Identification of Structural Stiffness and Energy Dissipation Parameters in a Second Generation Foil Bearing: Effect of Shaft Temperature

Established high temperature operation of gas foil bearings (GFB) is of great interest for gas turbine applications. The effects of (high) shaft temperature on the structural stiffness and mechanical energy dissipation parameters of a foil bearing (FB) must be assessed experimentally. Presently, a hollow shaft warmed by an electric heater holds a floating second generation FB that is loaded dynamically by an electromagnetic shaker. In tests with the shaft temperature up to $184°C$⁠, the measurements of dynamic load and ensuing FB deflection render the bearing structural parameters, stiffness and damping, as a function of excitation frequency and amplitude of motion. The identified FB stiffness and viscous damping coefficients increase with shaft temperature due to an increase in the FB assembly interference or preload. The bearing material structural loss factor best representing mechanical energy dissipation decreases slightly with shaft temperature while increasing with excitation frequency. Separate static load measurements on the bearing also make evident the preload of the test bearing-shaft system at room temperature. The loss factor obtained from the area inside the hysteresis loop of the static load versus the deflection curve agrees remarkably with the loss factor obtained from the dynamic load measurements. The static procedure offers substantial savings in cost and time to determine the energy dissipation characteristics of foil bearings. Post-test inspection of the FB reveals sustained wear at the locations, where the bumps contact the top foil and the bearing sleeve inner surface, thus, evidences the bearing energy dissipation by dry friction.