High Rotational Speed Research Articles

Mechanical modulation wave energy harvesting for self-powered marine environment monitoring

Small-scale wave energy harvesting can be used for self-powered marine environmental monitoring, with the advantages of sustainability, convenience, and environmental protection. The low-frequency and strong random fluctuations of ocean wave motion are not conducive to electromechanical conversion. In this paper, we propose a mechanically modulated wave energy harvester embedded with interference-free triboelectric nanogenerators. The mass pendulum oscillates under irregular low-frequency wave excitation, and then the oscillation is mechanically modulated into a unidirectional high-speed rotation of four permanent magnet disks. The elastic parts on both sides of the mass pendulum are functionalized into multi-layered folding triboelectric nanogenerators, which neither increase the volume of the wave energy harvesting system nor affect the operation of the electromagnetic generator. The prototype was manufactured and the experimental results show that the sum of the average power of the prototype is 4.8 W under excitation at a frequency of 3 Hz and a inclination angle of 40°. The 0.47 F capacitor can be charged to 5 V in 80 seconds by the prototype under the wave excitation generated by push plate, and then used for self-powered marine environmental monitoring (illumination, temperature and pH) and wireless information transmission.

Overview of Electric Spindle Cooling Patents

Background: The heating caused by the high-speed rotation of the motorized spindle motor and the friction-induced heating of the bearings are inevitable. After the temperature rise, the relative position and size of the spindle and other parts or components of the machine tool will differ from that before the temperature rose, forming different temperature fields and then producing different degrees of thermal expansion, leading to processing errors. This paper analyzes the characteristics and application scenarios of various cooling mechanisms for motorized spindles. Objective: By analyzing and discussing the patents related to the cooling methods of motorized spindles, this study aims to explore the factors of temperature variation during the working process of the motorized spindle and seeks to predict future research and development in motorized spindle cooling equipment. Methods: The present status of various representative patents related to the cooling device of the motorized spindle was analyzed, and the influence of the cooling device of the motorized spindle on the working effect of the spindle was obtained. According to the classification of the characteristics of the cooling device, the degree of development of the existing cooling device in the cooling effect, temperature control, and other aspects is analyzed, and the latest patent technology is expounded and compared. Results: This paper analyzed the characteristics of cooling devices with different structures, analyzed the main problems existing in their development, and discussed solutions to the problems existing in motorized spindle cooling mechanisms and the current and future research directions. Conclusion: It is found that the circulating passage cooling device has the broadest application range and cools the motorized spindle effectively. The cooling structure has little influence on the motorized spindle and prolongs its service life. The cooling effect of adaptive and systemic cooling devices is better. However, there are some defects in both of them and so there is room for further development in both the cooling efficiency and machining accuracy.

Elevating alloy performance: the role of bioactive glass in Mg-9Al-Zn matrix composites through friction stir back extrusion

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of friction stir back extrusion (FSBE) parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of magnesium matrix composites reinforced with bioactive glass particles. Higher rotational speeds (1600 rpm) generate more heat and stirring, promoting finer grains and better particle dispersion, while lower speeds lead to larger grains. Conversely, slower extrusion speeds allow more time for heat dissipation and better mixing, contributing to smaller grains and a more uniform particle distribution. Key findings show that increasing the bioactive glass content enhances both hardness and ultimate tensile strength (UTS), with optimal mechanical properties achieved at 1600 rpm rotational speed, 48.97 mm/min extrusion speed, and 5 vol.% bioactive glass. The introduction of bioactive glass particles restricts grain growth and improves load transfer, thereby reinforcing the composite. Additionally, the study identifies a gradient microstructure in the composite wire, with smaller grains near the surface due to higher plastic strain and temperature, in contrast to the core, which exhibits larger grains.

