Comparative Numerical Study of a Multi-Fluid Approach and a Eulerian Integral Thin-Film Method for the Two-Phase Numerical Simulation of a Bearing Chamber

Abstract

In this work two computational approaches are tested for the simulation of the ELUBSYS bearing chamber - a four-equation Eulerian multi-fluid diffuse-interface model and a steady-state Eulerian thin-film integral approach. While expensive, the multi-fluid approach at 15,000 RPM is expected to capture the main trends of the global liquid dynamics in the chamber at the high-speed regime. It predicts that most of the oil is in the form of a thin film on the walls, therefore providing a basis for the applicability of the Eulerian integral approach. On comparison with experimental data available in the literature, the cheaper Eulerian integral approach achieves accurate results for the oil thickness circumferential distribution at the counter-current region but fails to reproduce the rising oil thickness trend at the co-current region.