August 2016

Introduction to
rotordynamics
and lubricated
elements
Dr. Luis San Andres
Mast-Childs Chair Professor
Turbomachinery Laboratory
Texas A&M University
Lsanandres@tamu.edu
1
Turbomachinery
A turbomachinery is a rotating structure where
the load or the driver handles a process fluid
from which power is extracted or delivered to.

Fluid film bearings (typically oil lubricated) support

rotating machinery, providing stiffness and damping for
vibration control and stability. In a pump, neck ring seals
and inter stage seals and balance pistons also react with
dynamic forces. Pump impellers also act to impose static
and dynamic hydraulic forces.

Acceptable rotordynamic
operation of turbomachinery:
Ability to tolerate normal (even
abnormal transient) vibrations levels
without affecting TM overall
performance (reliability and efficiency) 2
Rotordynamics of turbomachinery (TM)
Goals
Conduct structural analysis of rotors (shafts and
disks) and design of fluid film bearings and seals to
render the best dynamic forced performance at the
machine design operating conditions.

Best performance denotes well-characterized

natural frequencies (and critical speeds) with
amplitudes of synchronous motion within required
standards and demonstrated absence of
subsynchronous vibration instabilities.

3
Rotordynamics of turbomachinery (TM)
Best performance
A rotordynamic analysis considers the interaction between
the elastic and inertia properties of the rotor and the
mechanical impedances from the fluid film bearing supports,
oil seal rings, seals, etc.

Rotordynamic problems are more frequent in high

performance TM since it concentrates more power &
operates at ever increasing high speeds. Stability
limits are usually determined by load condition, i.e.
changes to the operating point.

4
PV/CV turbochargers

RBS RBS
Fully Floating Bearing Semi Floating Bearing
RBS
Ball Bearing

5
Centrifugal compressor

6
Gas turbine

7
SSME turbopumps

8
Most common problems in rotordynamics
Excessive steady state synchronous vibration levels &
Sub harmonic rotor instabilities

Steady state vibration levels may be reduced by:

- Improving balancing
- Modifying rotor-bearing systems: tune system critical speeds out of
RPM operating range
- Introducing damping to limit peak amplitudes at critical speeds that
must be traversed

Sub harmonic rotor instabilities may be avoided by:

- Raising the natural frequency of rotor system as much as possible
- Eliminating the instability mechanism, i.e. change bearing design if
oil whip is present
- Introducing damping to raise onset speed above the operating
speed range.

9
[Ehrich and Childs 1]
Fluid Film Bearings
Fluid film bearings produce low friction between solid
surfaces in relative motion and generate a load support
for mechanical components.

The lubricant or fluid between the surfaces may be a liquid,

a gas or even a solid (coating).

Fluid film bearings, if well designed, support static and

dynamic loads, affecting the dynamic performance of
rotating machinery.

Basic operational principles are hydrodynamic, hydrostatic

or hybrid (a combination of the former two).

10
Bearings: Friction and Lubrication
Bearings enable smooth (low friction) motion between solid surfaces in
relative motion and, if well designed, support static and dynamic
loads. Bearings affect the dynamic performance of machinery
(reliability and availability).

Friction
coefficient

Full film
lubrication

Surface velocity x viscosity

Specific pressure 11
Hydrodynamic Bearings
Hydrodynamic pressure generated by relative motion between two
mechanical surfaces with a particular “wedge like” shape

Advantages Pressure
Do not require external source of
pressure. Fluid flow is dragged into
the convergent gap in the direction
of the surface relative motion.
Relative
motion
Support heavy loads. The load
support is a function of the
lubricant viscosity, surface speed,
Hydrodynamic
surface area, film thickness and wedge
fluid
geometry of the bearing.

