Analysis of dynamical behaviour of full-floating disk thrust bearings

Abstract

Full-floating ring bearings are state of the art at high speed turbomachinery shafts like in turbochargers. Their main feature is an additional ring between shaft and housing leading to two fluid films in serial arrangement. Analogously, a thrust bearing with an additional separating disk between journal collar and housing can be designed. The disk is allowed to rotate freely only driven by drag torques, while it is radially supported by a short bearing against the journal. This paper addresses this kind of thrust bearing and its implementation into a transient rotor dynamic simulation by solving the Reynolds PDE online during time integration. Special attention is given to the coupling between the different fluid films of this bearing type. Finally, the differences between a coupled and an uncoupled solution are discussed.

Keywords

• thrust bearings
• full-floating
• hydrodynamics
• transient rotor dynamics
• elrod cavitation algorithm