Dynamic and thermal analysis of rotor drop on sleeve type catcher bearings in magnetic bearing systems

The catcher bearing (CB) is a crucial part of the magnetic bearing system. It can support the rotor when the magnetic bearing is shut down or malfunctioning and limit the rotor's position when large vibration occurs. The sleeve bearing has the advantages of a relatively large contact surface area, simple structure, and an easily replaced surface. There are already many applications of the sleeve type CBs in the industrial machinery supported by the magnetic bearings. Few papers though provide thorough investigations into the dynamic and thermal responses of the sleeve bearing in the role of a CB. This paper develops a coupled two-dimensional (2D) elastic deformation - heat transfer finite element model of the sleeve bearing acting as a CB. A coulomb friction model is used to model the friction force between the rotor and the sleeve bearing. The contact force and 2D temperature distribution of the sleeve bearing are obtained by numerical integration. To validate the finite element method (FEM) code developed by the author, first, the mechanical and thermal static analysis results of the sleeve bearing model are compared with the results calculated by the commercial software SOLIDWORKS SIMULATION. Second, the transient analysis numerical results are compared with the rotor drop test results in reference. Additionally, this paper explores the influences of different surface lubrication conditions, different materials on rotor-sleeve bearing's dynamic and thermal behavior. This paper lays the foundation of the fatigue life calculation of the sleeve bearing and provides the guideline for the sleeve type CB design.