• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 2023

This study presents an experimental investigation of the effects of surface roughness on gas foil thrust bearing (GFTB) performance. A high-speed motor with the maximum speed of 80 krpm rotates a thrust runner and a pneumatic cylinder applies static loads to the test GFTB. When the motor speed increases and reaches a specific speed at which a hydrodynamic film pressure generated within the gap between the thrust runner and test GFTB is enough to support the applied static load, the thrust runner lifts off from the test GFTB and the friction mechanism changes from the boundary lubrication to the hydrodynamic lubrication. The experiment shows a series of lift-off test and load-carrying capacity test for two thrust runners with different surface roughnesses. For a constant static load of 15 N, thrust runner A with its lower surface roughness exhibits a higher start-up torque but lower lift-off torque than thrust runner B with a higher surface roughness. The load capacity test at a rotor speed of 60 krpm reveals that runner A results in a higher maximum load capacity than runner B. Runner A also shows a lower drag torque, friction coefficient, and bearing temperature than runner B at constant static loads. The results imply that maintaining a consistent surface roughness for a thrust runner may improve its static GFTB performance.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2015

In this study, we apply an ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM) technique to radial journal bearings (JBs) and disks made of SUJ2 and SCM440, respectively. We investigate frictional properties of untreated and UNSM-treated specimens using a ball-on-disk tester. We construct the Stribeck curve at the boundary, under mixed and full hydrodynamic lubrication conditions for the specimens using friction data obtained from JB tests. The friction at the boundary lubrication condition and the transition period to mixed lubrication condition on the UNSM-treated specimens is reduced, which improves the service life of JBs. The major effects of this reduction in the three lubrication regimes can be explained in the terms of improved mechanical properties and the presence of micro dimples. Moreover, we estimate the friction and fatigue properties of SCM440 specimens using a ball-on-disk specimen under dry and oil-lubricated conditions. Friction test results reveal that the UNSM-treated specimens show lower friction coefficient than the untreated specimens under both dry and oil-lubricated conditions. We evaluate the fatigue properties of SCM440 specimens by calculating the Hertzian stress with respect to the failure cycles. Fatigue tests results also reveal that the UNSM-treated specimens possess a longer fatigue life than the untreated specimens. The improved properties are effective in increasing the energy efficiency of bearings.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.193-198
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• 2020

Fluid film bearings are among the best devices used for overcoming friction and reducing wear. Surface texturing is a new surface treatment technique used for processing grooves and dimples on the lubricated surface, and it helps to minimize friction further and improve the wear resistance. In several studies, parallel surfaces, such as thrust bearings and mechanical face seals, have been investigated, but most sliding bearings have a convergent film shape. This paper presents the third part of a recent study and focuses on the effect of the groove shape on the lubrication performance of inclined slider bearings, following the two previous papers on the effects of the groove position and depth. We adopted the continuity and Navier - Stokes equations to conduct numerical analyses using FLUENT, which is a commercial computational fluid dynamics code. The groove shape adopted in the numerical analysis is rectangular and triangular, and its depth is varied. The results show that the streamlines, pressure distributions, and groove shape significantly influence the lubrication performance of the inclined slider bearing. For both shapes, the load-carrying capacity (LCC) is maximum near the groove depth, where vortices occur. In the shallow grooves, the LCC of the rectangular shape is higher, but in deeper grooves, that of the triangular shape is higher. The deeper the rectangular groove, the higher the decrease in the frictional force. The results of this study can be used as design data for various sliding bearings.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.148-156
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• 2015

In the study, a design process for ensuring optimal clearance in a fuel injection pump(FIP) is suggested. Structure analysis and hydrodynamic lubrication analysis are performed to determine the optimal clearance. The FIP is simulated using Hypermesh, Abaqus 6.12 to evaluate the reduction of clearance when the maximum supply pressure is applied. The reduction in clearance is caused by the difference in the deformations between the barrel and plunger. When the deformation of the plunger is larger than that of the barrel, a reduction in clearance at the head part occurs. On the other hand, the maximum clearance reduction equals the maximum deformation in the stem part, because the deformation of barrel does not occur in this region. The clearance of FIP should be designed to be larger than maximum reduction of clearance in order to avoid contact between the plunger and barrel. In addition, the two-dimensional Reynolds equation is used to evaluate lubrication characteristics with variations of viscosity, clearance and nozzle for a laminar, incompressible, unsteady state flow. The equation is discretized using the finite difference method. The lubrication characteristics of FIP are investigated by comparing film parameter, which is the ratio of the minimum film thickness and surface roughness. The optimal clearance of FIP is to be designed by considering the maximum reduction in clearance, lubrication characteristics, machining limits and tolerance of clearance.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.247-253
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• 2018

Temperature rise due to viscous shear of the lubricating oil generates hydrodynamic pressure, even if the lubricating surfaces are parallel. This effect, known as the thermal wedge effect, varies significantly with film-temperature boundary conditions. The bearing conducts a part of the heat generated; hence, the oil temperature varies with the thermal conductivity of the bearing. In this study, we analyze the effect of thermal conductivity on the thermohydrodynamic (THD) lubrication of parallel slider bearings. We numerically analyze the continuity equation, Navier-Stokes equation, energy equation including the temperature-viscosity and temperature-density relations for lubricants, and the heat conduction equation for bearing by creating a 2D model of the micro-bearing using the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT. We then compare the variation in temperature, viscosity, and pressure distributions with the thermal conductivity. The results demonstrate that the thermal conductivity has a significant influence on THD lubrication characteristics of parallel slider bearings. The lower the thermal conductivity, the greater the pressure generation due to the thermal wedge effect resulting in a higher load-carrying capacity and smaller frictional force. The present results can function as the basic data for optimum bearing design; however, the applicability requires further studies on various operating conditions.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.2325-2334
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• 2023