Thermal-Gas-Elastic Coupling Modeling and Performance Analysis of Foil Cylindrical gas Film Seal Considering Speed Slip, Temperature Jump and Shaft Misalignment

Abstract The Compliant foil cylindrical gas film seal is an advanced sealing technology designed for high-speed and high-temperature conditions in a jet engine. Its design involves using a compliant foil to create a cylindrical sealing surface, achieving adaptive sealing in environments with high pressure differences and rotational speeds. For high-speed and high-temperature operation, a speed slip flow model was established by considering film slip flow, wall temperature jump, foil deformation, and gas viscosity-temperature thermal effects. The variations in the lubrication performance of the foil cylindrical gas film seal with changes in shaft misalignment directions, misalignment angles, and operating parameters were investigated. The speed slip leads to a decrease in gas film lift and an increase in leakage. The wall temperature jump phenomenon caused by speed slip leads to a 2.56% decrease in film temperature. The shaft misalignment angles on the high-pressure and low-pressure sides have different impacts on the flow field, with film pressure and temperature differing by 66.78% and 11.19%, respectively.

Study on the excess seeds removing performance of a potato precision seed metering device.

In the potato mechanical planting industry, the high multi-seeding rate and miss-seeding rate are problems that exist in many potato precision seed metering devices. The main potato seeds in China are cut potatoes with different shapes and sizes. However, there is a lack of research on precision seeding technology for cut potatoes, and the adaptability of many existing potato seeding devices on cut potato is poor. The mechanized precision seeding of potato can effectively reduce labor consumption, improve the seeding effect (decrease multi-seeding rate and miss-seeding rate), improve the improve production of potato per acre and improve the quality commodity potatoes. In response to the above issues, a precision seed metering device with novel scoops, which can adapt to various sizes and shapes of cut potatoes, was developed. In this study, the different seed collecting scenarios (SCSs) were constructed. Through the statics and kinematic analysis, the excess seeds removing (ESR) process was divided in to three areas. The kinematic model of seed potato was established to study the influence of different SCSs and sprocket rotational speeds on the ESR performance, and preliminary determined the appropriate sprocket rotational speed range for ESR process. Then, the coupled simulation results of EDEM and RecurDyn revealed that different sprocket speeds and SCSs had a significant influence on the ESR performance. Finally, the bench tests and field tests were conducted to verify the actual performance of the precision seed metering device. The results showed that, with the increase of the sprocket rotational speed, the ESR performance of the device improved, the multi-seeding rate significantly decreased, but the miss-seeding rate increased. High sprocket rotational speed will remove more seed potatoes and cause high miss-seeding rate. The bench tests showed the appropriate sprocket rotational speed for medium and large potato was 35 r/ min. The field tests obtained the best qualified-seeding rate of 91.54%, the miss-seeding rate of 3.08% and the multi-seeding rate of 5.38%. This study can provide theoretical reference for the design of potato precision seed metering device.

A Resonance-Avoiding Modal Balancing Method for Multimodal Balancing of High-Speed Flexible Rotors

Abstract Conventional balancing methods for high-speed flexible rotors typically necessitate costly and potentially hazardous balancing tests conducted near their critical speeds. This paper first demonstrates the feasibility of achieving multi-mode balancing using measurements taken below the first critical speed, based on traditional modal balancing methods and rotor modal parameters. However, while theoretically viable, this approach is highly susceptible to measurement noise, complicating its practical implementation. To address this issue, we propose an innovative resonance-avoiding modal balancing (RAMB) method specifically designed for multi-mode balancing. In RAMB, balancing is performed mode by mode in a forward manner, effectively integrating the correction weights of lower modes into the balancing equation. This strategy eliminates the need to operate the rotor at unbalanced critical speeds, enhancing the effectiveness of multi-mode balancing while ensuring measurement safety. The effectiveness of both the conventional method and the RAMB approach is validated through numerical simulations and experimental tests as well. The results show that RAMB significantly enhances the vibration suppression over the entire operating speed range while avoiding resonance measurements and exhibits comparable robustness to noise, confirming the validity and superiority of the proposed balancing method

Effect of Geometric Parameters of High-Speed Helical Gears on Friction Flash Temperature and Scuffing Load Capacity in Electric Vehicles

