Influence of Critical Flow Rates on Characteristics of Enforced and Shear Flows in Circular Convergent-Divergent Channels

Abstract

Analysis of the reasons of critical flow rate occurrence in hydraulic tracts of cryogenic machines has been carried out. Theoretical expressions have been derived to calculate critical velocities in a boiling multiphase medium. Applied to hybrid fluid-film bearings with throttles for lubricant supply, a mathematical model has been developed to calculate pressure distribution and hydrodynamic reaction forces of a lubricant considering the influence of steam content and critical flows in throttle devices. Numerical results of phase state and load capacity calculations of a hybrid fluid-film bearing under lubricant’s critical flow rates condition have been presented.