Long life (infinite in theory) without Slider bearing

wear of surfaces.
Schematic view of
Provide stiffness and damping hydrodynamic (self-
acting) fluid film bearing
coefficients of large magnitude.
12
Hydrodynamic Bearings
journal
Disadvantages Pressure rotation

Thermal effects affect performance if

film thickness is too small or available
flow rate is too low.
Relative
Require of surfaces’ relativemotion
motion to
generate load support.
pressure
Induce large drag torque (power Hydrodynamic
losses)
wedge
fluid
and potential surface damage at start-up
Plain journal
(before lift-off) and touch down.
bearing
Slider bearing
Potential to induce hydrodynamic Schematic view of
instability, i.e. loss of effective damping hydrodynamic (self-acting)
for operation well above critical speed of journal bearing
rotor-bearing system

13
Examples of hydrodynamic bearings

PARTIAL ARC
FLOATING RING
JOURNAL BEARING
JOURNAL
BEARING

Dam
Top half

Bottom half
Groove

PRESSURE DAM JOURNAL BEARING

Tilting pad
bearings

14
Typical cylindrical journal bearings
Hydrostatic Bearings
External source of pressurized fluid forces lubricant to flow between two
surfaces, thus enabling their separation and the ability to support a
load without contact.

Ps
Advantages Pressure
Pr
Support very large loads. The load
support is a function of the pressure
drop across the bearing and the area of restrictor Fluid at Ps
fluid pressure action.
recess
Load does not depend on film thickness film
or lubricant viscosity.

Long life (infinite in theory) without wear Schematic view of

of surfaces hydrostatic/ hydrodynamic
journal bearing
Provide stiffness and damping
coefficients of very large magnitude.
Excellent for exact positioning and
15
control.
Hydrostatic Bearings
Disadvantages
Require ancillary equipment. Larger
installation and maintenance costs.
Need of fluid filtration equipment. Loss of
performance with fluid contamination. recess

Penalty in power consumption: pumping

losses.

Limited LOAD CAPACITY ~ f(Psupply) fluid

Potential to induce hydrodynamic journal

instability in hybrid mode operation.
Flow
Potential to show pneumatic hammer orifice
supply
instability with compressible fluids, i.e. loss at Ps
of damping at low and high frequencies of
operation due to compliance and time lag Schematic view of
of trapped fluid volumes hydrostatic/
hydrodynamic journal
bearing 16
Squeeze Film Dampers
anti-rotation
Normal surface motions can also journal
pin
generate hydrodynamic pressures in
the thin film separating two surfaces. shaft

The squeeze film action works ball

effectively only for compressive w bearing

loads, i.e. those forcing the approach

of one surface to the other. lubricant
film housing
Squeeze film dampers are
routinely used to reduce vibration Typical squeeze film damper (SFD)
amplitudes and isolate structural configuration
components in gas jet engines,
high performance compressors,
and occasionally in water pumps.

17
Annular Pressure Seals
Seals (annular smooth, labyrinth or honeycomb) separate regions of high
pressure and low pressure and their principal function is to minimize the
leakage (secondary flow); thus improving the overall efficiency of a TM
extracting or delivering power to a fluid. Seals have larger clearances than load
carrying bearings.

Flow of
process fluid
Stator

High Low
Pressure Pressure
Rotor

LABYRINTH SEAL on ROTOR OD

Impeller eye or
Inter-stage seal neck ring seal Balance piston seal
Seals in a Multistage Centrifugal Pump or Compressor
18
Annular Pressure Seals

Straight-Through and Back-to-back Compressor Configurations and 1st Mode Shapes

Due to their relative position within a rotor-bearing system, seals

modify sensibly the system dynamic behavior. Seals typically
"see" large amplitude rotor motions. This is particularly
important on back-to-back compressors and long-flexible
multiple stage pumps.
19
Steam turbine

20
Steam IP turbine

21
Damper Seals
Hole-Pattern Seal

Round hole-pattern
seal
Unwr

Honeycomb Seal
Unwrap

Figure 3: Honeycomb seal for turbopump

Surface textured seals for turbopumps

Labyrinth Seal

Intentionally roughened stator surfaces (macro texturing)

reduce the impact of undesirable cross-coupled dynamic
forces and improve seal stability.

