Fundamentals of Fluid Film Thrust Bearing Operation and Modeling
Abstract
Widely used in turbomachinery, the fluid film thrust bearing is critical to the overall reliability of a machine. Their design complexity and application severity continue to increase, making it challenging for the plant engineer to evaluate their reliability. This tutorial first provides practical knowledge on their basic physics, including hydrodynamic pressure generation, temperature rise due to internal viscous shearing and elastic deformation, as well as how those aspects interact with each other during operation. Examples are given to demonstrate how common design and operational parameters affect a bearing’s key performance parameters, such as the minimum film thickness and pad temperature. Then, this tutorial reviews the analytical models used to simulate the various physical aspects. The state of the art techniques for modeling important aspects are presented, along with discussions on their capabilities and limitations. Also covered in this tutorial are subjects including flooded versus evacuated housing design and direct lubrication, as well as a brief discussion on dynamics.
Description
TutorialsCollections
Citation
He, Minhui; Byrne, James (2018). Fundamentals of Fluid Film Thrust Bearing Operation and Modeling. Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /172449.