Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

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Tribology International
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/triboint

A new concept of active hydrodynamic bearing for application in rotating

systems✩
D.J. Ramos ∗, G.B. Daniel
Department of Integrated Systems, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Campinas, Mendeleyev Street, 200 - SP, Brazil

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Keywords: Conventional hydrodynamic journal bearings applied to rotating machines are susceptible to some undesired
Active bearing conditions, such as fluid-induced instability, high increase of temperature and load capacity inefficiency.
Hydrodynamic bearing To avoid these conditions, a new concept of hydrodynamic bearing is proposed in which the own bearing
Instability threshold
motion is considered, thus making possible to change the average velocity of the lubricating oil film inside
the bearing. The rotor dynamic behavior as well as the hydrodynamic forces developed in the bearings are
initially evaluated through computational simulation, allowing to verify the advantages and improvements
obtained through this new bearing concept. The numerical results show that this new bearing is able to avoid
fluid-induce instability in the rotating system, in addition to acting on reducing the oil temperature and bearing
load capacity. Based on these results, the new concept of bearing represents a promising alternative to improve
the performance of rotating machines.

1. Introduction and Linjamaa et al. [4] are examples of the influence of temperature
on the dynamic behavior of the bearing.
The hydrodynamic bearing operation occurs with the development The load capacity is related to the hydrodynamic force that the
of the pressure field in the lubricating oil film present between the bearing can develop to support the shaft at a given rotational speed
surfaces of the shaft and the bearing. This pressure field allows the (Frene et al. [5]). This parameter is determined by the bearing geom-
support of high loads at high rotational speeds without metal-to-metal etry, the properties of the lubricating fluid, as well as its operating
contact what reduces the friction on the rotor-bearing system. Such condition. The relevance in the analysis of this parameter is due to the
characteristics make this type of bearing very attractive for applica- shaft eccentricity in the bearing, since operating conditions with high
tion on rotating machines. The advantages presented for the use of eccentricity are subject to changes in the lubrication condition, leaving
hydrodynamic bearings become its applicability very high. However, the hydrodynamic condition and becoming elastohydrodynamic, but
it is mandatory to take into account the disadvantages of this type still with the aggravation by mixed lubrication, in which there is
of bearing during the design of rotating machines. Problems such contact between the shaft and bearing surfaces. The work of Urreta
as overheating of the lubricant film, difficulty in adjusting the load
et al. [6] is an example of research that seeks to assess the influence of
capacity without changing the rotor operational conditions and fluid-
magnetic fluids on the bearing load capacity. Urreta et al. [7] presents
induced instability make your application carefully studied for each
a study of the bearing load capacity using magnetic fluids to actively
machine design.
adjust this parameter.
The temperature of the oil film is a problem of great relevance
Fluid-induced instability is a phenomenon that occurs due to the
for the study of hydrodynamic bearings. The majority of the energy
interaction between the rotating system and the lubricating oil film [8,
responsible for heating the oil film comes from its viscous shear, as
9], being the oil whip instability the most critical. This instability is
discussed by Cameron [1]. Thus, operating conditions with high rota-
characterized as a sudden and significant increase in the amplitude
tional speed or high eccentricity ratio require attention to this problem,
since the shear is greater for such conditions. In addition to influence of the rotor’s vibration when its rotating speed reaches about twice
significantly the lubricating oil viscosity, high temperatures can deform its critical speed. This type of instability is considered as self-induced,
the bearing surface, showing the relevance of this problem for this since it does not occur through external forces, but rather due to the
type of bearing. The works of Li et al. [2], Awati and Kengangutti [3] interaction between the rotating system and the hydrodynamic forces of

✩ This paper is the results of the research project funded by São Paulo Research Foundation.
∗ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: djramos@fem.unicamp.br (D. Ramos), gbdaniel@fem.unicamp.br (G. Daniel).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2020.106592
Received 11 June 2020; Received in revised form 21 July 2020; Accepted 8 August 2020
Available online 13 August 2020
0301-679X/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
D. Ramos and G. Daniel Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