Annular seals acting as Lomakin bearings could be support

elements (damping bearings) for cryogenic turbopumps as
well in process fluid pumps & high pressure compressors 22
Rotordynamic Analysis
Model structure (shaft and disks) and find free-free mode natural
frequencies

Model bearings and seals: predict mechanical impedances

(stiffness, damping and inertia force coefficients)

Eigenvalue analysis: predict damped natural frequencies and

damping ratios for various modes (rigid and elastic) of vibration as the
rotor speed increases (typically 2 x operating point)

Synchronous response analysis: predict peak amplitudes 1X

motion, safe passage through critical speeds and estimate bearing
loads

To certify reliable performance of rotor-bearing system satisfying

established engineering criteria (API 610 qualification) and to
emit recommendations to improve the system performance (response
23
and stability)
Rotordynamic Analysis
Equations of motion:
M   N R u  GR u K R u F u, u, t 
Rotor inertia Rotor gyroscopics, Forces:
fn (rotor speed) external and
Rotor elastic from bearings
properties & seals
DOFs at a node: 2 translations (X,Y) and two rotations (dX, dY)

Flexible rotor and

disks

Y
Bearing support KYY, CXX

KXX
CYY KXY, CXY
rotor
X

24
KYX, CYX bearing
GT 37 turbocharger rotor
Linear EOMs for rotor-bearing-seals system

[M ]u  C    G R  u   K u  Fext u, u, t 

Damping & Rotor + bearing +
Gyroscopic seal stiffness External
Mass matrix matrices matrix forces
(Imbalance,
M  [M ]  [ N ]R   [M ]S ; shocks, etc)

K  K R   [ K ] B   [ K ]S ;
C    [C ] B   [C ]S ;

Eigenvalues:
K  s C  s G R  s 2

M  v 0
s=λ+ i ω; λ<0 for stability

Synchronous response

K  i  C i  G 2

R   2
M  
w m x 
u e i

25
Component-Mode Synthesis (CMS)
• Timoshenko-beam,
FE-formulation
1 • Calculates real modes
• Reduces model
dimensionality by using a
limited number of modes
m1 m2 m3 m4

Rotor structure model f1(t) f4(t)

26
Rotor structural FE model
TC 25 Turbocharger (FRBS = Shafts 2 & 3)

0.04
• Beam Finite-Element
compressor (left side) - turbine (right side)

0.03
Formulation
20

15 60
0.02 65
Shaft2Shaft2 Shaft3Shaft3
73 75 76 78

Shaft Radius, meters

25
0.01 55 Shaft1
Compressor thrust disk shaft turbine Shaft1
1
5 10
30 35 40 45 50
70 72

Typical TC rotor hardware

-0.01
FRB FRB
2nd shaft
3rd shaft
-0.02

-0.03

-0.04
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12

Axial Location, meters

Typical FE rotor structure model

T2 turbocharger and FRBs modeled as three-shaft rotor. FRBs as shafts 2 & 3.

27
Validate rotor model
2 rotor model

Thrust Collar Validate rotor

model with
0.03
measurements
0.02 Shaft Motion Target Feed Pressure Unbalance Planes
of free-fee
Shaft Radius [m]

0.01
modes
0
(room Temp)
-0.01
Thrust Collar Semi-Floating CG Rotor
Ring Bearing
Compressor Wheel Turbine Wheel
-0.02 Bearing Bearing
Compressor Turbine Rotor: 6Y gram
-0.03 SFRB: Y gram
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
Axial Location [m]
Compressor Turbine Static weight load
distribution
SFRB
Compressor Side: Z
Turbine Side: 5Z

28
 -0.02 Compressor

S
End Turbine End
Validate Free-free natural frequency & shapes -0.03

-0.04
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
Axial Location, meters
0.04 0.04
Measured (Freq = 1.799 kHz)

0.03 First mode

Predicted (Freq = 1.823 kHz)
0.03
Measured (Freq = 4.938 kHz)
Second mode
Predicted (Freq = 4.559 kHz)
Shaft Radius, meters

Shaft Radius, meters

0.02 0.02

0.01 0.01

0 0

-0.01 -0.01

-0.02 Compressor -0.02 measured

End Turbine End
-0.03 -0.03 prediction
-0.04 -0.04
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
Axial Location, meters Axial Location, meters
0.04
Measured (Freq = 4.938 kHz)

