THE DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF THE FOIL BEARING STRUCTURE

Foil bearings are a variety of slide bearings in which an additional set of foils is applied between journal and bush, in order to improve the selected static and dynamic properties. Engineers and researchers from all over the world investigate bearings of this type since many years - both from numerical as well as experimental point of view. Due to the complexity of construction, the reliable simulation models are all the time being searched for. This paper discusses the important stages of elaboration of the structural supporting layer numerical model of the foil bearing as well as results of verification tests. The main goal of the conducted study was assessment of reliability of the elaborated numerical model, in scope of dynamic properties. In the near future it will be used for elaboration of the numerical model of the entire foil bearing, which will take into account also phenomena in fluid-film layer. Those models will be used together to describe bearing system in operation.