• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.114-122
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• 2019

High-speed rotating machinery requires low cost and reliable bearing elements with low friction, stable rotordynamic characteristics, and a simple design. This study experimentally evaluates the effects of bearing-support elements on the vibrational characteristics of a small-sized, high-speed permanent magnetic motor. A series of coast down tests from 100 krpm characterize the vibrational behaviors, rotor displacement, and housing acceleration of motors supported by ball bearings, ball bearings with a metal mesh damper, and gas foil bearings, respectively. Two eddy-current sensors installed in the horizontal and vertical directions measure the displacement of the rotor at its front nut, and a 3-axis accelerometer attached to the motor housing measures the housing acceleration. The test results reveal that synchronous (1X) vibration components most significantly affect the rotor displacement and housing acceleration, independent of the bearing-support elements. The motor supported by the deep-groove ball bearings results in the largest rotor vibrations increasing with speed; this is due to the absence of a damping mechanism. Additionally, the metal mesh damper effectively reduces the rotor displacement, housing acceleration, and sound-pressure level in the high-speed region (i.e., above 40 krpm), thus implying its substantial damping performance when installed on the outer race of the ball bearing. Lastly, the gas foil bearing supported motor yields the smallest rotor displacement, housing acceleration, and lowest sound-pressure level because of its hydrodynamic airborne operation, which does not require rolling elements that may cause mechanical friction and vibrations.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.12a
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• pp.191-198
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• 2002

Oil-free turbo-compressor supported by compliant foil bearings which remove oil-contamination by elimination of the conventional ball bearing and oil lubrication systems is presented. Turbo-compressor makes two individual air compression with two impellers at operating speed, 39,000rpm. In this study, the rotordynamic effects caused by aerodynamic instability were investigated with variable mass flow rate. Correlation between frequencies of pressure fluctuation in two diffusers and those of excitation forces on rotor were clearly developed in aerodynamic unsteady region. Thus, these results show that it is beneficial to design high speed rotating turbomachinery considering coupling effect between aerodynamic instability and rotordynamic force.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.6 no.2 s.19
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• pp.62-69
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• 2003

An oil-free turbo-compressor supported by compliant foil bearings which remove oil-contamination by elimination of a conventional ball bearing and oil lubrication systems is presented. Turbo-compressor makes two individual air compressions with two impellers at a operating speed of 39,000 rpm. In this study, the rotordynamic effects caused by aerodynamic instability were investigated with variable mass flow rates. Correlations between frequencies of pressure fluctuation in two diffusers and those of excitation forces on rotor were clearly observed in an aerodynamic unsteady region. Thus, these results show that it is beneficial to design high-speed rotating turbomachinery by considering coupling effect between aerodynamic instability and rotordynamic force.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2000.06a
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• pp.1450-1454
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• 2000

In order to understand dynamic characteristics of centrifugal compressor supported foil bearing, of which normal operating speed is about 20,000 ${\sim}$ 50,000 rpm, the rotor whirl is measured using gap sensors. Not only critical speeds of rotor system but also stability of rotor whirl, which are main concerns of the turbo compressor system, are measured using gap sensors by varying the rotating speed the rotor. The stiffness characteristics of bearing system is shown to be almost invariant according to speed variation by the measurement of eccentricity. In addition, from the directional power spectral density function of the measured vibration signal, the isotropy stiffness characteristics of foil bearing system is discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.271-276
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• 2006

This paper shows the rotordynamic characteristics of a turbo-generator for a BOP of a fuel cell system. The rotor-bearing system consists of magnetic shaft and compressor-turbine shaft, and the two shafts are connected by spline coupling and supported by oil free air foil bearing. Preliminary design according to several parameter is considered in detail. Static and dynamic characteristics of the AFB are estimated by the soft elasto-hydrodynamic analysis technique and the perturbation method. The results of the natural frequencies, mode shape, and unbalance response analysis are presented.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.12a
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• pp.662-667
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• 2003

This paper presents a performance analysis of the 1st generation bump foil journal bearings for the micro gas turbine TG75. Static performances such as load capacity and attitude angle are estimated by using soft elasto-hydrodynamic analysis technique, and dynamic performances such as stiffness and damping coefficients are estimated by perturbation method. Rotordynamic analysis for TG75 is performed by using the bearing analysis results. TG75 rotor has 2 horizontal and vertical directional natural modes due to the bearing stiffness characteristics. TG75 rotor will be stably operated between the 1st bending mode at 33000cpm and the 2nd bending mode at 85500cpm. Unbalance response analysis results satisfy the API vibration criteria.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.292-297
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• 2009

Air foil thrust bearings are the critical components available on high-efficiency turbomachinery which need an ability to endure the large axial force. Air foil bearings are self-acting hydrodynamic bearings that use ambient air as their lubricant. Since the air is squeezed by the edge of compliance-surface of bearing, hydrodynamic force is generated. In this study, we measured the air film thickness and obtained the minimum film thickness experimentally. To increase the maximum load capacity, compliance of sub-structure was controlled. From numerical analyses, it is seen that, if the air film thickness is distributed more uniformly by variable compliance, the thrust bearings can take more axial load.

• 유체기계공업학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.12a
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• pp.104-108
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• 2004

Micro turbine is an electric power generating system using a gas turbine whose rated power is under 300kW, and it is featured as a small, efficient. maintenance free and environment-friendly system. Air foil bearing has several advantages over conventional bearings for micro turbine because it is oilless and non-contact. Recently, air foil bearings for high temperature over $500^{\circ}C$ has been developed for the application of 65kW micro turbine system. In this paper, the development and current status are summarized in detail.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2009

This paper presents a experimental results for the performance evaluation of a double-bumped air foil bearing. The test results of a double-bumped AFB is compared with a single-bumped AFB at a heavily-loaded condition. The diameter of the test bearing is 50 mm, and the axial length is 50 mm. Nominal clearance of the single-bumped AFB is evaluated as $105{\mu}m$, and that of the double-bumped AFB is as $95{\mu}m$. The test of the AFBs are demonstrated at 3 test mode; the load variation mode, the speed variation mode, and start-stop mode. The single-bumped AFB demonstrated a upward load-carrying capacity of 95 N and a downward load-carrying capacity of 130 N at 20,000 rpm. The double-bumped AFB demonstrated a upward load-carrying capacity of 170 N and a downward load-carrying capacity of 170 N at 20,000 rpm. The single-bumped AFB demonstrated a downward lift-off speed of 16,300 rpm at 105 N. The double-bumped AFB demonstrated a downward lift-off speed of 15,400 rpm at 105 N. The start-stop test of the AFBs assure 5,000 cycle endurance life. The test results are compared with the theoretical calculation results. The test and theorectical results show thata double-bump air foil bearing provides a higher load-carrying capacity, stiffness and damping than a single-bump air foil bearing in a heavily-loaded condition.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.256-262
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• 2005

The calculation of bump foil deflection is very important to predict the performance of foil bearings more accurately, because the foil bearings consist of top foil and its elastic foundation usually called bump foil. For the purpose of this, a finite element model considering 3-dimensional structure of the bump foil is developed to calculate the deflection of inter-connected bump. The results obtained from the suggested model are compared and analyzed with those from the previous proposed deflection models. In addition, load capacity of the foil bearings is analyzed by using this model.