0.03
Second mode
Predicted (Freq = 4.559 kHz)
measured Predicted % diff
Shaft Radius, meters

0.02

0.01
KHz KHz -
0 First 1.799 1.823 1.3
-0.01
Second 4.938 4.559 7.7
measured -0.02

prediction -0.03

Measured and predicted free-free natural frequencies and mode shapes

-0.04
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12

agree: rotor model validation

Axial Location, meters

29
Bearings and seals
Support rotor with low
friction. These elements
react with forces that
depend on the rotor
motion

30
Bearing dynamic forces
C XY   X 
Y
 FX   K XX K XY   X  C XX
Z F   K    
K YY  B  Y   CYX
 
CYY  B  Y 
 Y  YX
X

DOF lateral displacements (X,Y)

Stiffness Damping
coefficients coefficients

Typically:
Measure of stability: No fluid inertia or moment coefficients
Whirl frequency ratio accounted for

WFR = KXY/(CXX w Force coefficients independent of

excitation frequency for incompressible
lubricants. Functions of speed & load

31
Seal forces
Liquid seal:

 FX   K XX K XY   X  C XX C XY   X  M XX M XY   X 
F   K K YY  S
  
CYY  S
   
M YY  S
  
 Y  YX  Y   CYX  Y   M YX Y 

Stiffness Damping Inertia

coefficients coefficients coefficients

Gas seal:

 FX   K XX (w ) K XY (w )  X  C XX (w ) C XY (w )  X 
F     K (w ) K (w )       
 Y  YX YY S    YX
Y C (w ) C YY (w ) S Y 

Typically: frequency dependent force coefficients

32
Concept of stability and cross-coupled forces
Forces driving and retarding rotor whirl motion
Cross-coupled
force = Krt e
whirl
orbit, w
Y

Rotor spin, 
Damping force =
- Ctt w e

1 Cross-coupled force is a
(Ctt  K rt )  Ceq  0
w FOLLOWER force

= Krt/(Ctt w
33
Measure of stability: WFR
Example: Compressor
OBJECTIVE: perform complete rotordynamic analysis of compressor
Compressor C-2100 Physical units

Number of impellers 7
Shaft length 85.6 “ (2.17 m)
Rotor weight includes thrust collar 1,024 lb (4,550 N)
Center of mass from coupling side 43.65 “ – station 34
Mass moment of inertia (transversal0 302,815 lbm-in2
Mass moment of inertia (polar) 16,749 lbm-in2
Static load on bearing (coupling side) 469 lb (2,085 N)
Static load on bearing (free end) 554 lb (2,465 N)
Cut-away view of a
5,700 RPM 9,850 RPM
centrifugal compressor
Stage Pressure Temperature Pressure (bar) Temperature (K)
(bar) (K)

0 20.00 311.0 21.00 311

7 27.00 338.0 33.00 360

Compressor operating conditions (actual and desired)

Hydrocarbon mixture (molecular weight 8.72)
34
 Structural model and supports Rotor dynamic analysis
Compressor C-2100, supported on original bearings, laby
30
seals and locked oil seals
Station Mechanical element Description
Shaft Radius, inches

20 Bearing Floating Impeller seals Balance Floating Bearing

Ring piston ring 8 Hydrodynamic Three lobe bearing (coupling
10 bearing end)
12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56
48 6063 56 Hydrodynamic Three lobe bearing (free end)
0
bearing
Free
-10 end 15 Floating ring seal Pressurized, lubricant
50 Floating ring seal Pressurized, lubricant
-20
46 Balance piston Process Gas, 27 teeth
-30 20, 24, Impeller seals– neck Labyrinth type, process gas 4
0 20 Axial Location,
40 inches
60 80
28 32, ring (eye) and inter teeth
36, 40 stage
Rotor-bearing-seals structural model 44 Eye Impeller # 7 seal Labyrinth type, process gas

