The Effects of Vapor/Gas Bubbles on the Rotodynamic Forces in Bearings

This paper presents an anylytical investigation of the effects that vapor/gas bubbles can have on the fluid-induced rotordynamic forces in a liquid-filled annulus between a cylindrical rotor and a surrounding cylindrical stator. It is demonstrated that such cavitation (vaporous or gaseous) can have important consequences in altering the rotordynamic characteristics of devices such as long journal bearings or long squeeze-film dampers. A linearized analysis which includes bubble dynamic effects is used to evaluate the rotordynamic effects caused by a small amplitude whirl motion of the rotor in both the high and low Reynolds number regimes of fluid motion. In the former case the Euler equations for a bubbly mixture are employed while, in the latter, a modified Reynolds lubrication equation is used. These are combined with a Rayleigh-Plesset analysis of the bubble dynamics which includes various bubble damping effects. It is shown that, in certain parametric regimes, the normal and tangential fluid-induced rotordynamic forces acting on the rotor can deviate substantially from their classical forms in single-phase flow.