A New Foil Bearing Dynamic Structural Model

A dynamic model of the bump-type foil bearing structure is presented in this paper. This model is an extension of a static model that considers the corrugated foil as a multidegree of freedom system. The system of differential equations describing the dynamic displacements is obtained by considering the global stiffness matrix of the structure and the typical Coulomb damping of the corrugated foil. By using a regularization technique, the friction forces are described in a continuous way over the whole process of motion. The results of the model are presented first for a single bump and then for a complete strip. Good correlations are obtained between the model and both finite element simulations and experimental data issued from the literature.