High-speed reducers in electric vehicles, characterized by high rotation speeds, heavy loads, large helix angles, and high contact ratios, are prone to tooth surface scuffing due to high sliding speeds. This scuffing is caused by adhesion wear from excessive instantaneous friction flash temperatures. The prevailing approach to gear scuffing analysis relies on the standard formula method, which is a relatively rudimentary technique. This method lacks the precision required to accurately assess the intricate distribution of tooth surface flash temperature (TSFT), limiting its efficacy in targeted tooth optimization. This study introduces an enhanced semi-analytical method to calculate TSFT and analyzes its variation under different conditions: increased tooth number and reduced module, altered pressure angle, and varied helix angle. The aim is to understand how these geometric parameters affect TSFT and the scuffing load capacity of high-speed reducer gears. This study calculates load distribution and TSFT under peak operating conditions and shows that increasing the tooth number, pressure angle, and helix angle can reduce maximum TSFT by more than 30%, improving scuffing safety and load capacity. However, these improvements must consider the gear’s allowable bending safety factor and bearing service life. The research concludes that optimizing these geometric parameters can significantly enhance the scuffing load capacity of gearsets.

Microstructural and tribological analysis of friction stir processed AA6061 reinforced with SiC

The reinforced friction stir processing (FSP) improves tribological qualities like wear resistance and mechanical qualities like tensile strength, hardness, and fatigue. This study used FSP to introduce silicon carbide granules onto AA 6061 Al alloy, often used in automotive components, to alter the surface morphology. The fabricated surface metal composites showed superior wear resistance to the base metal. The tribological analysis was done on the 1000 m sliding distance, 40 mm wear track diameter and applied load 5 N to 15 N. The wear of the sample FSP at 1000 rpm and 80 mm/min feed found maximum wear at 5 N, 10 N and 15 N, and the minimum wear yielded 1000 rpm, 80 mm/min at indirect cooled FSP condition. Similar results were obtained for friction force and coefficient of friction. The wear was increased at a very high rotational speed value in FSP. Developing a brittle intermetallic compound (IMC) reduced the microstructural properties of dry FSP. It was revealed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. The indirect cooling mechanism controlled the development of IMC. The maximum tensile strength of 122.21 MPa was obtained at 1200 rpm and indirect cooled FSP. The indirect cooling in the process of FSP improves the microhardness value.

On the evolution of the shock waves systems created by the fan blades

Fan is one of the noise sources in a modern engine. The fan noise is especially noticeable during takeoff at high angular rotation speeds. In such operating modes, supersonic flow around the tips of the fan blades is realized, which leads to the formation of shock waves that propagate upstream until they exit of the engine channel. As a result, a specific noise is emitted into the front hemisphere, consisting of harmonics that are multiples of the fan rotation frequency. The paper analyzes the described effect based on a simple model of the propagation of a shock waves system. By using energy analysis, it is shown that the system of shock waves with equal amplitude decays faster than a system of shock waves with a spread in amplitude.

Impact of Part-Speed Geometry Changes on Centrifugal Compressor Performance

The effects of part-speed geometry changes on the performance of an aeroengine centrifugal compressor are evaluated. In many applications, impellers are often of a high-flow-coefficient, high-specific-speed design. When coupled with the high rotational speeds and high temperature ratios of modern impellers, significant deformation occurs as the compressor moves across its operating range from low speeds to high speeds. At each operating speed studied, the impeller geometry was deformed to achieve the running, warm geometry at that speed. Typically, a single hot-to-cold analysis is performed to generate the cold geometry needed for fabricating the hardware. The hot as-designed geometry is used to predict performance at all operating speeds. The present study shows that this approach tends to overpredict part-speed performance. The variation between the hot geometry and the warm geometry at part speeds below 80% of design speed was nearly one point in efficiency and more than 1.2% in total pressure ratio. The assumption of constant geometry is made due to the time-consuming and computationally expensive iterative procedure required to compute the warm part-speed geometries. To address this, a scaling is presented that allows for part-speed geometries to be determined using only the as-manufactured and as-designed geometries.

