Rotordynamic Behavior of 225 kW (300 HP) Class PMS Motor–Generator System Supported by Gas Foil Bearings

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bok Seong Choe ◽  
Tae Ho Kim ◽  
Chang Ho Kim ◽  
Yong Bok Lee
Keyword(s):  
Axial Length ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Stability Margin ◽  
Generator System ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Stiffness And Damping

This paper presents the dynamic behavior of a 225 kW class (300 HP), 60,000 rpm, permanent magnet synchronous (PMS) motor–generator system supported on gas foil bearings (GFBs). The rotor of a 225 kW PMS motor is supported by two identical gas foil journal bearings (GFJBs) and one pair of gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs). The total weight and axial length of the coupled rotors are 272 N and 1042 mm, respectively. During the speed-up test to 60,000 rpm, unexpected large subsynchronous rotor motions appear at around 120–130 Hz above 35,040 rpm. After disassembling the motor, an inspection of the top foils of the GFJBs reveals significant rotor rubbing. Thus, the GFJBs are redesigned to have a smaller load capacity by reducing their axial length to 45 mm. In addition, three 50 μm thick shims are installed in the GFJBs at 120 deg intervals for reducing the swirl speed of air and producing bearing preloads. The modification delays the onset speed of subsynchronous motions to 43,200 rpm and decreases the amplitude of the subsynchronous motions from 20 to 15 μm. These results indicate that the modification improves the stability margin of the high-speed rotor system with increasing stiffness and damping. In addition, the logarithmic decrement trends are in good agreement with the test results.

Rotordynamic Behavior of 225 kW (300 HP) Class PMS Motor-Generator System Supported by Gas Foil Bearings

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bok Seong Choe ◽  
Tae Ho Kim ◽  
Chang Ho Kim ◽  
Yong Bok Lee
Keyword(s):  
Axial Length ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Stability Margin ◽  
Generator System ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Stiffness And Damping

This paper presents the dynamic behavior of a 225 kW class (300 HP), 60,000 rpm, permanent magnet synchronous (PMS) motor-generator system supported on gas foil bearings (GFBs). The rotor of a 225 kW PMS motor is supported by two identical gas foil journal bearings (GFJBs) and one pair of gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs). The total weight and axial length of the coupled rotors are 272 N and 1,042 mm, respectively. During the speed-up test to 60,000 rpm, unexpected large subsynchronous rotor motions appear at around 120–130 Hz above 35,040 rpm. After disassembling the motor, an inspection of the top foils of the GFJBs reveals significant rotor rubbing. Thus, the GFJBs are redesigned to have a smaller load capacity by reducing their axial length to 45 mm. In addition, three 50 μm thick shims are installed in the GFJBs at 120° intervals for reducing the swirl speed of air and producing bearing preloads. The modification delays the onset speed of subsynchronous motions to 43,200 rpm and decreases the amplitude of the subsynchronous motions from 20 to 15 μm. These results indicate that the modification improves the stability margin of the high-speed rotor system with increasing stiffness and damping. In addition, the logarithmic decrement trends are in good agreement with the test results.

Rotordynamic Performance of a Rotor Supported on Bump Type Foil Gas Bearings: Experiments and Predictions

2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 850-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis San Andrés ◽  
Dario Rubio ◽  
Tae Ho Kim
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Critical Speed ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Test System ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Rotor Imbalance ◽  
Synchronous Motion ◽  
Damping Characteristics ◽  
Rotor Surface ◽  
Stiffness And Damping

