A Thermo-Hydrodynamic Model for Thermal Energy Flow Management in a (Semi) Floating Ring Bearing System for Automotive Turbochargers

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Abstract Oil-engine lubricated turbochargers (TCs) operate at high temperature and must withstand large temperature gradients that produce severe thermo-mechanical stresses in the TC mechanical components. Thus, an insight into the thermal energy flows and an effective thermal management are paramount to ensure reliable TC operation. The paper analyzes the transport of energy and heat flows in semi-floating ring bearings (SFRBs) for automotive TCs with integrated heat and fluid flow models for both (turbine and compressor sides) radial bearings and thrust bearings to produce a complete thermo-hydrodynamic analysis predictive tool. The model couples the energy transport equations and the lubrication Reynolds equations in the inner and outer films of a SFRB and the adjacent thrust films to a three-dimensional heat conduction in the floating ring and along with thermal soaking into the TC casing. Cold lubricant, supplied at a specific temperature and pressure, flows to fill the films of the radial bearings, and then the thrust bearings. The lubricated bearings, radial and axial, support shaft loads, static and dynamic, and produce drag power losses. The streams of lubricant warm up as they take away a sizable portion of the heat flow from the hot shaft plus that due to viscous shear drag. Another fraction of thermal energy flow sinks into the floating ring which presents a distinct temperature field varying along the radial, circumferential and axial directions. The computational analysis contemplates a TC operating at shaft speeds (Ω) ranging from 30 krpm to 240 krpm (4 kHz) and a SFRB supplied with engine oil at PSUP = 3.0 bar and TSUP = 120 °C. The analysis focuses on a brass-made turbine bearing as it is the one that disposes most thermal energy flow since the shaft surface is hot at Ts = 213 °C (just below the lubricant flash point temperature at 230 °C) while the casing temperature is TC = TSUP. The ring with length/diameter = 1.6 has radial bearings with four equally spaced feed holes and four axial grooves, and the ratio outer film clearance/inner film clearance equals 5.3 at room temperature. As shaft speed increases (= 100 m/s max. surface speed), the inner film temperature increases proportionally; albeit the heat flow from the shaft into the inner film decreases while the viscous drag power raises rapidly. The outer film heats to just a few degrees above TSUP since the non-spinning ring does not generate viscous shear drag. The ring heats unevenly, radially with a ∼20 °C temperature gradient from its inner to outer diameters (ID and OD), and axially with up to a ∼50 °C difference from the thrust bearing side that also produces a drag power loss. At a low shaft speed (45 krpm), heat flowing from the shaft overwhelms the drag power loss induced by shearing the inner film; whereas as shaft speed increases (240 krpm), the contribution from the drag power loss to the total energy flow disposed increases significantly, from 3% to 63%. The lubricant flows, inner plus outer, advect most of the thermal energy flow, 74% to 81%, over the range of shaft speeds, low to high. The floating ring conducts a sizeable portion of thermal energy flow, 39% to 49% of the total, though varying little with shaft speed. Similarly does the fraction of heat, 9% to 13% of the total, conducted into the TC casing. A more conductive ring material or an outer film with a longer length conduct more heat into the ring although the lubricant flows still carry most of the thermal energy flow generated by viscous drag losses and heat from the shaft. The results demonstrate the importance of designing a SFRB system with adequate clearances and proper materials to offer an adequate thermal management and avoiding too high temperatures that could varnish, even flash and burn, the engine oil. The improvements in the energy transport and heat flow modeling of a SFRB system will produce significant savings in TC performance.