with cylindrical hydrodynamic bearings, as discussed by Lund and

Nomenclature
Saibel [10] . To investigate ways to better understand this phenomenon
𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 Heat generation on energy equation as well as to control it, several researchers are still researching this
[𝐶] Global damping matrix (N/s) phenomenon, such as the works of De Castro et al. [11], Fan et al.
𝐶 Coefficients used in Finite Volume Method [12], Pesch and Sawicki [13], Alves et al. [14] and Safizadeh and
𝐶𝛩 Coefficients used in Finite Volume Method Golmohammadi [15].
𝐶𝑝 Fluid thermal capacity (J/K) This work presents a new concept of cylindrical hydrodynamic
𝐶𝑟 Radial clearance (m) bearing that aims to solve the problems previously mentioned. This
𝐶𝑇 Coefficients used in Finite Volume Method concept consists of the possibility of acting on the rotational motion of
𝐶𝜇𝐴 Coefficient of viscosity relation the bearing surface, as shown in the concept outlined in Fig. 1. For this
𝐶𝜇𝐵 Coefficient of viscosity relation type of bearing, both the shaft and bearing surfaces can rotate, in which
𝐷 Diameter (m) the shaft rotational speed is conditioned by the operating condition of
𝑒 Shaft eccentricity (m) the rotating system and the bearing rotational speed is chosen by the
𝑒𝑋 Shaft eccentricity in X direction action required to solve or mitigate a undesired condition or effect.
𝑒𝑌 Shaft eccentricity in Y direction The advantage of this new bearing concept is the possibility of
{𝐹 } Excitation vector (N) solving some of the hydrodynamic bearing problems previously de-
𝐹𝑋 Hydrodynamic force on X direction (N) scribed. The possibility of acting on the bearing rotational motion
𝐹𝑌 Hydrodynamic force on Y direction (N) allows to reduce the shear of the lubricant film and, consequently, the
[𝐺] Global gyroscopic matrix (N/s) power losses due to viscous friction, becoming possible to decrease
ℎ Oil film thickness (m) the temperature of the lubricant film. In addition, by controlling the
ℎ Dimensionless oil film thickness (–) bearing rotation motion, it makes possible to control its load capacity,
[𝐾] Global stiffness matrix (N/m) since this parameter is related to the average velocity of the oil film.
[ ] Finally, fluid-induced instability is also related to the average velocity
𝐾𝑆 Global shaft stiffness matrix (N/m)
𝐾𝑇 Fluid conductivity (W/K) of the oil film, thus, by controlling the bearing rotational motion it is
possible to avoid this instability condition.
𝐿 Length (m)
[𝑀] Global mass matrix (kg) The development of active bearings for application in rotating
𝑝 Pressure (Pa) machines represents an important research topic, resulting in contri-
𝑝 Dimensionless pressure (–) butions capable of improving the performance and efficiency of this
𝑝𝑎𝑚𝑏 Ambient pressure (Pa) machinery. In this context, some researchers have developed solu-
tions that can change the bearing’s properties and operating condi-
{𝑞} Degrees of freedom vector
tions, acting directly on the typical problems of conventional hydrody-
𝑅 Radius (m)
namic bearings. El-Shafei [16] proposed a magnetic system associated
𝑡 Time (s)
with the cylindrical hydrodynamic bearing, thus allowing to include
𝑇 Temperature (K)
magnetic forces in the system and to deal with instability condi-
𝑇 Dimensionless temperature (–)
tions. Pizarro Viveros and Nicoletti [17] proposed a tilting-pad bearing
𝑇𝑖𝑛𝑗 Inlet temperature (K)
with a magnetic actuator to attenuate the lateral vibrations. Varela and
𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓 Reference temperature (K)
Santos [18] developed a tilting pad bearing with active control from
𝑈𝐵 Linear speed on the bearing surface (m/s)
the injection of lubricating fluid in the center of the pad. Zhang et al.
𝑈𝑆 Linear speed on the rotor surface (m/s)
[19] proposed a journal bearing with adjustable radial clearance, with
𝑥 Circumferential direction (m)
good results to reduce vibration amplitude and mitigate the instability
𝑥 Dimensionless circumferential coordinate
condition.
(–)
The active solutions previously mentioned do not effectively prevent
𝑋 Translational coordinate (m)
the phenomena that causes the problem, but find ways to control these
𝑌 Translational coordinate (m)
undesired conditions. Thus, the new concept proposed in this work has
𝑧 Axial direction (m)
advantages in relation to other solutions, since it is able to mitigate
𝑧 Dimensionless axial coordinate (–)
and avoid the problems previously discussed, namely, fluid-induced
𝛼 Length to diameter relation (–)
instability, high increase of temperature and load capacity inefficiency.
𝛽 Coefficient to proportional damping
In this context, this new concept represents a promising alternative,
𝜃 Angular coordinate (rad)
bringing important contributions to the improving of the performance
𝛩 Liquid fraction in the oil film (–)
and efficiency of rotating machinery.
𝜇 Dynamic viscosity (Pa s)
𝜈 Unbalance mass (kg)
𝜉 Unbalance mass eccentricity (m) 2. Methodology
𝜌 Fluid density (kg∕m3 )
𝛺𝐵 Bearing rotational speed (Hz)
This section presents the mathematical models used to describe the
𝛺𝑆 Shaft rotational speed (Hz)
dynamic behavior of the rotor-bearings system. For the bearings, the
thermohydrodynamic lubrication with mass-conservation is considered.
Thus, the 𝑝 − 𝛩 lubrication model is solved along the energy equation
the bearing. With the improvement of the machines and the need to op- to calculate the hydrodynamic forces acting in the bearing. For the
erate at high rotating speeds, this problem became increasingly evident, rotor model, the Finite Elements Method (FEM) is used to describe its
and it proved to be a limiting for the operation of rotating machines dynamic behavior.

