Experimental Test Results for Four High-Speed, High-Pressure, Orifice-Compensated Hybrid Bearings

Abstract

In this study, four hybrid bearings having different geometric configurations were experimentally tested for their static and dynamic characteristics, including flowrate, load capacity, rotordynamic coefficients, and whirl frequency ratio. The four bearings included a square-recess, smooth-land, radial-orifice bearing (baseline), a circular-recess bearing, a triangular-recess bearing, and an angled-orifice bearing. Each bearing had the same orifice diameter rather than the same pressure ratio. Unique to these test results is the measurement of the added mass terms, which became significant in the present tests because of high operating Reynolds numbers. Comparisons of the results were made between bearings to determine which bearing had the best performance. Based on the parameters of interest, the angled-orifice bearing has the most favorable overall performance.