Gas foil bearings (GFBs) satisfy the requirements for oil-free turbomachinery, i.e., simple construction and ensuring low drag friction and reliable high speed operation. However, GFBs have a limited load capacity and minimal damping, as well as frequency and amplitude dependent stiffness and damping characteristics. This paper provides experimental results of the rotordynamic performance of a small rotor supported on two bump-type GFBs of length and diameter equal to 38.10mm. Coast down rotor responses from 25krpm to rest are recorded for various imbalance conditions and increasing air feed pressures. The peak amplitudes of rotor synchronous motion at the system critical speed are not proportional to the imbalance introduced. Furthermore, for the largest imbalance, the test system shows subsynchronous motions from 20.5krpm to 15krpm with a whirl frequency at ∼50% of shaft speed. Rotor imbalance exacerbates the severity of subsynchronous motions, thus denoting a forced nonlinearity in the GFBs. The rotor dynamic analysis with calculated GFB force coefficients predicts a critical speed at 8.5krpm, as in the experiments; and importantly enough, unstable operation in the same speed range as the test results for the largest imbalance. Predicted imbalance responses do not agree with the rotor measurements while crossing the critical speed, except for the lowest imbalance case. Gas pressurization through the bearings’ side ameliorates rotor subsynchronous motions and reduces the peak amplitudes at the critical speed. Posttest inspection reveal wear spots on the top foils and rotor surface.

Development of Foil Thrust Bearings with Simple Structure for Micro Turbines

2011 ◽  
Vol 368-373 ◽  
pp. 1392-1395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quan Zhou ◽  
Yu Hou ◽  
Ru Gang Chen
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Simple Structure ◽  
Thrust Bearing ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Complicated Structure ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Rotational Systems ◽  
Micro Turbine ◽  
Foil Thrust Bearing

Because of the low power loss and high stability, foil bearings are suitable lubrication components for high speed rotational systems. At present, the foil bearings used in actual applications almost have complicated structure and are hard to manufacture. In this paper, two kinds of foil thrust bearings with simple structure are presented. Configurations of these two foil thrust bearings are introduced; meanwhile, the load capacity and running stability are also tested in a high speed micro turbine. It is shown that viscoelastic supported foil thrust bearing has higher load capacity and hemisphere convex dots supported foil thrust bearing is more stable in high speed operational condition.

scholarly journals The Dynamic Characteristics of a Turborotor Simulator Supported on Gas-Lubricated Foil Bearings—Part 2: Operation With Heating and Thermal Gradients

1970 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 650-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Licht
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Characteristics ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Temperature Gradients ◽  
Thermal Gradients ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Geometrical Imperfections ◽  
The Stability

A high-speed rotor, supported by gas-lubricated foil bearings, is free from self-excited whirl and displays no loss of load capacity when vibrated at frequency equal half the rotational speed [1]. It is demonstrated here that in addition to tolerance of geometrical imperfections, misalignment, and foreign particles [3, 4], the foil bearing performs well at elevated temperatures and accommodates appreciable temperature gradients. The foil bearing is endowed with superior wipe-wear characteristics, and the flexibility of the foil accounts not only for the stability of the foil bearing but also for its forgiveness with respect to distortion, contamination, and contact.

Major Breakthrough in Load Capacity, Speed and Operating Temperature of Foil Thrust Bearings

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hooshang Heshmat
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Operating Temperature ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Extreme Temperature ◽  
Free System ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Temperature Capability

This paper describes major breakthroughs in foil thrust bearings achieving a thrust load capacity in excess of 570 kPa (83 psi), supersonic tip speed of 625 m/s (2050 ft/s) and temperature capability of 815 °C (1500 °F). Compliant foil bearings surpass many of the inherently show-stopping and debilitating features of rolling element bearings. Foil Bearings not only provide an environmentally-friendly, oil-free system of support, but are also well suited for high speed and extreme temperature applications such as gas turbines, compressors, turbochargers, cryogenic-turbopumps, turboexpanders, high speed motors and others. Modern foil bearings have demonstrated stable operational capabilities at super-critical speeds due to their tribodamping intrinsicality and ability to operate with any process fluid (gas or liquid). Recent developments have allowed increased operating temperatures, soaring to 815 °C and above, thus, providing a broader operational temperature range from deep cryogenic to extreme high temperatures. Foil journal bearings received more research and development attention in the past, achieving load capacity of 670 kPa (97 psi), reported by Heshmat in 1994. Foil thrust bearings’ load capacity at that time was in the range of 150 kPa to 200 kPa (20–30 psi) and their temperature capability was ambient to 150 °C (300 °F). This paper discusses a recent major breakthrough in the improvement of the load capacity, high speed capability of compliant foil thrust bearings, as well as extending their operating temperature range to 815 °C. Applying the available analytical tools and newly developed coatings, new thrust bearings have been designed with improved bearing geometry and structural compliancy. The advancement in solid lubricant coatings provided excellent tolerance to intermittent high-speed rubs, thus, making the bearings more robust against shock and extreme loadings. These advanced bearings, with outer diameters ranging from 90 mm to 230 mm, demonstrated a load capacity of 570 kPa (82.7 psi) at 200 m/s runner tip speed. This achievement constitutes two-fold improvement over any state-of-the-art hydrodynamic foil thrust bearings ever reported in the literatures and significantly expands the envelope of possible bearing applications. Improving the bearing load capacity at speeds near Mach 1.6 and higher is also discussed, as well as hydrodynamic operation of a foil thrust pad at 815 °C.