Effect of flow direction on circumferential velocity, radial velocity, and flow resistance characteristics of rotating gap structures

A rotating gap structure is a type of viscous flow resistance using two disks where the rotation of one disk drives the fluid within the gap, generating rotational inertia. This inertia, combined with viscous friction, determines the flow resistance characteristic curve (pressure drop vs flow rate, or Δp-Q curve). By adjusting the disk's rotational speed, the rotational inertia and the Δp-Q curve can be modified. This paper examines how the radial flow direction (positive and negative) affects the circumferential velocity, radial velocity, and the Δp-Q curve of the rotating gap structure through theoretical modeling and experiments. Results show that radial flow direction and rate influence the symmetric distribution of radial velocity and the linear distribution of circumferential velocity, altering the main components of the Δp-Q curve: the viscous flow resistance curve (Δpvis-Q) and the rotational inertia flow resistance curve (Δprot-Q). The study found that the slope of the Δpvis-Q curve is smaller for positive flow than for negative flow due to differences in radial velocity distribution. Additionally, the circumferential velocity is weakened in positive flow and enhanced in negative flow, resulting in a smaller slope of the Δprot-Q curve for positive flow. These factors cause the Δp-Q curve to deviate from linearity, with greater deviation at higher rotational speeds. Finally, experimental verification was conducted, and the measured Δp-Q curve closely matched the theoretical calculations.

A Study on Ways to Expand the Speed Operation Range of Dental Laboratory Handpiece Motors Using Low-Cost Hall Sensors

In the dental prosthetics field, BLDC micro-motors are primarily used for implant procedures. As dental materials become increasingly harder, there is a growing demand for higher performance motors to precisely process these materials. However, difficulties in motor development arise due to price competitiveness. Dental motors require capabilities such as low-speed, high-torque for drilling operations and high-speed rotation for precise machining of high-strength dental materials. Additionally, there is a requirement to address thermal issues to prevent user burns due to motor-generated heat. Typically, motors requiring precision control utilize high-resolution position sensors like encoders or resolvers to acquire and control the rotor’s position. However, the high cost of these sensors and constraints such as increased device size pose challenges in maintaining price competitiveness. In this paper, we propose a control algorithm that satisfies the requirements for low-speed, high-torque and high-speed operation requirements for precision machining without hardware modifications using a BLDC micro-motor equipped with an inexpensive Hall sensor commonly used in the dental field. Furthermore, the algorithm is designed to ensure stable operation even in the event of Hall sensor failure or malfunction, and its effectiveness is validated through experiments.

Dynamic analysis of a high-speed micro compressor supported by spiral-grooved hydrodynamic air bearing

Spiral-grooved hydrodynamic air bearings are used in high-speed machines due to their advantages of oil-free, low friction, and compact structure. This paper aims to investigate the dynamic characteristics of a high-speed rotor supported by spiral-grooved hydrodynamic air bearings and the effects of spiral groove parameters. A mathematical model of the rotor-bearing system is developed by coupling the rotor nonlinear motion equations and the bearing dynamic Reynolds equation. The finite element method combined with the Runge-Kutta method is employed simultaneously to obtain the nonlinear trajectory of the rotor-bearing system. The theoretical model is verified by experiments on the built micro compressor prototype. The numerical predicted onset speed of the sub-synchronous motion of the rotor-bearing system agrees well with the experimental observations. Furthermore, the effects of radius clearance, groove depth, groove angle, groove axial and circumferential width on the dynamic performance of the rotor-bearing system are analyzed. The results show that radius clearance has the most significant influence, followed by groove depth, groove axial, and then circumferential width. The groove angle has the least impact.

High-precision dynamic axial clearance measurement method based on an all-fiber heterodyne microwave-AMCW with an all-phase tracking algorithm

Rotor-stator axial clearance is critical to the safety and efficiency of major rotating machinery. However, factors such as high-speed rotation, narrow space, high temperature, and vibration present significant challenges for high-precision dynamic measurement of axial clearance. This paper proposes an axial clearance measurement method based on an all-fiber heterodyne microwave amplitude-modulated continuous wave (microwave-AMCW) system combined with an all-phase tracking algorithm, characterized by high precision, wide bandwidth, and a large measurement range. To mitigate environmental influences, a heterodyne all-fiber microwave-AMCW optical path structure is developed, and a compact dual-core fiber sensor probe is designed. The all-phase tracking algorithm is introduced to enhance dynamic precision and expand bandwidth. Additionally, what we believe to be a novel bandwidth test method based on time division multiplexing is proposed to evaluate the system's wide-bandwidth performance. The proposed system's performance is validated through simulations and experiments. The results demonstrate that the system exhibits excellent resistance to environmental interference, with a measurement range up to 24.5 mm and a static precision better than 4.5µm. Dynamic experiments further confirm the algorithm's effectiveness, achieving a precision better than 5.3µm at 100kHz bandwidth. Compared to other clearance measurement algorithms including the Hilbert transform and FFT, the proposed method reduces dynamic error by over 74%.

