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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until June 01, 2025

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Design and Development of a Test Rig for Experimental Performance Evaluation of Fixed-Geometry Hydrodynamic Thrust Bearings: Comparison of Traditionally and Additively Manufactured Thrust Bearings

Fais, Collier
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1712328318909192

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Mechanical and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology).
This dissertation presents the design and development of a novel hydrodynamic thrust bearing test rig featuring a new (patent pending) pressure-feedback control system for maintaining static bearing alignment. This research aims to provide an enhanced understanding of how the critical operational characteristics of fixed-geometry hydrodynamic thrust bearings including minimum oil film thickness (MOFT), hydrodynamic pressure distribution, and bearing temperature are affected by variability in bearing pad taper geometry under different speed, load, and oil conditions. Further, a new (patent pending) additively manufactured (AM) thrust bearing fabricated using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) is experimentally evaluated to determine in-service viability. To support the experimental data obtained in the variable taper experiment, a Matlab simulation code is developed using the Reynolds equation to generate numerically predicted performance data for direct comparison. The AM thrust bearing is experimentally compared to a traditionally manufactured cast alloy bearing with identical surface geometry. For the variable taper study, trends in performance established by the numerical analysis show mutually agreeable results compared to experimental data. The average percent deviation of the experimentally gathered change in MOFT as load is increased with respect to the numerically predicted values is 24%. Comparison of experimental to numerical pressure distribution data shows an overall average percent deviation of 32%. For the AM vs. traditionally manufactured bearing experiment, the AM bearing showed an average increase in minimum oil film thickness of 53%, an average increase in trailing edge hydrodynamic pressure of 116%, while exhibiting an average decrease in bearing temperature of 1%.
Muhammad Ali (Advisor)
Khairul Alam (Committee Member)
Arthur Smith (Committee Member)
Zaki Kuruppalil (Committee Member)
Jay Wilhelm (Committee Member)
174 p.
Mechanical Engineering
hydrodynamic thrust bearings; test rig; additive manufacturing; experimental analysis; numerical analysis; hydrodynamics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Fais, C. (2024). Design and Development of a Test Rig for Experimental Performance Evaluation of Fixed-Geometry Hydrodynamic Thrust Bearings: Comparison of Traditionally and Additively Manufactured Thrust Bearings [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1712328318909192

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Fais, Collier. Design and Development of a Test Rig for Experimental Performance Evaluation of Fixed-Geometry Hydrodynamic Thrust Bearings: Comparison of Traditionally and Additively Manufactured Thrust Bearings. 2024. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1712328318909192.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Fais, Collier. "Design and Development of a Test Rig for Experimental Performance Evaluation of Fixed-Geometry Hydrodynamic Thrust Bearings: Comparison of Traditionally and Additively Manufactured Thrust Bearings." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1712328318909192

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.