Simulation of Two-Phase Oil and Air Flow of the Lower Bearing of Shahid Abbaspour Dam Power Plant Generator

Two-phase flow of oil and air in the journal bearing of Shahid Abbaspour dam power plant is simulated. The problem is considered as unsteady and it is investigated at different times from the generator starts up. The geometry is 3D and the flow is laminar. This geometry consists of several separate sections, including a rotary oil reservoir, a journal bearing, and a steel shaft, where all sections are connected by pipes and the flow is passed through them. Regarding the repetition of the computational domain, a quarter of the geometry is modeled. Due to the complexity of geometry, the geometric model is divided into smaller volumes and is gridded with the structured mesh. The velocity field, pressure distribution and volume fraction are obtained by solving the equations of continuity, and momentum. Two-phase flow is modeled by VOF model. Results are evaluated with the data obtained from the pressure gage of bearing. Results indicate that the oil movement is consistent with the actual physical condition. In order to improve the cooling system of bearing, it is necessary to identify the high-pressure locations of bearing for branching, which it is achieved by calculating and analyzing the distribution of pressure in the bearing.