An Analytical Turbulence Model for Squeeze Film Damper Short-Bearing Analysis

This paper develops an analytical turbulence model for open-ended squeeze film damper (SFD) application. Prandtl’s mixing length theory is adopted to describe the momentum transfer within the damper for its thin-film turbulent flow. A novel turbulence coefficient function is developed to describe the effective fluid viscosity such that the classical Reynolds equation remains applicable. Model validation is presented by (i) comparing the damping coefficient obtained by several existing empirical formulas and (ii) correlating the rotor dynamic prediction with the experimental measurement of an integrated rotor-SFD test rig. This work provides a reduced form of turbulence coefficient for certain SFD implementations. It quantifies the turbulence effect under different operating conditions, which is valued as a practical tool to assess the significance of turbulence consequences in rotor dynamic applications.