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D. Ramos and G. Daniel Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

Fig. 1. Schematic of bearing prototype with gears to allow its rotation motion.

Fig. 2. Schematic representation of a cylindrical journal bearing and its parameters.

2.1. Cylindrical journal bearing as the description of each term that makes up the modified Reynolds
Equation, as indicated in Eq. (2).
The cylindrical journal bearing is widely used in rotating machinery [ ] [ ]
𝜕 𝜌ℎ3 𝜕𝑝 𝜕 𝜌ℎ3 𝜕𝑝
for several applications. Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of the + =
𝜕𝑥 12𝜇 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 12𝜇 𝜕𝑧
cylindrical hydrodynamic bearing with the main geometric parameters. [ ( )] (2)
𝜕 𝑈𝑆 + 𝑈𝐵 𝜕ℎ 𝜕 (𝜌𝛩)
Fig. 2 presents the bearing diameter (𝐷 = 2𝑅), shaft eccentricity = 𝜌𝛩ℎ + 𝜌𝛩 +ℎ
(𝑒), translational coordinates (𝑋, 𝑌 ), angular coordinate (𝜃), shaft and 𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑡
bearing rotational speeds (𝛺𝑆 and 𝛺𝐵 , respectively), the bearing length where 𝜇 is the dynamic viscosity of the fluid, 𝜌 is the fluid density,
(𝐿) and the oil film thickness (ℎ(𝜃)), as described in Eq. (1). 𝑝 is the pressure distribution, (𝑥, 𝑧) are the circumferential and axial
directions of the bearing domain, 𝑈𝑆 is the linear speed on the rotor
ℎ (𝜃) = 𝐶𝑟 + 𝑒𝑋 sin (𝜃) − 𝑒𝑌 cos (𝜃) (1) surface, 𝑈𝐵 is the linear speed on the bearing surface, 𝑡 is the time
where 𝐶𝑟 is the radial clearance , 𝑒𝑋 and 𝑒𝑌 are the shaft eccentricities and 𝛩 is the liquid fraction in the oil film, calculated as 𝛩 = 𝜌 𝜌 . The
𝑐𝑎𝑣
in the directions X and Y, respectively. dynamic viscosity of the fluid is calculated according the temperature
The pressure distribution in the bearing is obtained using the 𝑝 − 𝛩 T, as indicated in Eq. (3).
lubrication model [20,21]. This model considers the mass conservation [ ]
log10 log10 (𝜇∕𝜌 + 0.6) = 𝐶𝜇𝐴 − 𝐶𝜇𝐵 log10 (𝑇 ) (3)
of the oil film in the cavitation region, thus representing a more
complete analysis to the physical phenomena in the bearing. In order to obtain the influence of the thermal effects on the oil film,
The 𝑝 − 𝛩 lubrication model was proposed by Profito [21], in the 𝑝−𝛩 lubrication model should be solved along the energy equation.
which the assumptions used for its formulation are presented, as well Different works in the literature solve the energy equation, proposing

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D. Ramos and G. Daniel Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

