Numerical modeling of gas-expanded lubricants in hybrid bearings

Abstract eng:
A binary liquid mixture of synthetic oil and dissolved carbon dioxide could be a potential substitution of conventional lubricants. These smart-lubricants have the ability to provide a more efficient and reliable operation of turbomachinery through real-time adjustment of lubricant mixture properties. The goal of this study is to investigate the performance and phase behavior of these gas-expanded lubricants in a high-speed hybrid bearing using a three-dimensional CFD model. The results indicate that utilizing a smart-lubricant with altered properties results in lower power losses as compared to a bearing operating with pure oil. The resulting pressure and temperature distributions also indicate that two-phase behavior of carbon dioxide could trigger significant effects on bearing performance even under high ambient pressure condition.

• Export as: BibTeX | MARC | MARCXML | DC | EndNote | NLM | RefWorks
• Add to your basket