Free-free mode natural frequencies

•C-2100 calculated measurement
Fundamental frequency 14,431 RPM (240 Hz) 14,400 RPM
2nd frequency 27,081 RPM Unknown
3rd frequency 40,927 RPM ‘’

35
Natural frequencies and damping ratio Rotordynamic Damped Natural Frequency Map
Rotor dynamic analysis
Compressor C2100 w ith dry-seal inertias and MODIFIED BEARINGS
20000
18000
Natural Frequency, cpm

16000
14000 Threshold Whirl Whirl
12000 speed frequency ratio
10000 Critical
8000 speed
6000 Predicted 8,163 rpm 4,000 rpm 0.49
4000
2000 Field data 7,850 rpm 3,532 rpm 0.45
0
0. 2000. 4000. 6000. 8000. 10000. 12000. 14000. 16000. 18000. 20000.
Rotor Speed, rpm

Rotordynamic Root Locus Plot

Rotor dynamic analysis
Compressor C2100 w ith dry-seal inertias and MODIFIED BEARINGS
Sub sync
1.000

0.800

0.600
Damping Ratio

0.400
1X
0.200

0.000

-0.200
0.0 2000.0 4000.0 6000.0 8000.0 10000.0 12000.0 14000.0 16000.0 18000.0 20000.0
Natural Frequency, cpm
Field vibration spectrum showing
rotordynamic instability

36
Rotordynamics  applications

21st century
turbomachinery

37
21st century turbomachinery
Ultra-performance (reinjection) Rotordynamics,
materials, seals,
compressors: > 15,000 psi (1,000 bar) extreme environments

Combined cycle turbines (gas/steam): composite materials,

coatings,
efficiency > 60%
extreme environments

Aircraft: Larger high-bypass geared turbofans (GR>5) Rotordynamics,

Electric distributed propulsion systems Electronics,
GTs  batteries  electric fans for thrust Materials & Coatings,
SFDs
Larger efficiency & lower noise. Braking regenerative power

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones): E-motors, materials,

3D printing,
war at a distance & no casualties, controls and
surveillance, parcel mail delivery electronics.

Reusable rocket engines: Materials,

3D printing
LH2 and LOx with fluid film bearings rotordynamics

38
Subsea pumping & compression
High pressures & extreme temperatures
Subsea Engineering or SURF – Wet compression systems
Subsea must be reliable (5 y operation)
Umbilicals
Risers)
Flowlines

Meso-micro turbomachinery: Rotordynamics,

3D printing,
portable packs (5 kW), 1 million rpm materials

Oil-free gas turbines and generators:

coatings: solid lubes
(mid size to 0.5 MW): foil gas bearings, damper seals. gas lubrication &
rotordynamics
39
Microturbomachinery needs & hurdles
Largest power to weight ratio
Compact & low # of parts
Reliability and efficiency
Low maintenance
Extreme temperature and
pressure – multiple phases
Environmentally safe
(low emissions)
Lower lifecycle cost ($ kW)
High speed
Rotordynamics &
(Oil-free) Bearings & Sealing
Materials
Coatings: for low friction and wear
Ceramic rotors and components
Manufacturing
Automated agile processes
Additive manufacturing: $ & #
Processes & Cycles
Low-NOx combustors for liquid &
gas fuels. Scaling to low Reynolds #
Fuels Best if free (bio-fuels)
40
Oil-Free TM PM motors on gas (foil) bearings

ACMs, APUs, blowers,

compressors…..
200 kW (22 krpm)

Impeller Motor sleeve

(magnetic) Thrust
Collar

Gas Bearings

Successful with rigid rotors

and limited in damping. Must
enable operation above rotor
flexural modes.

Development 41
Superchargers & micro-power gen
Ready technology

2014 KIST (Lee, Kim & Kim)

Hybrid vehicles: 50 miles/gal & 0 NOx  fuel cells.

Issues are high temperature, materials and NL
rotordynamics

Development 42
Introduction to Rotordynamics
LEARN MORE AT http://rotorlab.tamu.edu

Questions (?)

Luis San Andres ©

43
Texas A&M University 2016