methods for the complete solution of the equation as well as consider- where 𝐶 and 𝐶𝛩 are the coefficients obtained using the FVM and
ing simplifications that ensures good results in relation to the complete applied to the central (P), north (N), south (S), east (E) and west (W)
solution. One of the simplifications adopted is the one-dimensional volumes indicated in Fig. 2.
solution of the differential equation, assuming that the variation of In addition to knowing the operating conditions and geometry of the
properties is neglected in two directions. The work presented by Cope bearing, it is also necessary to determine the boundary conditions that
[22] is an example of the use of this simplification, suggesting that the characterize the solution of the differential equations. The boundary
temperature can be resolved only in the circumferential direction of the conditions for the modified Reynolds Equation are:
bearing. Some works propose a two-dimensional solution in the (x,y)
⎧
domain, assuming that there is no variation of the properties in the ⎪𝑝 = 𝑝𝑎𝑚𝑏 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝛩 = 1, 𝑓 𝑜𝑟 (𝑥, 𝑧) ∶ 𝑧 = 0 𝑜𝑟 𝑧 = 1
axial direction of the bearing [23,24], or in the (x,z) domain, assuming ⎨
that there is no variation of the properties in the radial direction of the ⎪𝑝(0, 𝑧) = 𝑝(1, 𝑧) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝛩(0, 𝑧) = 𝛩(1, 𝑧)
⎩
bearing [25]. The present work adopted the approach used in the work
Regarding the energy equation, applying the dimensionless set in
of Nicoletti et al. [25] for the solution of the energy equation, thus
Eq. (6), the dimensionless form is obtained as written in Eq. (8):
determining the Eq. (4) to calculate the temperature in the bearing.
{ [ ] [ ]
𝜌𝑐𝑝 ℎ𝐶𝑟2 𝜕𝑇 1 𝜕2 𝑇 1 𝜕2 𝑇
𝜕𝑇 ℎ3 𝜕𝑝 ℎ ( ) 𝜕𝑇
− + ℎ𝐶𝑟2 + +
𝜌𝑐𝑝 ℎ + − + 𝑈𝑆 + 𝑈𝐵 +
𝜕𝑡 12𝜇 𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑥 𝑘𝑇 𝜕𝑡 (𝜋𝐷)2 𝜕𝑥2 𝐿2 𝜕𝑧2
[ ] 𝑇 − 𝑇𝑖𝑛𝑗 [ ] }
ℎ3 𝜕𝑝 𝜕𝑇 𝜕2 𝑇 ⎡ 𝜌𝑐 ℎ3 𝐶𝑟4 2
)⎤ 𝜕𝑇
𝜕ℎ 𝜕𝑝 𝜌𝑐𝑝 ℎ𝐶𝑟 𝛩 (
+ + − = 𝑘𝑇 ℎ + +⎢ 𝛺𝑆 + 𝛺𝐵 ⎥
𝑝
𝜕𝑡 2 12𝜇 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥2 − +
⎢ 12𝜇 (𝜋𝐷)2 𝑘𝑇 𝜕𝑥 4𝜋𝑘𝑇 ⎥ 𝜕𝑥
[ ] [ ] (4) ⎣ ⎦
𝜕2 𝑇 𝜕ℎ 4 1 𝜕ℎ 2
+ 𝑘𝑇 ℎ −𝑝 + 𝜇 + ⎡ 𝜌𝑐 ℎ3 𝐶𝑟4 ⎤ [ ]
𝜕𝑧2 𝜕𝑡 3 ℎ 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑝 ⎥ 𝜕𝑇 𝜌𝑐𝑝 𝐶𝑟 𝜕ℎ
{[ ( )2 ( )2 ] [ ( )2 ]} +⎢
𝑝
− 𝛩𝐶𝑟 𝑇 =
ℎ 3 𝜕𝑝 𝑈 𝑆 − 𝑈𝐵 ℎ3 𝜕𝑝 ⎢ 12𝜇𝐿2 𝑘𝑇 𝜕𝑧 ⎥ 𝜕𝑧 2𝑘𝑇 𝜕𝑡
𝜇 + + ⎣ ⎦ (8)
12𝜇2 𝜕𝑥 ℎ 12𝜇 2 𝜕𝑧 [ ] [ ]
𝜌𝑐𝑝 𝐶𝑟 𝜕ℎ 𝑇𝑖𝑛𝑗 𝑝𝐶𝑟 𝜕ℎ
=− 𝛩𝐶𝑟 + 𝛩𝐶𝑟 +
where 𝑇 is the temperature distribution, 𝑇𝑖𝑛𝑗 is the inlet temperature of 2𝑘𝑇 𝜕𝑡 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓 𝑘𝑇 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓 𝜕𝑡
the lubricating oil in groove, 𝐶𝑝 is the fluid thermal capacity and 𝐾𝑇 is [ ]2
4 𝜇 𝜕ℎ 𝑅2 𝜇 ( )2
its conductivity. Applying the cavitation condition in the corresponding − 𝛩𝐶𝑟 − 𝛺𝑆 − 𝛺𝐵 +
terms and reorganizing them, the Eq. (5) can be written as: 3 ℎ𝑘 𝑇 𝜕𝑡 ℎ𝑘𝑇 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓
𝑇 𝑟𝑒𝑓
[ 3 ] 3
[ ( )2 ( )2 ]
4
𝜕𝑇 𝜕2 𝑇 𝜕2 𝑇 ℎ 𝜕𝑝 𝜕𝑇 ℎ 𝐶𝑟 1 𝜕𝑝 1 𝜕𝑝
− 𝜌𝑐𝑝 ℎ + 𝑘𝑇 ℎ + 𝑘𝑇 ℎ + − +
𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥2 𝜕𝑧2 12𝜇 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 12𝜇𝑘𝑇 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓 (𝜋𝐷)2 𝜕𝑥 𝐿2 𝜕𝑧
[ ]
3
𝜌𝑐𝑝 ℎ 𝜕𝑝 𝜌𝑐𝑝 ℎ𝛩 ( ) 𝜕𝑇 𝜌𝑐𝑝 [ 𝜕ℎ ] The numerical solution of the energy equation was also made using
+ − 𝑈𝑆 + 𝑈𝐵 − 𝛩 𝑇 =