Rotordynamic Performance of a Rotor Supported on Bump Type Foil Gas Bearings: Experiments and Predictions

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis San Andre´s ◽  
Dario Rubio ◽  
Tae Ho Kim
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Critical Speed ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Test System ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Rotor Imbalance ◽  
Synchronous Motion ◽  
Damping Characteristics ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Stiffness And Damping

Gas foil bearings (GFBs) satisfy the requirements for oil-free turbomachinery, i.e. simple construction and ensuring low drag friction and reliable high speed operation. However, GFBs have a limited load capacity and minimal damping, as well as frequency and amplitude dependent stiffness and damping characteristics. This paper provides experimental results of the rotordynamic performance of a small rotor supported on two bump-type GFBs of length and diameter equal to 38.10 mm. Coast down rotor responses from 25 krpm to rest are recorded for various imbalance conditions and increasing air feed pressures. The peak amplitudes of rotor synchronous motion at the system critical speed are not proportional to the imbalance introduced. Furthermore, for the largest imbalance, the test system shows subsynchronous motions from 20.5 krpm to 15 krpm with a whirl frequency at ∼ 50% of shaft speed. Rotor imbalance exacerbates the severity of subsynchronous motions, thus denoting a forced nonlinearity in the GFBs. The rotor dynamic analysis with calculated GFB force coefficients predicts a critical speed at 8.5 krpm, as in the experiments; and importantly enough, unstable operation in the same speed range as the test results for the largest imbalance. Predicted imbalance responses do not agree with the rotor measurements while crossing the critical speed, except for the lowest imbalance case. Gas pressurization through the bearings’ side ameliorates rotor subsynchronous motions and reduces the peak amplitudes at the critical speed. Post-test inspection reveal wear spots on the top foils and rotor surface.

scholarly journals Development and Application of Integrated Aerodynamic Protuberant Foil Journal and Thrust Bearing in Turboexpander

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianwei Lai ◽  
Yu Guo ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Yu Hou
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Least Square Method ◽  
Air Separation ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Rotor Bearing ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Bearing System

Foil bearing provides compliant support and moderate Coulomb friction for rotor-bearing system, which is conducive to stability and reliability of high speed rotating machinery. In this paper, both hydrodynamic lubricated foil journal and foil thrust bearings are applied in a 150 m3·h−1 turboexpander for air separation. In the bearings, protuberant foil is chosen as the supporting subfoil due to its merits of easy fabrication and assembly. Static loading and deflection of the bearings are tested, respectively, before integration into the turboexpander. Afterwards, the loading and deflection curves of the journal and thrust bearings are polynomial fitted using least-square method. Then, performance tests are carried out on the rotor-bearing system, including transient speed-up, high speed, and speed-down processes. In the tests, the turboexpander supported by the hydrodynamic foil bearings operates smoothly with repeatability. Maximal rotor speed of the turboexpander reaches 52000 rpm with hydrodynamic lubricated protuberant foil bearings.