To study the lubrication performance of tilting-pad thrust bearing (TPTBs) during start-up in nuclear pump, a hydrodynamic lubrication model of TPTBs was established based on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) technique. Further, a mesh motion algorithm for the transient calculation of thrust bearings was developed based on the user defined function (UDF). The result demonstrated that minimum film thickness increases first and then decreases with the rotational speed under start-up condition. The influence of pad tilt on minimum film thickness is greater than that of collar movement at low speed, and the establishment of dynamic pressure mainly depends on pad tilt and minimum film thickness increases. As the increase of rotational speed, the influence of pad tilt was abated, where the influence of the moving of the collar dominated gradually, and minimum film thickness decreases. For TPTBs, the circumferential angle of the pad is always greater than the radial angle. When the rotational speed is constant, the change rate of radial angle is greater than that of circumferential angle with the increase of loading forces. This study can provide reference for improving bearing wear resistance.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.230-236
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• 2001

We developed a built-in sensor bearing to measure the rotor motion of a rolling piston type compressor for the air conditioner. Because of needs for the high efficiency and long life span of compressor, and the usage of alternative refrigerants, the operating condition of the compressor becomes more severe. The accurate measurement of the rotor motion of the compressor can contribute greatly to the design and analysis of the hydrodynamic bearing. However, it is difficult to measure accurately the shaft behavior of small compressor because of the small space for the sensor mount, high temperature and pressure of compressor, oil mixed with refrigerant, and electromagnetic noise of the motor. To overcome these difficulties, we develop the cylindrical capacitive sensor that is built in the hydrodynamic bearing and calibrate the built-in sensor bearing indirectly through measuring the oil relative permittivity. We measured the rotor motion as well as suction and discharge pressures in various conditions. The several experimental results show that the developed built-in sensor bearing can measure the rotor motion not only in steady state but also in transient state.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.396-403
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• 2011

The concept of an air lubrication has long been an object of attention since it can be utilized to reduce the frictional resistance, and what is more, it is eco-friendly. The present study examines the basic characteristics of an air cavity with intention of applying the air lubrication technology to the reduction of the resistance of a ship without excessive power increment. For the purpose, an air cavity was created at the bottom of a flat plate by injecting air behind a backward step and the hydrodynamic properties of the air cavity and the surrounding flow has been investigated experimentally and numerically. The influence of the step height and the air flow rate have been more carefully studied since they are presumed to be the main parameters affecting the characteristics of an air cavity. The results indicates that the shapes of the air cavities attached on the flat plate become "U" or "V" type depending on the incoming flow velocity and air flow rate. The study also confirms that the length of the air cavity increases with increase in air flow rate but there is a certain critical limit in the flow rate above which increase in the air cavity length is no more evident.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.1035-1042
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• 2014

Reducing the friction of engine parts is an important issue in engine design. The loss of energy in the piston assembly due to mechanical friction ranges from 40 to 55%, and there is an increase in the total energy of about 5% if the friction of the piston can be removed. In order to reduce the friction loss at the level of each engine part, it is necessary to perform a comparative analysis with other engines to determine the important factors affecting the energy loss. Several studies have been performed to analyze the lubrication based on hydrodynamic modeling, since a piston lubrication system has dimensions in the nanoscale to microscale domain. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the correlations between the molecular and continuum systems. In this study, we investigated the friction changes due to the various interactions between molecules in the wall/fluid interface, where a microscopic movement of the oil film occurs along the cylinder liner of the engine.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2019

This study characterizes the coastdown performances of two small electric motors supported on high-speed ball bearings (BBs) and gas foil bearings (GFBs), and it predicts their acceleration performances. The two motors have identical permanent magnetic rotors and mating stators. However, the shaft of the GFBs has a larger mass and polar/transverse moments of inertia than that of the BBs. Motor coastdown tests demonstrate that the rotor speed decreases linearly with the BBs and nonlinearly with the GFBs. A simple model for the BBs predicts a constant drag torque and linear decay of speed with time. The test data validate the model predictions. For the GFBs, the hydrodynamic lubrication model predictions reveal that the drag torque increases linearly with speed, and the speed decreases exponentially with time. The predictions agree very well with the test data in the speed range of 100-30 krpm. The boundary lubrication model predicts a constant drag torque and linear decay of speed with time. The predictions agree well with the test data below 15 krpm. Mixed lubrication occurs in the speed range of 30-15 krpm. Rotor acceleration performances are predicted based on the characteristics of deceleration performances. The GFBs require more time to reach 100,000 krpm than the BBs because of their larger shaft polar moment of inertia. However, predictions for the assumed identical polar moment of inertia reveal that the GFBs have a nearly identical acceleration performance to that of the BBs with a motor torque greater than $0.03N{\cdot}m$.