International Journal of Rotating Machinery

The presence of cavitation in the oil film seriously affects the bearing lubrication performance and bearing capacity. Now the research of this phenomenon mostly focuses on the model of Reynolds equation (R-E equation) or Navier-Stokes equation (N-S), the influence of the two computation models is less analyzed, and the effect of noncondensable gas (NCG) mass fraction on the bearing performance is seldom studied. In the manuscript, the cavitation mechanism is studied using the mixed model of three-dimensional N-S equation and Jakobsson-Floberg-Olsson (JFO) condition of two dimensional Reynolds equation, and the influence of rotational speed and NCG mass fraction on the cavitationoil film pressure, and bearing capacity was studied. The results show that the change trend of cavitation with the rotational speed is basically consistent for N-S equation and R-E equation. The bearing capacity calculated by N-S equation is greater than that calculated by R-E equation. The peak pressure and bearing capacity of film can be improved by increasing the NCG mass fraction of lubricant and rotational speed.

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The present paper proposes a methodology to design and manufacture optimized turbomachinery components by leveraging the potential of Topology Optimization (TO) and Additive Manufacturing (AM). The method envisages the use of TO to define the best configuration of the rotoric components in terms of both static and dynamic behavior with a resultant reduction of overall weight. Eventually, the topology-optimized component is manufactured by using appropriate materials that can guarantee valid mechanical performances. The proposed strategy has been applied to a 2D impeller used for centrifugal compressors to prove the effectiveness of a TO+AM-based approach. Although this approach has never been extensively used before to centrifugal compressors and expanders, its application on rotor and stator components might unlock several benefits: tuning the natural frequencies, a reduction in the stress level, and a lighter weight of the rotating part. These objectives can be reached alone or in combination, performing a single analysis or a multiple analyses optimization. Finally, the introduction of AM technologies as standard manufacturing resources could bring sensible benefits with respect to the time to production and availability of components. Such aspects are essential in the Oil and Gas context, when dealing with new projects but also for service operations.

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This paper performs a systematic numerical study to investigate the effect of rotation friction ratio on the power extraction performance of a passive rotation H-type vertical axis wind turbine (H-VAWT). In contrast to the previous literature, the present work does not impose rotation velocity on the turbine, and the rotation friction ratio which reflects the effect of external load characteristics on the turbine is introduced to the governing equation of the turbine. During each iteration, the rotation velocity of the turbine is computed after having determined the aerodynamic torque exerted on the blade of the turbine. This is more consistent with the actual working environment of the H-VAWT. A novel numerical coupling model was developed to simulate the interaction between the fluid and the passive rotation of the H-VAWT; then, the power extraction performance of the turbine with different rotation friction ratio was systematically analyzed. The results demonstrate that the power extraction performance of H-VAWT will be enhanced when the H-VAWT has appropriate rotation friction ratio. It is also found that the flow separation induced by large angle of attack is alleviated essentially if the H-VAWT has appropriate rotation friction ratio, which makes the H-VAWT have better energy extraction performance.

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Level of utilization of clean energy has grown dramatically in recent years due to increased pollution and environmental issues. For instance, the extra potential energy in water supply system is usually wasted, due to its low capacity. Design of a proper turbine has recently been given more attention by researchers to apply this clean energy. In the present paper, a modified Savonius turbine, suitable for use in a 4-inch pipe, is designed. Turbine with two blades is tested in a laboratory rig and also simulated with the FLUENT software. By matching numerical and laboratory results, simulations are expanded and the blades number effect on turbine performance is studied under determined hydraulic conditions. The flow field around the modified Savonius turbine is interpreted by the 3D streamlines and pressure contours. The obtained results indicate that increasing the turbine blade numbers up to 5 and more causes the turbine efficiency first to rise and then to fall, respectively.

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In order to study the influence of torque load on the lubrication and wear of the sliding bearing of the rigid rotor system, the theoretical and experimental researches on the single-span rotor system with low speed were carried out. A special force sensor was used to measure the bearing load under different torque excitations, and the oil film pressure was calculated. The oil film pressure and thickness of sliding bearing under low speed (210r/min) were simulated by combining the lubrication theory. Based on the film thickness ratio theory, the corresponding relationship between the lubrication state and the torque load value was deduced. In addition, the wear rate and abrasive grain morphology of sliding bearing with different torque values were analyzed by means of oil sample preparation to verify this correspondence. The results show that the film thickness ratio has a logarithmic function relationship with the constant torque load, and the film thickness ratio curve can be used to determine the corresponding torque values under different lubrication states. The wear rate under mixed lubrication state increases exponentially with the torque load, and the main wear mechanism is adhesive wear and abrasive wear. The research results have certain guiding significance to the adjustment of the actual running condition of sliding bearing and its life prediction.

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Twin scroll radial turbines are increasingly used for turbocharging applications, to take advantage of the pulsating exhaust gases. In spite of its relevance in turbocharging techniques, scientific literature about CFD applied to twin scroll turbines is limited, especially in case of partial admission. In the present paper a CFD complete model of a twin scroll radial turbine is developed in order to give a contribution to literature in understanding the capabilities of current industrial CFD approaches applied to these difficult cases and to develop performance index that can be used for turbine design optimization purposes. The flow solution is obtained by means of ANSYS CFX ® in a wide range of operating conditions in full and partial admission cases. The total-to-static efficiency and the mass flow parameter (MFP) have been calculated and compared with the experimental database in order to validate the numerical model. The purpose of the developed procedure is also to generate a database for twin scroll turbines useful for future applications. A comparison between performances obtained in different admission conditions was performed. In particular the analysis focused on the characterization of the flow at volute outlet/rotor inlet section. A flow distortion index at rotor inlet was introduced to correlate the turbine performance and the flow nonuniformities generated by the volute. Finally the influence of the backside cavity on the performance parameters is also discussed. The introduction of these new nonuniformity indices is proposed for volute design and optimization procedures.

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