Active lubrication applied to radial gas journal bearings. Part 2: Modelling improvement and experimental validation

Actively-controlled lubrication techniques are applied to radial gas bearings aiming at enhancing one of their most critical drawbacks, their lack of damping. A model-based control design approach is presented using simple feedback control laws, i.e. proportional controllers. The design approach combines three main domains: tribology, dynamics and control.

The Reynolds equation with radial injection, including piezoelectrically controlled jet, describes the non-linear interaction between bearing surface and rotating shaft. Dynamics of the flexible shaft and rotating parts are modelled aid by finite element method and the global model is used as control design tool.

Active lubrication allows for significant increase in damping factor of the rotor-bearing system. Very good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained, supporting the multi-physic design tool developed.