12𝜇 𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑡 the FVM, in order to determine the temperature distribution in the
[ ] [ ] (5)
𝜕ℎ 4 1 𝜕ℎ 2 𝜇 ( )2 bearing. From the temperature distribution it is possible to calculate
=𝑝 𝛩 − 𝜇 𝛩 − 𝑈𝑆 − 𝑈𝐵 + the viscosity of the oil film in each region on the bearing domain. The
𝜕𝑡
[ 3 ℎ 𝜕𝑡 ℎ
( )2 ( )2 ]
ℎ3 𝜕𝑝 𝜕𝑝 𝜌𝑐𝑝 [ 𝜕ℎ ] discrete system of linear equations is obtained as:
− + − 𝛩 𝑇 𝑡 𝑡 𝑡 𝑡
12𝜇 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧 2 𝜕𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑗 (𝐶𝑇 )𝑡𝑃 𝑇 𝑃 + (𝐶𝑇 )𝑡𝐸 𝑇 𝐸 + (𝐶𝑇 )𝑡𝑊 𝑇 𝑊 + (𝐶𝑇 )𝑡𝑁 𝑇 𝑁 +
𝑡 𝑡−𝛥𝑡
(9)
Eq. (5) is used to evaluate the thermal effects in the oil film, + (𝐶𝑇 )𝑡𝑆 𝑇 𝑆 + (𝐶𝑇 )𝑡−𝛥𝑡
𝑃 𝑇𝑃 = 𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
determining the temperature distribution in the bearing, and thereby
where 𝐶𝑇 indicates de energy coefficients obtained by FVM and 𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦
calculate the viscosity field used in the 𝑝 − 𝛩 lubrication model for
is the heat generation term. For the energy equation, the boundary
solution of the pressure distribution.
conditions used in the numerical solution are presented as:
In order to obtain a better convergence and lower sensitivity to the
variations of the geometry parameters, Eqs. (2) and (5) were rewritten ⎧ 𝜕𝑇
in the dimensionless form for the numerical solution. The dimensionless ⎪ 𝜕𝑧 = 0, 𝑓 𝑜𝑟 (𝑥, 𝑧) ∶ 𝑧 = 0 𝑜𝑟 𝑧 = 1
⎨
set adopted is defined as: ⎪𝑇 (0, 𝑧) = 𝑇 (1, 𝑧)
⎩
𝑥 𝑧 ℎ 𝑝𝐶𝑟2
𝑥= 𝑧= ℎ= 𝑝= 𝑇 = 𝑇 ∕𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓 Eqs. (6) and (8) are jointly solved, in order to guarantee the conver-
𝜋𝐷 𝐿 𝐶𝑟 𝜇𝛺𝑆 𝐷2
gence of the pressure and temperature fields simultaneously. After the
where 𝑇𝑟𝑒𝑓 indicates a reference temperature. convergence process, the hydrodynamic forces and viscous shear force
Applying the dimensionless set in the modified Reynolds equation, are respectively obtained as:
it is possible to determine the modified Reynolds equation in the
dimensionless form, as shown in Eq. (6). 𝐹𝑋 = 𝑝 sin 𝜃 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧
[ ] [ ] ∫ ∫
1 𝜕 3 𝜕𝑝 1 𝜕 3 𝜕𝑝
ℎ + ℎ = 𝐹𝑌 = −𝑝 cos 𝜃 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧
12𝜋 2 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝛼 2 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 ∫ ∫ (10)
[ ( )] (6) ( ( ) )
1 𝜕 𝛺𝑆 + 𝛺𝐵 𝛩 𝜕ℎ ℎ 𝜕𝛩 𝜇 𝛺𝑆 − 𝛺𝐵 𝑅
= 𝛩ℎ + + ℎ 𝑑𝑝
2𝜋 𝜕𝑥 2𝛺𝑆 𝛺𝑆 𝜕𝑡 𝛺𝑆 𝜕𝑡 𝐹𝑠 = + 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑧
∫ ∫ ℎ 2 𝑑𝑥
𝐿
where 𝛼 = 𝐷
.The Finite Volume Method (FVM) was used to solve
the Eq. (6) and thereby to calculate the pressure distribution and hy- 2.2. Rotating system
drodynamic forces. Using the FVM jointly with the central differences
scheme for approximate pressure derivatives and upwind scheme for In order to evaluate the influence of the bearing on the rotor
the variation of 𝛩 in 𝑥 direction, the discrete system of linear equations dynamic behavior, the mathematical model of the rotor should be
is obtained as: performed. The rotor model is developed using the Finite Element
Method, considering disc and Timoshenko’s beam elements with four
𝐶𝑃𝑡 𝑃𝑃𝑡 = 𝐶𝐸𝑡 𝑃𝐸𝑡 + 𝐶𝑊
𝑡 𝑡
𝑃𝑊 𝑡
+ 𝐶𝑁 𝑃𝑁𝑡 +
( ) (7) degrees of freedom per node, being two translational and two angular
+ 𝐶𝑆𝑡 𝑃𝑆𝑡 − 𝐶𝛩𝑡 𝛩𝑃𝑡 + 𝐶𝛩𝑡 𝛩𝑊 𝑡
+ 𝐶𝛩𝑡−𝛥𝑡 𝛩𝑃𝑡−𝛥𝑡 motions, as proposed by Nelson and McVaugh [26], Nelson [27].
𝑃 𝑊 𝑃