The Impact of Modified Corrugated Bump Structures on the Rotor Dynamic Performance of Gas Foil Bearings

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Hoffmann ◽  
Tomasz Pronobis ◽  
Robert Liebich
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Stability Range ◽  
Numerical Investigations ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Stiffness And Damping ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Rotor Dynamic ◽  
Stiffness Distribution

Gas foil bearings (GFBs) have been successfully introduced in the field of high speed turbo machineries. Low drag friction, high speed operation and the omission of an oil system are some advantages of bump type foil bearings. However, experimental and numerical investigations have shown sub synchronous vibrations, which affect the rotor dynamic behavior. Several methods and devices have been introduced to decrease these vibrations (e.g. viscoelastic foil bearings, shims and side feed pressurization). This current paper examines the effect of different bump foil configurations on the rotor dynamic performance. Different bump stiffness distributions in axial and circumferential direction are considered for a set of loadings (5, 15, 30 and 60 N) and rotor speeds (6,000–70,000 rpm). To evaluate the onset speed of sub synchronous vibration a linear stability analysis is applied. It uses the linearized bearing parameters stiffness and damping. The results show, that a variation of stiffness distributions may enlarge the stability range. Simulations indicate that a non-uniform circumferential stiffness distribution is very effective to avoid sub synchronous vibrations, due to smaller cross coupling effects.

An experimental investigation of a microturbine simulated rotor supported on multileaf gas foil bearings with backing bump foils

2017 ◽  
Vol 232 (9) ◽  
pp. 1169-1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Shemiao Qi ◽  
Sheng Feng ◽  
Haipeng Geng ◽  
Yanhua Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Preliminary Test ◽  
Journal Bearings ◽  
Rotating Machinery ◽  
System Stability ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Thrust Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Simulated System ◽  
First Time

Two multileaf gas foil journal bearings with backing bump foils and one set of gas foil thrust bearings were designed, fabricated, and used in a 100 kW class microturbine simulated rotor system to ensure stability of the system. Meanwhile, a preliminary test rig had been built to verify the simulated system stability. The rotor synchronous and subsynchronous responses were well controlled by using of the gas foil bearings. It is on the multileaf gas foil bearings with backing bump foils that the test was conducted and verified for the first time in open literatures. The success in the experiments shows that the design and fabrication of the rotor and the gas foil bearings can provide a useful guide to the development of the advanced high speed rotating machinery.

Rotordynamics Performance of Hybrid Foil Bearing Under Forced Vibration Input

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daejong Kim ◽  
Brian Nicholson ◽  
Lewis Rosado ◽  
Garry Givan
Keyword(s):  
Impulse Response ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Supply System ◽  
Forced Response ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Lateral Acceleration ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Foil Bearing ◽  
Gas Supply

Foil bearings are one type of hydrodynamic air/gas bearings but with a compliant bearing surface supported by structural material that provides stiffness and damping to the bearing. The hybrid foil bearing (HFB) in this paper is a combination of a traditional hydrodynamic foil bearing with externally-pressurized air/gas supply system to enhance load capacity during the start and to improve thermal stability of the bearing. The HFB is more suitable for relatively large and heavy rotors where rotor weight is comparable to the load capacity of the bearing at full speed and extra air/gas supply system is not a major added cost. With 4,448N∼22,240N thrust class turbine aircraft engines in mind, the test rotor is supported by HFB in one end and duplex rolling element bearings in the other end. This paper presents experimental work on HFB with diameter of 102mm performed at the US Air force Research Laboratory. Experimental works include: measurement of impulse response of the bearing to the external load corresponding to rotor’s lateral acceleration of 5.55g, forced response to external subsynchronous excitation, and high speed imbalance response. A non-linear rotordynamic simulation model was also applied to predict the impulse response and forced subsynchronous response. The simulation results agree well with experimental results. Based on the experimental results and subsequent simulations, an improved HFB design is also suggested for higher impulse load capability up to 10g and rotordynamics stability up to 30,000rpm under subsynchronous excitation.

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