Rotordynamics Laboratory Active years 1991-2023
(January
4, 2025)
Turbomachinery
Laboratory - Texas A&M University
Lead by Prof. Luis San Andrés, students conducted research in
rotordynamics and fluid film lubrication (tribology). Former students (MS and
PhD) continue providing professional service and leadership to turbomachinery
manufacturers/users. They are vibrant and innovative engineers enjoying a
passion to anticipate problems.
Dr. San Andrés retired from academia in
the spring of 2023. He continues to serve the professional societies and enjoys
consulting challenges in industry. He is also learning new skills that will
take him beyond the clouds: much needed cooking lessons, organization of house
chores, and potty-training his grandchildren.
Dr. Luis San Andrés, Professor Emeritus,
Former Mast-Childs Chair Professor (2014-2023) & Group Leader
ASME Life Fellow, STLE Life Fellow, GPPS Fellow,
2022 ASME Aircraft Engine Technology Award (AETA) for
research having major impacts on aircraft engine operational capability,
performance, and Design; and
2023 ASME Mayo D. Hersey Award for
sustained and innovative research that has significantly enhanced the
rotordynamic performance of gas bearings and their application to oil-free
turbomachinery
2025 ASME Henry R. Worthington Medal for groundbreaking
analytical and experimental work evaluating the performance and dynamic
response of pump annular seals, advancing the stability of rocket engine
turbopumps and engineered multiple phase pumps for subsea oil and gas
production facilities.
Luis San Andrés (CV) is a qualified
analyst and experimentalist in the fields of fluid film lubrication and
rotordynamics. Dr. San Andrés managed research projects with a total value of
13.1 million USD. Dr. San Andrés and students published extensively in the
archival literature: 213 peer reviewed journal papers, 160 peer-reviewed and
40+ invited conference papers, hundreds of technical reports. Dr. San Andrés
also holds five patents and the copyright for various computational programs
predicting the performance of liquid and gas hydrostatic and hydrodynamic
bearings, seals and foil gas bearings.
In 2024, Research.com
ranks Dr. San Andrés amongst the world’s best Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering Scientists (1,367 world and 576 US). His D-index = 42 places him as
the sixth most renowned scientist at Texas A&M Mechanical Engineering.
During his academic/research work, Dr. San Andrés produced major
advances to the technology of hybrid bearings (hydrostatic / hydrodynamic) for
applications in primary power space turbopumps, gas seals and gas foil bearings
for micro turbomachinery, two-phase fluid seals for submersible (subsea) TM,
and squeeze film dampers for aircraft propulsion engines. Read below goals of our group and projects
completed.
Scholarly impact
Awards former students Best Paper
Awards
Available to download à
TRC reports + (some) Conference papers
Test Rigs List completed projects
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Scholar
Google 12/29/2024
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Scopus 01/05/2025
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Web
of Science (223+ articles)
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https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=W1S_CWwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7007117317
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9619-3817
Research Funding (1991-2023)
Total 1991-2022 (External
+ internal – all competitive) $424 k/year
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The goals
of our research group
In the field of Tribology
(friction, lubrication and wear) research focused on experimentally verified
computational film flow models for the prediction of the static and dynamic
force response of thin film bearings; in particular hydrostatic bearings,
tilting pad bearings, annular pressure seals, squeeze film dampers, floating
ring bearings, gas damper bearings and seals, foil gas bearings and
porous-carbon bearings.
In the Rotordynamics
field, research focused on measurement and prediction of the dynamic lateral
vibration characteristics of turbomachinery, encompassing both the traditional
aspects of rotordynamics analysis and research of fluid film-structure
interaction forces that influence rotordynamics, with a major emphasis in fluid
film dampers and gas bearings.
To deliver an
advanced education in the fields of fluid film lubrication and rotordynamics
To provide both graduate and
undergraduate students with an in-depth education on the fundamental aspects of
fluid film bearing technology and dynamics of high speed rotating machinery.
Our research covers a wide spectra of novel bearing and seal applications and
rotordynamics addressing to current and future industrial needs
To develop
advanced analytical and computational tools for the analysis and design of
process fluid film bearings and seals
The trends in turbomachinery
demand the largest output power to weight ratios and require flexible
mechanical rotating components able to operate at increasing shaft speeds,
temperatures and pressure differentials. Best efficiency and compactness can
only be achieved with the effective use of the process liquid or gas as the
lubricant in the support bearings
To measure the static and dynamic force
performance of fluid film bearings and squeeze film dampers
The test program on squeeze
film dampers has an outstanding international reputation. The latest
measurements provide fundamental understanding on the complex flow mechanics of
air ingestion and entrapment (bubbly lubricant mixtures) and its effect on the
dynamic performance of squeeze film dampers and wet seals.
To advance technologies
for oil-free turbomachinery and micro-turbomachinery
Research focusee
on the analysis and experimental verification of the static and dynamic forced
performance of gas bearings and seals for applications in micro-turbomachinery
(40 kW-500 kW) and portable power hybrid systems (SFOC & gas turbines).
Past Projects (à complete list 2001-2022)
Turbocharger Rotordynamics
Hydrostatic Bearings
CFD seals and bearings CFD wet seals for
multiple phase pumps
Damper
seals for compressors & Hybrid
Brush Seals
Bearings: Parameter Identification
Identification of force coefficients
in wet and bubbly seals
Gas Foil Bearings Metal
Mesh Foil Bearings Gas Tilting Pad Bearings
Thrust Bearings – Self Equalizing
Tilting Pad Bearings: pad
flexibility model
Thrust collars for integrally geared
compressors
Tilting Pad Bearings Measurements and Identification
of force Coefficients
UG Dynamics and Vibrations D Childs textbook
Practices of Modern Engineering L San Andres: a take on engineering your
engineering career
Favorite Links (below right click and select open link in new tab)
Turbomachinery Research Consortium
rotordynamics.org, a gateway to a collection of technical literature on rotordynamics.
XLrotor (no longer available) a commercial rotordynamics/bearing analysis package
Personal Interests
Viru unplugged in the 1990s’
Roca Azul - the premier Latin Rock & Blues Band in the Brazos Valley (2002-2016)
My music– the one man band El Santo (also in http:/www.ies3.com/elsanto
)