Modelling Method and Meshing Characteristics of a Novel Curve-Surface Conjugate Internal Gear Drive

Space exploration has become a major focus in the field of technology, with gear transmissions in aerospace equipment playing a crucial role. In the extreme environment of space, gear transmissions face challenges like large temperature differentials, deformation and maintenance difficulties, which will severely impact transmission accuracy and service life. To meet the growing demands for high-performance gear transmissions with high transmission efficiency and error adaptability in the aerospace field, this paper proposes a novel curve-surface conjugate internal gear drive consisting of an involute internal gear and a curve-surface gear. The fundamental theory of curve-surface conjugation is introduced, and the construction method for curve-surface gear based on a selected contact path and meshing tube is presented. The analysis models including induced curvature, sliding ratio and tooth contact analysis with errors (ETCA) are simulated to evaluate the meshing characteristics. Additionally, prototypes are manufactured and experimental setups are established to validate the transmission performance. These results indicate that as the rotational speed increases, the transmission efficiency of the curve-surface conjugate internal gear drive improves, which is contrary to the trend observed in involute gear drives. And the transmission efficiency of the curve-surface conjugate internal gear drive surpasses that of the involute gear drive at higher rotational speeds. Moreover, this novel gear drive exhibits excellent error adaptability, maintaining intact contact paths and high transmission efficiency even in the presence of assembly errors. This study provides new ideas for the design and manufacture of high-performance gear transmissions from the perspective of spatial geometric elements.

Aerodynamic Feasibility Investigation of the Novel Experimental Rig on Turbine Blade Tip With High Relative Motion

Abstract The relative casing motion can significantly alter the over-tip-leakage (OTL) flow aerodynamic performances. Traditional tip experimental facilities for relative motion researches, including stationary linear cascade with low-speed moving belt, annular cascade with rotating outer wall, and full-scale experimental rig with rotating blade, were either extremely costly or not capable to reproduce engine-representative casing Mach number. Very recently, a novel design concept for high-speed disk rotor rig has been proposed for tip research. Subsequent to this research, the present study evaluates the aerodynamic performances and the periodicity of the disk rotor rig design using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes computational fluid dynamics simulation. Furthermore, first-of-its-kind experimental results of total pressure loss distributions measured by five-hole probe under high relative casing Mach number are reported. The results demonstrate the applicability of the disk rotor experimental rig for tip aerodynamic investigations.

The Role of the Working Fluid and Non-Ideal Thermodynamic Effects on Performance of Gas Lubricated Bearings

Abstract Small-scale turbomachinery operating at high rotational speed is a key technology for increasing the power density of energy and propulsion systems. A notable example is the turbine of an organic Rankine cycle turbogenerator for thermal recuperation from prime engines and industrial processes. Such systems typically operate with organic compounds characterized by complex molecular structures, to allow the design of efficient fluid machinery and flexibility in matching the heat source and sink temperature profiles. Gas bearings are considered advantageous compared to traditional oil-lubricated rolling element bearings for supporting the turbine rotor, enabling greater machine compactness and reduced complexity, and to avoid contamination of the working fluid. In certain operating conditions, however, the lubricant of the bearing is in thermodynamic states near the saturated vapor line or in the vicinity of the fluid critical point whereby non-ideal effects are relevant and may affect bearing performance. This work investigates the physics of thin film flows in gas bearings operating with fluids made by complex molecules. The influence of non-ideal thermodynamic effects on gas bearing performance is discussed by analysis of the fluid bulk modulus. Reduced values of the non-dimensional bulk modulus near the critical point or saturated vapor line decrease bearing performance. The main parameter characterizing the influence of molecular complexity on bearing performance is shown to be the acentric factor. For complex fluids with large acentric factors, the impact of non-ideal thermodynamic effects on non-dimensional bearing load capacity and rotor-dynamic characteristics is less pronounced.

