Thermo-hydrodynamic lubrication and energy dissipation mechanism of a pump-turbine thrust bearing in load-rejection process

The dynamic behavior of the pump-turbine thrust bearing is important to the safety operation of the unit. This paper analyzed the lubrication and energy dissipation mechanism of pump-turbine thrust bearing during load-rejection based on the thermo-hydrodynamic model. The results show that the variation of the axial force and the maximum pad surface pressure is basically consistent with that of the inclination of the pad surface. The change of the friction loss is consistent with the change of rotational speed, while the change of pad surface temperature is affected by the combination of pad inclination and rotational speed. The chaotic flow in the oil tank is accompanied by different forms of vortices, such as Taylor vortices, vortex pairs, and Karman vortices, and results in a significant asymmetry in the pressure distribution. The flow in the bearing pad groove has an effect on the energy dissipation in the oil film. This paper provides a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of thrust bearings, and provides a reference for solving the problems of wear, oil mist, and other related problems of thrust bearings in engineering.