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D. Ramos and G. Daniel Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

Table 1
Bearing and lubricant properties used to comparison.
Parameters and units Symbol Value
Diameter [mm] D 140
Length [mm] L 140
Radial Clearance [μm] Cr 139
Oil density [kg∕m3 ] 𝜌 @15∕4 ◦ C 866
@37.8 ◦ C 28.66
Kinematic viscosity [mm2 ∕s] 𝜈 @50.0 ◦ C 19.90
@98.9 ◦ C 4.906
Inlet Pressure [kPa] 𝑃𝑖𝑛𝑗 100
Sommerfeld Range [–] S 0.02–4

Table 2
Bearing and lubricant properties used for simulations.
Parameter Unit Value
Diameter mm 30
Fig. 3. Results comparison between Someya et al. [30] and present work.
Length mm 20
Inlet Pressure kPa 25 kPa
◦
Inlet Temperature C 25
Groove length mm 5
Once obtained the global matrices of the rotating system, the equa-
Radial Clearance μm 90
tion of motion of the system can be written as shown in Eq. (11). Coefficient 𝐶𝜇𝐴 (Viscosity Relation) – 1.3495
Coefficient 𝐶𝜇𝐵 (Viscosity Relation) – 0.7313
( ) Lubricant thermal conductivity W/m K 0.132
[𝑀] {𝑞̈ (𝑡)} + [𝐶] + 𝛺𝑆 [𝐺] {𝑞̇ (𝑡)} + [𝐾] {𝑞 (𝑡)} = {𝐹 (𝑞, 𝑞,̇ 𝑡)} (11) Lubricant density kg/m3 879
Specific heat of the lubricant J/kg K 1962
Where [𝑀], [𝐶], [𝐺] and [𝐾] are the global mass, damping, gyro-
scopic and stiffness matrices, respectively; {𝑞} is the degrees of freedom
vector and {𝐹 } is the excitation vector. For this work, shaft damping
4. Results and discussion
matrix is considered proportional to the shaft stiffness matrix (𝐶𝑆 =
𝛽𝐾𝑆 ) [28] and external forces are the weight force, hydrodynamic
forces of the bearing and unbalance force that is obtained by: The evaluation of the rotor dynamic behavior with the new bearing
concept was performed under different operating conditions, in order to
⎧ ( )⎫ analyze the influence on load capacity, temperature in the oil film and
⎪cos ( 𝛺𝑆 𝑡 + 𝜑) ⎪
{ } ⎪ sin 𝛺𝑆 𝑡 + 𝜑 ⎪ fluid-induced instability condition. The chosen operating conditions
𝐹𝐷 = 𝛺𝑆2 𝜂𝜉 ⎨ ⎬ (12) aim to show the variation in the rotor dynamic behavior when the
⎪ 0 ⎪
⎪ 0 ⎪ bearing rotational motion is activated, indicating whether the new
⎩ ⎭ bearing concept can bring the expected advantages in relation to the
where 𝜈 is the unbalance mass and 𝜉 is its eccentricity. conventional dynamic behavior.
The solution of the equation of motion must be made from a The rotor model used in this work is shown in Fig. 4. In this figure,
numerical integrator, which seeks the solution of the equation for each the shaft elements (white), disc element (gray) and bearing elements
instant of time and thereby determines the dynamic behavior of the (green) that make up the rotating system are shown, as well as the
rotor over time. The integrator used in this work was the Newmark nodes (red points) in which the degrees of freedom of the system are
integrator associated with the Newton–Raphson [29] search method. described. The material considered for the shaft and disc is steel, whose
The choice of this type of integrator was made based on its robustness, properties are: Young Modulus 𝐸 = 210 GPa, density 𝜌 = 7850 kg∕m3
which helps in solving the nonlinear equation proposed in this work and Poisson ratio 𝜈 = 0.3. In addition, the properties of the bearing and
due to hydrodynamic forces of the bearing. lubricating oil are shown in Table 2.
The computational mesh used in the numerical solution of the
bearing by FVM is composed of 80 volumes in the circumferential
3. Validation direction and 40 volumes in the axial direction, being chosen after a
mesh convergence process.
Aiming to evaluate the mathematical model proposed in this work,
as well as to verify the accuracy of the results obtained, a comparison 4.1. Analyses of temperature and bearing load capacity
of results with the literature was performed. Someya et al. [30] present
theoretical and experimental results for different types of bearings. The bearing load capacity as well as the temperature distribution
In this case, the test with Thermo-Hydrodynamic lubrication (THD) are parameters of great importance for the bearing design. The load
model applied to cylindrical bearing with two oil grooves was chosen capacity determines the shaft equilibrium position inside the bearing
to perform the comparison. for a given operational condition, while the oil temperature indicates
According to Someya et al. [30], the bearing properties and op- whether the bearing is operating as established in the design with-
erating conditions are presented in Table 1. These data were used out compromising the viscosity of the oil film or to cause thermal
to reproduce the results obtained by Someya et al. [30] using the deformation in the bearing.
algorithm developed in this work. The results of this comparison can The first simulation proposed in this work aims to verify the changes
be seen in Fig. 3. obtained in the load capacity and oil temperature due to the bearing
According to Fig. 6 it is possible to verify that there is a good rotational motion. The rotational motion of the bearing can change the
agreement between the results obtained by the present work and the average velocity of the oil film as well as its viscous shear, directly
results obtained by Someya et al. [30], thus indicating that the model influencing the pressure and temperature fields.
developed in this work can efficiently represent the hydrodynamic To perform this analysis, a simulation of the rotor was proposed
condition of the bearing. under two different operating conditions: 𝛺𝑆 = 15 Hz (below the

