Thermal studies on foil bearings with a sliding coating made of plastic material

Abstract

The article presents the study of thermal phenomena that accompany the foil bearings operation. Tests were carried out on a specially designed high speed test rig, using a multi-channel measurement system and a thermal imaging camera. The object of the study was a 2nd generation gas foil bearing. In order to reduce the sliding friction, the top foil was covered with specially selected plastic and was operating with the journal covered by a layer of ceramic. The study was conducted at different speeds in which the temperature of the top foil was measured at several points spaced around the circumference of the bearing. In addition, the temperature distribution was analyzed on the outer surfaces of the bearing by means of the infrared camera. On the basis of the results, it was examined how rotational speed affects the temperature of foil bearing elements. The maximum temperature that can occur at steady operational conditions was also determined.