Abstract:With the demand for turbomachinery to operate at higher speeds, loads, and power, fluid film bearings that support turbomachinery must be capable of operating in these more demanding applications. Thrust bearings operating at high speeds and loads can experience high surface temperatures and thin fluid film thickness. Typically, babbitt (white metal) is the bearing lining material for most turbomachinery bearings but is limited in operating temperature and allowable film thickness. Polymer based materials are alternative materials that can operate at high temperatures and with thin films and have been in use for many decades in high load applications, such as electric submersible pumps (ESP). Test results of polymer lined thrust bearings subjected to modern turbomachinery speeds and loads are presented and compared to babbitt lined bearings of the same design and under similar conditions. The test results show polymer lined thrust bearings can operate at higher bearing unit loads than babbitt.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [1]. In Table 2, the tensile strength (100 °C) of Babbitt is 40 MPa, not 45 MPa[...]

High temperatures within the primary vane of a gas turbine system have been known to cause turbine blade failure due to high temperatures and stark, unexpected non-uniformities in the expelled gaseous product. Thus, to aid in the prevention of these costly and potentially dangerous failures, this study aimed to find ways to experimentally decrease temperature spontaneity at the nozzle by employing a blunt object and guide vanes to the common dilution hole approach to cool the primary air in a gas turbine simulator. Previous computational studies outlining these scenarios were experimentally produced, and verified the initial hypothesis that adding a blunt body and guide vanes, separately, to the simulator would provide more uniform exit temperature conditions. However, it was also found that, while similar in mixture capability, the guide vane approach appears to be the more feasible option due to a smaller resulting pressure drop and ease of implementation. Nomenclature A= cross sectional area W = tangential velocity ds = differential surface area ρ = density f = mixture fraction ζ = uncertainty ṁ = mass flow rate σ = standard deviation T adb = adiabatic temperature T ann = annular temperature T jet = jet temperature T pri = primary temperature R = swirler radius U = axial velocity 1 Professor,