Nonlinear Rotating Flows in Eccentric Cylinders

Abstract

The steady rotating flows in eccentric annulus has been studied by a numerical method based on the spectral collocation method. The inner cylinder has a constant angular velocity while the outer on e is stationary. Flow between eccentric cylinders is of considerable technical importance as it occurs in journal bearings. In the present work, the governing equations for laminar flow are expressed as Navier-Stokes equations, including the non-linear convection terms. The solutions were utilized i, estimate the effects of the nonlinear terms on the load acting on the rotating cylinder. Based on the half and the full Sommerfeld methods, the load on the rotating cylinder is evaluated with eccentricity, by integrating the pressure and skin friction around the cylinder. The attitude angle and Sommerfeld reciprocal are calculated from the load. Also, the torque on the rotating inner cylinder was calculated. considering the skin friction. The attitude angle and Sommerfeld reciprocal are decreased with eccentricity. Viscous damping coefficient due to the skin friction becomes larger with decreasing the annular space. It is found the non-linear effects of the convection terms on the flow and the load are important. especially on the attitude angle, for relatively wide annular configurations however, the effects on those are minor for very narrow annular ones.