Dynamic Analysis of a Rotor System Supported on Squeeze Film Damper with Air Entrainment
Squeeze film dampers (SFDs) are widely used in compressors and turbines to suppress the vibration while traversing critical speeds. In practical applications, air ingestion from the outside environment and cavitation may lead to a foamy lubricant that weakens oil film damping and dynamic performance of rotor system. In this paper, a rigid rotor model is established considering both lateral and pitching vibration under different imbalance excitations to evaluate the effect of air entrainment on rotor system. Tests with three different imbalances are carried out on a rotor-SFD apparatus. Volume controlled air in mixture ranging from pure oil to all air are supplied to the SFD. The transient response of rotor is measured in the experiments. The results show that two-phase flow produces significant influence on the system stability and dynamical response. The damping properties are weakened by entrained air, such as the damping on high frequency components of rolling ball bearing. Super-harmonic resonance and bifurcation are observed, as well as the low frequency components due to air entrainment.
Experimental study of a squeeze film damper with eccentric circular orbits
An experiment was carried out to investigate the distribution of oil pressure within a squeeze film damper. The damper was made so that its operation turned out to be as simple as possible, in order to highlight the main causes of practical deviation from theoretical prediction, with particular reference to cavitating mechanisms and regardless of inertia effects. The journal of the damper was given an eccentric orbital precession, with adoption of two distinct values of the offset. A groove placed laterally to the film secured the oil feeding. An outlet plenum at the opposite side of the film was operated with two different levels of exposure to the ambient air. Observation of the oil pressure was restricted to the film section midway between the inlet and outlet border by means of three piezoelectric transducers plus a strain gauge sensor. Theoretical prediction with a simple isoviscous short bearing uncavitated model was shown to be a significant reference for the experimental data. Analysis of the pressure levels and shape of the pressure waves made it possible to recognize operating conditions with the presence of tensile stresses and rupture of the film. The latter conditions were chiefly due to vapor cavitation. In many circumstances, spikes with tensile strength preceded the ruptured region. Air entrainment and its effects proved to be restricted at high frequency regimes with very low supply pressures and coexisted with vapor cavitation. The influence of moderate orbital distortion on pressure signals was highlighted. Significant differences in the pressure behavior from one sensor location to the other, for the same operating conditions, were frequently observed.
A high-speed photography study of cavitation in a dynamically loaded journal bearing
The earlier study made by Jacobson and Hamrock on the cavitation of liquid lubricant films in a dynamically loaded journal bearing was repeated with a quartz sleeve, which was more rigid than the Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) sleeve used previously. Various improvements of the test rig were made concomitantly so that the experimental errors could be better controlled and assessed. The updated speed photography experiment and its results are described.