Theoretical model of flexure pivot tilting pad gas bearings with metal mesh dampers in parallel

The application of flexure pivot tilting pad gas bearings (FPTPGBs) with metal mesh dampers (MMDs) in parallel in high-performance oil-free turbomachineries has been considered because of their high effective damping level and adequate compliance to the variations in rotor geometry. This study proposes a comprehensive theoretical model of these bearings by coupling the FPTPGB model and MMD model. The effects of many parameters, including damper mesh density, pad radial stiffness, MMD radial interference, bearing nominal clearance and pad preload, are discussed. Results show that the direct damping coefficients of the bearings in this study are higher than those of FPTPGBs.