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D. Ramos and G. Daniel Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

Fig. 4. Schematic representation of the rotor considered in the numerical simulations (in mm). (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is
referred to the web version of this article.)

Fig. 5. Campbell diagram and damping factor used to obtain the critical speed and instability threshold.

critical speed) and 𝛺𝑆 = 30 Hz (above the critical speed). Fig. 5 Regarding the temperature variation, Fig. 7 shows that the bearing
shows the Campbell diagram and damping factor of the rotating system, rotational motion can change the temperature distribution along the
indicating the first critical speed at 22.5 Hz and instability threshold at bearing. It is important to highlight that the temperature variation
43 Hz. For each condition, the bearing rotation motion was proposed occurs mainly due to variation of the viscous shear. Applying a pos-
for 5 different values: 𝛺𝐵 = −0.50𝛺𝑆 , 𝛺𝐵 = −0.25𝛺𝑆 , 𝛺𝐵 = 0.00, itive rotational speed, the viscous shear is expected to decrease, thus
𝛺𝐵 = +0.25𝛺𝑆 , 𝛺𝐵 = +0.50𝛺𝑆 . The results of this simulation are reducing the heat generation and the temperature in the oil film. For
presented in Figs. 6 and 7, showing the variation of the load capacity negative rotational speed, an increase of the viscous shear is expected,
based on the orbit center shift and the variation of the temperature resulting in higher heat generation and temperature in the oil film. This
along the bearing center plane. behavior is observed for both shaft rotational speeds, namely, 15 Hz
(Fig. 7(a)) and 30 Hz (Fig. 7(b)).
Observing the result for the load capacity in Fig. 6 it is possible to
verify that the bearing rotational speed can change the shaft equilib- Analyzing the results presented in Figs. 6 and 7, two new sim-
rium position inside the bearing. Applying a positive rotational speed ulations were proposed, exploring individually the effects of bearing
(in the direction of the rotor speed) the average velocity of the oil film motion for load capacity and temperature. For this, simulations were
increases, thus enabling the bearing to develop greater hydrodynamic performed changing the shaft rotational speed (run-up and run-down),
forces, what reduces the shaft eccentricity, as observed in Figs. 6(b) and showing how the rotating system behaves in this condition and what
6(d). Applying a negative rotational speed (in the opposite direction modifications were observed with the bearing motion.
to the rotor speed), the average velocity of the oil film decreases, The load capacity analysis was performed by decelerating the shaft
reducing the load capacity as can be visualized by the increase of the rotational speed from 20 Hz to 10 Hz, using an angular acceleration
shaft eccentricity. This behavior is observed for both shaft rotational of 𝛼𝑆 = −10 Hz∕𝑠. The results presented in Figs. 8(a) and 8(c) show
speeds, namely, 15 Hz (Fig. 6(b)) and 30 Hz (Fig. 6(d)). It is important the rotor vibrational response without the bearing rotational motion. It
to note that for the case of 30 Hz with bearing rotational speed of is possible to verify that the shaft assumes a new equilibrium position
𝛺𝐵 = +0.50𝛺𝑆 = 15 Hz, the rotor reaches an instability condition. with greater eccentricity and lower vibration amplitude due to the re-
This happens because in this condition the average velocity of the oil duction of the rotating speed. Figs. 8(b) and 8(d) show the deceleration
film reaches a condition similar to that observed for the conventional of the shaft rotational speed, considering a bearing rotational speed
bearing at the instability threshold (𝛺𝑆 = 45 Hz), since in both cases enough to maintain the fluid average velocity at 𝛺𝐵 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 = 10 Hz. In

the linearized average velocity of the oil film is 𝛺𝐵𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 = 22.5 Hz (first this case, it is possible to verify that the shaft equilibrium position had
critical speed). lower variation in comparison to the previous case. Despite maintaining

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D. Ramos and G. Daniel Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

Fig. 6. Shaft orbits for different bearing rotational speeds.

