ROTOR DYNAMICS LABORATORY PROJECTS

• PAST  RESEARCH  PROJECTS

   

  • High Speed Fluid-Film Bearing Test Rig capable of accurate evaluation of Load Capacity, Temperatures, and Pressures in Stabilized Pocket or Hydrostatic Designs.

    An upgraded version of the test rig has recently been used to test pad motion of a four tilting pad design from RMT.  The test rig is being moved to Randolph Hall  and the testing of the four pad bearing will continue in summer 2005.  This all depends on the time required to install the rig in a new location.

   
  • Rotor Drop Transients for Active Magnetic Bearing Turbomachinery--full scale test and analysis.  Research currently on hold. The rig has been removed from the test stand.

   

  • Evaluation of Cracked-Shaft Detection by Standard Instrumentation and Advanced Laser Imaging Concepts.This rig was also used to investigate disk skew dynamics. Most recent use was for experimental investigation of thermal shaft bowing of rotor overhang sections.

   

  • Advanced Analysis of Liquid Ring Seals. Research continues in cooperation with Dr. Baheti of Kaydon Ring and Seal. Other technical papers on various seal bore geometries have been published. Also a paper on seal ring pressure distortion has been published. The  new oil seal analysis program for grooved and tapered seals was released the end of summer, 1998.

   

  • Thermal Deformation and Pivot Design Influence on Tilting Pad Bearing Performance.

    A recent PhD student, Dr. Avinash Balbahadur, has completed the first phase of this research. A design program was developed that can predict potential thermal instability for rotor outboard shafting.  This project has been extended and now a commercial quality computer analysis is available to sponsors of the VT Rotor Lab.

   

  
  

  
  NEW RESEARCH PROJECTS

  Currently Under Consideration:

  • Diagnostics/prognostics of rotating machinery.
  • CFD analysis of labyrinth seals.
  • CFD analysis of fixed geometry hybrid bearings.
  • Evaluation of smart skin sensors for machine condition monitoring.
  • Characterization of power losses in magnetic bearings.
  • Turbocharger bearing analysis and experiments.