Experimental Study on Influence of Gas Volume Fraction in Two-phase Flow on Lubrication Performance of Large Tilting Pad Journal Bearing

doi:10.3901/JME.2021.11.220

Abstract

Abstract: Tilting pad journal bearing (TPJB) is an important part of large gas turbine and other rotating machinery. There is a complex oil-gas two-phase flow in the gap between rotor and bearing pad, and its characteristics directly affect the bearing performance. In order to study the effect of oil-gas two-phase flow on the performance of TPJBs, a high-speed TPJB test rig is built. The oil-gas two-phase flow experiments with different gas volume fractions are carried out for large-size directly lubricated tilting pad journal bearing under different load and speed conditions. The effects of load, rotating speed, and gas volume fraction in two-phase flow on oil film pressure, film thickness, pad surface temperature and motor power are studied experimentally. The experimental results are helpful to understand cavitation effects, and to optimize the design of tilting pad journal bearings.

Key words: tilting pad journal bearing, two phase flow, cavitation, turbulence, oil film pressure, pad surface temperature

CLC Number:

TH133

HU Yang, ZHU Lijin, MENG Yonggang. Experimental Study on Influence of Gas Volume Fraction in Two-phase Flow on Lubrication Performance of Large Tilting Pad Journal Bearing[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2021, 57(11): 220-227.

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