Radial gas foil bearing for a small-sized gas turbine plant

Abstract

The article is devoted to the development of a radial gas foil bearing for a small-sized gas turbine plant. Due to the complexity of modeling of work processes in a gas foil bearing using finite element analysis methods, it is necessary to develop an analytical model and its subsequent verification using existing experimental data. Based on the equations of gas dynamics, namely the Reynolds equation and the energy equation, equations are derived to determine the distribution of gas-dynamic pressure and bearing capacity. This model will allow us to select and study the influence of the geometric parameters of a gas foil bearing for the required operating conditions. The results obtained using the procedure proposed in this paper were compared with the experimental data given in papers on gas foil bearings. The geometric parameters of a gas foil bearing providing the necessary operating characteristics were selected. The developed bearings were included into the design of an existing small-sized gas turbine plant.