Nonlinear dynamics analysis of tilting pad journal bearing-rotor system

The nonlinear dynamics theory is increasingly applied in the dynamics analysis of tilting pad journal bearing-rotor system. However, extensive work on system dynamics done previously neglects the influence caused by the moment of inertia of the pad. In this paper, a comparison is made between the responses of the rotor in the bearings with and without pad inertia effect. Taking the Jeffcott rotor system as an example, the characteristics of bearing-rotor system, such as bifurcation diagram, cycle response, frequency spectrum, phase trajectories, and Poincaré maps, were attained within a certain rotation rate range. The pivotal oil-film force of tilting pad journal bearing was calculated by database method. The results directly demonstrate that considering the influence of the pad moment of inertia, system dynamics characteristics are found more complicated when rotor-bearing system works around natural frequency and system bifurcation is observed forward when rotor-bearing system works on high-speed range.