Implementation of a Thermo-Hydrodynamic Model to Predict the Morton Effect

M. Antonini [1], D. Fausti [1], M. Mor [1],
[1] PoliBrixia s.r.l., Brescia, Italy
Published in 2016

In this paper, the "Morton Effect" is analyzed. This phenomenon is a particular kind of rotor instability due to non-uniform journal bearing heating. In this paper, an overview of the previous works has been done. After this preliminary study, a specific approach suggested by the literature has been chosen and analyzed. A thermal model, a rotor dynamic model and a stability criterion have been implemented with COMSOL®. The result is a COMSOL® app that allows for easy prediction of the stability of the rotor given a set of parameters. Outputs of the current app have been compared with literature showing good agreement.