COOLING INJECTION EFFECT ON THE SUCTION SIDE NEAR-TIP REGION OF TURBINE BLADE WITH HIGH-SPEED RELATIVE CASING MOTION

Abstract The high-speed relative casing motion between the casing and the turbine blade tip introduces significant complexities to the flow field near the tip, resulting in alterations to the heat transfer distribution on the suction surface of the blade near the tip, and further influence the arrangement of film cooling arrangements. However, due to the challenges associated with measuring heat transfer, the influence of cooling injection on the near-tip region of the suction side under high-speed relative casing motion still remains uncertain. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by conducting experiments on a high-speed disk rotor experimental rig. The heat transfer coefficient and cooling effectiveness are investigated for different cooling hole arrangements. Additionally, based on Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) method, the interaction mechanism of cooling injections under high-speed relative casing movement is comprehensively discussed. It is observed that the cooling effect, which would be effective under stationary conditions, is greatly diminished or even rendered ineffective when subjected to high-speed relative casing conditions. Furthermore, arranging the cooling holes at the location where the interaction between the Over-Tip-Leakage flow and the passage flow occurs would be an effective approach to enhance the cooling performance on blade near-tip suction side. The effect of different relative casing speed on suction side near-tip region cooling injection performances are also numerically investigated. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the considerations involved in the film cooling design of turbine blades.

Multi-Fidelity Aeromechanical Design Framework for High Flow Speed Multistage Axial Compressors

Abstract The development of novel engine architectures is vital in achieving the aviation sector’s net-zero carbon emission target by 2050. With today’s digital decade providing support for an accelerated technology maturation, the challenge for turbomachinery design remains to significantly push the limits of current performance within an ambitious development lead time. In this context, it is essential to adopt a design framework where the predictive models or simulations employed target a sufficiently reliable performance assessment. These models must be tailored to the dynamics of evolving industrial design processes, and therefore continuously balance required design flexibility, robust evaluation, appropriate fidelity (i.e. the level of detail and accuracy they provide), and resulting evaluation time. This paper discusses a framework for designing axial compressors and its application to the aeromechanical optimisation of a high-speed compressor rotor. The design environment integrates geometry parametrisation, modular evaluation with different levels of fidelity for the aerodynamic and structural models, and surrogate-based optimisation (SBO) capabilities. It is shown how the combination of a modular sequencing of the different models and the acceleration enabled by high-performance computing (HPC) and machine learning allows for a more advanced preliminary design. A significant gain in isentropic efficiency is attained while satisfying all structural constraints. At the same time, it is demonstrated that the framework is compatible with the characteristics of the preliminary design phase: both in its ability to adapt to cycle and design changes as well as regarding the turnaround time of the optimisation itself.

Study on the Influence of Tip Clearance on Working Characteristics of High-Altitude Fan

To study the influence of tip clearance on the working characteristics of high-altitude fans, this paper takes the MIX-140 high-altitude fan as the research object. Five different tip clearance (TC) models are selected. The CFD method is used to analyze the changes in the working characteristics of the fan under different flow rates and TCs in ground and high-altitude environments. The reliability of the numerical method is verified through a fan test bench. The results show that the tip leakage flow caused by the TC will continuously deteriorate the working characteristics of the fan. Under the rated flow rate in the ground environment, for every doubling of the blade’s TC, the static pressure difference will decrease by 5%, the efficiency will decrease by 2%, and the power will decrease by 3%. In a high-altitude environment, the flow rate corresponding to the maximum shaft power point of the fan will continuously increase with an increase in the tip clearance, which will bring about additional energy consumption. For high-altitude fans, the deformation caused by the high-speed rotation of the impeller needs to be taken into account. Undoubtedly, it is advantageous to choose the smallest possible tip clearance value. The results of the analysis and test methods in this paper will provide a basis for designing the tip clearance of high-altitude fans.