Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Tilting-Pad Bearings -- Contact Flexibility of the Pivot

Version 1 : Received: 20 April 2023 / Approved: 21 April 2023 / Online: 21 April 2023 (10:42:07 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Wagner, L.F. Tilting-Pad Bearings—The Contact Flexibility of the Pivot. Lubricants 2023, 11, 189. Wagner, L.F. Tilting-Pad Bearings—The Contact Flexibility of the Pivot. Lubricants 2023, 11, 189.

Abstract

The modeling of tilting-pad journal and thrust bearings presents a level of complexity beyond that of bearings of fixed-arc geometry, particularly with regard to dynamic influences. With tilting-pad bearings, the theory surrounding the fluid film must be complemented with representative modeling of the pad dynamics. What has been recognized in recent decades has been the significance of the pad support, in particular the flexibility of the pivot region of the pad. The typical model for including the stiffness of the pivot has been based on Hertzian contact theory. Some researchers have been noting that the Hertzian theory does not permit sufficient flexibility in the pivot region. It is suggested that the contact mechanics at the pivot would be better represented as a pairing of rough surfaces. The modeling used here is based on a statistical asperity micro-contact theory for rough-surface line contact that has been extended to include contact stiffness. This model has been applied to the determination of the effective dynamic properties of tilting-pad bearings. The results show that pivot stiffness can be as low as one-third the stiffness determined by Hertzian theory. Comparison to published experimental results confirms the significance of the rough-surface modeling, particularly for the line contacts associated with rocker-back tilting pads.

Keywords

bearings; tilting-pad; dynamic; coefficients; stiffness; damping; pivot; contact; flexibility

Subject

Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

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