A method for the experimental estimation of direct and cross-coupled dynamic coefficients of tilting-pad journal bearings of vertical hydro-generators

This article presents a method to experimentally estimate the direct and cross-coupled dynamic coefficients of tilting-pad journal bearings of vertical hydro-generators and other similar rotating machinery for damage detection purposes. Based on a simplified second-order model of a journal bearing in the state-space, the method employs only the usually monitored vibrations, the shaft radial relative, and the bearing radial absolute vibrations originated by the hydro-generator residual unbalance or by hydraulic excitations in the turbine rotor. This article shows that the method was successfully tested using the shaft and bearing vibration signals synthesized by a mathematical model of a 700 MW hydro-generator, even when these signals are contaminated with random noise. This article also shows the method’s performance when applied to real vibration signals acquired from the modeled hydro-generator. Finally, it discusses the possible measures to improve the method’s efficiency.