynamic behavior. The possibility of the air hammering with the depth of the groove is found and discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.796-805
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• 2005

The tilting pad journal bearings have been widely used to support high pressure/high rotating turbine rotors owing to their inherent dynamic stability characteristics. However, fatigue damages in the upper unloaded pads and the break of locking pins etc. by pad fluttering are continuously taken place in the actual steam turbines. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new bearing model that can prevent bearing problems effectively by pad fluttering in a tilting pad journal bearing. A new bearing model which has a wedged groove is suggested from the studies of fluttering mechanism performed by previously research works. The fluttering characteristics of the upper unloaded pad are studied experimentally in order to verify the reliability of a new bearing model. It can be known that the phenomenon of pad fluttering nearly does not occurred in the new bearing model under the various experimental conditions. And it is observed that any kinds of bearing failures by pad fluttering does not detect in the application of acture steam turbines.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.8 no.5 s.32
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• pp.35-45
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• 2005

The tilting pad journal bearings have been widely used to support high pressure/high rotating turbine rotors owing to their inherent dynamic stability characteristics. However, fatigue damages in the upper unloaded pads and the break of locking pins etc. by pad fluttering are continuously taken place in the actual steam turbines. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new bearing model that can prevent bearing problems effectively by pad fluttering in a tilting pad journal bearing. A new bearing model which has a wedged groove is suggested from the studies of fluttering mechanism performed by previously research works. The fluttering characteristics of the upper unloaded pad are studied experimentally in order to verify the reliability of a new bearing model. It can be known that the phenomenon of pad fluttering nearly does not occurred in the new bearing model under the various experimental conditions. And it is observed that any kinds of bearing failures by pad fluttering does not detect in the application of acture steam turbines.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.14-24
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• 2021

This study shows the effect of the thermal boundary condition around the tilting pad journal bearing on the static and dynamic characteristics of the bearing through a high-precision numerical model. In many cases, it is very difficult to predict or measure the exact thermal boundary conditions around bearings at the operating site of a turbomachine, not even in a laboratory. The purpose of this study is not to predict the thermal boundary conditions around the bearing, but to find out how the performance of the bearing changes under different thermal boundary conditions. Lubricating oil, bearing pads and shafts were modeled in three dimensions using the finite element method, and the heat transfer between these three elements and the resulting thermal deformation were considered. The Generalized Reynolds equation and three-dimensional energy equation that can take into account the viscosity change in the direction of the film thickness are connected and analyzed by the relationship between viscosity and temperature. The numerical model was written in in-house code using MATLAB, and a parallel processing algorithm was used to improve the analysis speed. Constant temperature and convection temperature conditions are used as the thermal boundary conditions. Notably, the conditions around the bearing pad, rather than the temperature boundary conditions around the shaft, have a greater influence on the performance changes of the bearing.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.68-76
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• 1989

In this paper, the influence of ram-pressure on the static and dynamic characteristics of infinite width tilting-pad journal bearing is investigated theoretically. The ram-pressure is obtained by assumption of conservation of mechanical energy of the lubricant flow through the leading edge of the pad. The pressure in the lubricating film is numerically calculated using the ram-pressure obtained as the inlet pressure boundary condition of the pad. The static equilibrium state of tilting-pad journal bearing is determined by Newton-Raphson iteration method. A numerical results are presented in graphic form and relationships between the ram-pressure and the static and dynamic characteristics are discussed.