Fig. 7. Temperature distribution at mid plane of the bearing for different bearing rotational speeds.

the average speed of the oil film, there is still a slight variation in the observed in Fig. 8(a), showing the control of the load capacity from the
equilibrium position that occurs due to the variation in the bearing bearing rotational motion.
temperature, changing the oil viscosity. However, the variation of the A new analysis was also developed by simulating a run-up condition
equilibrium position is not so relevant when compared to the variation of the rotor, from 𝛺𝑆 = 7.50 Hz to 𝛺𝑆 = 15 Hz with angular acceleration

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D. Ramos and G. Daniel Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

Fig. 8. Comparison of the rotor response using conventional bearing and the new bearing concept.

of 𝛼𝑆 = 1 Hz∕𝑠, to visualize the temperature and viscous shear force and viscous shear force increase. Analyzing Fig. 9(a), the nominal case
variation. This run-up simulation was performed under five different (𝛺𝐵 = 0.00 Hz) has a growth rate of 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑔 = 0.0955◦ C/s, while cases
conditions: 𝛺𝐵 = −0.50𝛺𝑆 , 𝛺𝐵 = −0.25𝛺𝑆 , 𝛺𝐵 = 0.00, 𝛺𝐵 = +0.25𝛺𝑆 , with positive bearing speed have a lower growth rate, and cases with
𝛺𝐵 = +0.50𝛺𝑆 . negative speed present a higher growth rate. Similarly, Fig. 9(b) shows
that the viscous shear force is higher to the cases with bearing negative
Observing the results presented in Fig. 9 it is possible to verify
speed and lower to the cases with positive speed, showing the influence
that the bearing rotational motion can change the rate of temperature

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D. Ramos and G. Daniel Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

Fig. 9. Maximum temperature and viscous shear force in the oil film under run-up condition for different bearing rotational speeds.

of the bearing motion in the heat generation. From the point of view critical level previously established for each operation. In this analysis,
of energy efficiency, the bearing operating at positive rotational speed two critical amplitude levels and two bearing rotational speeds were
(same direction of shaft rotation) presents advantages in relation to chosen, being the critical levels of 𝜖𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡 = 30% and 𝜖𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡 = 50% of the
the conventional bearing (stationary bearing), since it generates lower radial clearance, and the bearing rotational speeds of 𝛺𝐵 = −0.25𝛺𝑆
viscous shear force and, consequently, lower power loss. and 𝛺𝐵 = −0.50𝛺𝑆 . The simulation was performed considering a
Based on the results presented in this work, the new bearing concept constant rotational speed of the shaft in the first five seconds (𝛺𝑆 =
can change the load capacity and oil temperature, becoming possible 40 Hz), starting its acceleration with 𝛼𝑠 = +1 Hz∕s.
to improve the operational condition of the bearing and to bring As observed in Fig. 10, the activation of the bearing rotational
important contributions and advantages for the rotating system. motion is able to prevent the rotor instability condition. In all cases
simulated, it is possible to observe that the rotor reaches the instability
4.2. Prevention of instability threshold threshold what increases the vibration amplitude. However, activating
the bearing rotational motion, the rotor returns to a stable condition
The instability threshold is a condition of great relevance for the reducing its vibration amplitude.
design of the rotating machinery. In this condition, the rotor operates in Another important point to be highlighted refers to the second
an unstable mode, characterized by a sudden increase in the vibration instability condition that occurs due to the continuous acceleration
amplitude, causing fault in the rotating machine. of the rotor. To avoid the instability condition, the bearing rotational
For this simulation, the rotor was accelerated from 40 Hz until speed is applied in the opposite direction to the shaft rotational speed.
the instability threshold, observed by the sudden increase in the rotor Thus, the average velocity of the oil film becomes lower by means
vibration amplitude. A control mechanism has been proposed in order of a greater bearing rotational speed, so that the onset of the second
to avoid the rotor instability condition. For this, the bearing rotational instability is delayed. Therefore, this second instability condition occurs
speed is activated when the rotor vibration amplitude is higher than a first for the case of 𝛺𝐵 = −0.25𝛺𝑆 than for the case 𝛺𝐵 = −0.5𝛺𝑆 . It is

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D. Ramos and G. Daniel Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

Fig. 10. Rotor dynamic response under run-up condition considering different 𝜖𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡 and 𝛺𝐵 .

important to note that the critical amplitude level can also influence the of the second instability condition. For the cases observed in Figs. 10(c)
onset of the second instability. Figs. 10(a) and 10(b) show that there is and 10(d) the difference at the onset of the second instability condition
a small difference at the onset of the second instability. The dynamic is almost imperceptible. Although different dynamic conditions are
condition reached by the rotor at the bearing motion activation is reached at the bearing motion activation, this difference becomes less
different for the two cases of 𝜖𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡 , justifying the difference at the onset influential after a longer run time of the rotor.

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D. Ramos and G. Daniel Tribology International 153 (2021) 106592

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