A fully coupled 3D elastohydrodynamic model built with MITC element for static performance analysis of gas foil bearings

Purpose This paper aims to present a 3D static performance analysis model for the gas foil journal bearing to provide better understanding of the gas foil journal bearing and extend the development of the calculation about the static performance. Design/methodology/approach The foil bearing can be seen as a shell structure, and the mixed interpolation of tensorial components (MITC) element was used to build the shell model. The augmented Lagrange method was used to calculate the contact involving friction between foils and between the foil and the bearing sleeve. A displacement-controlled load scheme was used to calculate the deformation of the foils. A mapping operator was used to map the film pressure from the gas to the surface of the top foil. Findings This method provides high precision of calculation in the prediction of the static performance. The calculation results were compared with the experimental data, and they show good agreement. Meanwhile, the model can be applied in the prediction of the bearing performance in a broad range of working conditions. Originality/value This method extends the calculation of the gas foil journal bearing to a 3D scale and shows good agreement with the experimental data. Meanwhile, the present model has a good adaptability on the revolution speed and can be applied to the predictions in varied working conditions.