Advancements in Analysis of Hydrostatic Bearings for Cryogenic Turbo Pumps

Test rigs fully instrumented and available for research in rotordynamics and fluid film bearings:

TRC Metal Mesh Foil Bearing Test Rig – 1.5 inch diameter bearings, max speed 110 krpm. Orthogonal shakers applying loads to estimate bearing rotordynamic force coefficients. Capability to measure bearing drag torque with increasing applied loads.

TRC Squeeze Film Damper Test Rig - Controlled orbit, variable offset, variable speed to 6,000 rpm, variable supply pressure to 150 psig and different end seal condition for dampers of small L/D ratio. Instrumented for measurement of fluid film pressures and controlled air/oil mixtures.

NSF-TRC Squeeze Film Damper Test Rig - 45 kg - three disk flexible rotor supported on squeeze film dampers for measurements of imbalance response to 10,000 rpm. Capability to test different lubricants with temperatures to 150F, supply pressures to 50 psig and flows to 5 GPM.

Gas Foil Bearing Test Rig – 1.5 inch diameter bearings, max speed 45 krpm

High Speed Air Bearing Rig – 29 mm diameter bearings, max speed100 krpm

Flexible rotor supported on elliptical oil bearings – imbalance response measurements – 10 krpm max

Brush Seal Test rig – leakage measurements, identification of brush seal stiffness and damping coefficients

CCO Squeeze Film Damper – Circular Centered Orbits to 6 krpm, Flow visualization and measurement of dynamic film pressures and forces

Floating ring bearing rotor kit - For measurement of subsynchronous whirl response of rotor supported in floating and semi-floating ring bearings

Three Bently Nevada rotor kits for measurement of rotordynamic response of a rotor on (a) hydrodynamic journal bearing, (b) flexure pivot tilting pad bearings, (c) squeeze film dampers.

Supporting electronic data analysis equipment:
TWO National Instruments 8-channel DAQ Units and LABView® programs

TWO Bently Nevada 6-channel Data Acquisition Interface Unit and ADRE for Windows™.

PC 700™ ZONIC 6 channel Digital Signal Processing - Data Acquisition System.

Two dual channel 35670A HP spectrum analyzers, One single channel 3561A HP spectrum analyzer.

Six PCB calibrated impact hammer kits (0 to 10 kg hammers)

Two 100 lb electro magnetic shakers, Two 20 lb electro magnetic shakers, One 5 lb electro magnetic shaker

14 analog oscilloscopes, and more than 25+ piezoelectric accelerometers, 25+ piezoelectric pressure transducers, 40+ BN proximity probes, 4 velocity sensors, 10+ load cells, 5+ optical tachometers, etc.