Scaled boundary finite element method for hydrodynamic bearings in rotordynamic simulations

The behavior of rotor systems with hydrodynamic bearings can be affected crucially by the nonlinear bearing forces. These forces are incorporated in rotordynamic simulations by solving the Reynolds equation in every step of a time integration scheme. Since closed-form analytical solutions of the Reynolds equation are known only for simplified boundary conditions, numerical methods and look-up table approaches are applied. To obtain accurate and convergent results, numerical solutions require a fine discretization, while the look-up tables require a fine grid of interpolation points. In both cases, the numerical effort of the rotordynamic simulation is dominated by the computation of the bearing forces. In this study, a semi-analytical solution of the Reynolds equation based on the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method (SBFEM) is developed to reduce the numerical effort of the overall simulation. In contrast to a purely numerical solution, the two-dimensional pressure field is discretized in only one coordinate direction, whereas in the other direction, an analytical formulation is used. This results in a system of non-homogeneous ordinary differential equations, which is solved under consideration of the boundary conditions. Since the complexity of the SBFEM model and the resulting numerical effort depend on the modeling of the oil supply groove, three different models are analyzed in this paper. The equations are derived, the solutions are verified, and their numerical efficiency is investigated in comparison to an FEM solution, which is one of the standard numerical approaches.

Automated summary

This study introduces a semi-analytical solution of the Reynolds equation based on the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method to reduce the numerical effort in rotor system dynamics simulation. By discretizing the two-dimensional pressure field in one direction and using an analytical formulation in the other direction, a new approach is employed to solve the system of non-homogeneous ordinary differential equations.