Custom Bearing Design and Modeling to Your Specifications
Empirically Proven Design Solutions
Partner with a team of experts with years of engineering experience, who will make sure your problem gets solved. Wheeler’s engineers are noted for their work in the fluid film bearing field.
Know that you are getting top engineering analysis that is backed by rotor dynamic models that have been tested on our own bearing test rig and proven accurate to real world test data. Get advanced state-of-the-art bearing analysis tools applied to your unique problem. Using Finite Element Analysis with concurrent Heat Balance, the performance characteristics of your bearing solution will include:
- Minimum film thickness
- Horsepower loss
- Bearing operating temperature and rise
- Required oil flow and viscosity
Proceed with confidence, knowing you have the freshest ideas in bearing design, the latest materials, and the best unique solution to your special problem. Wheeler can predict the operational performance for plain, elliptical, mutli-lobed, pressure dam and tilting pad journal and thrust bearings in both hydrodynamic and hydrostatic regimes.
Using the industry’s most accurate Rotor Dynamic analytical software, our engineers can select the design that will provide vibration-free operation and extended bearing life. The development of these tools utilizes our bearing test stand to refine the output of our proprietary models and ensures that your design will function exactly the way you expect and need it to function.
- Predict load-bearing capacity
- Analyze the vibration potential (critical speed map)
- Response to Unbalance
- Ensure a bearing design that is reliable and efficient
- Bearing Design Verification
A Collaborative Process
Wheeler works with you to ensure your prototype is ideally suited to your application. We have the technology and equipment to push its envelope and can provide you with a succinct analysis and expert recommendations. After bearing testing, if its capability is in excess of what the job requires, we’ll tell you that, too, and suggest a less costly solution.
An inefficient bearing design translates to wasted time and money. When you want the very best in design and modeling, you can rely on Wheeler to provide it.
Contact Us for a Free Quote
Call us at 843.552.1251 to receive a quote for bearing and component design. We provide accurate service and quick turnaround. Our experience as leaders in industrial bearing and manufacturing since 1919 offers consistent results every time.
Mechanical Engineering, Design and Testing Solutions
Functional Testing for Rotating Equipment
Helping you design and produce the most efficient, robust equipment is the kind of challenge that Wheeler engineers excel at. We have tackled the most complex task, including gas turbine models, jet engine simulations and swash plates that convert rotary to linear motion.
Working with our engineers, you can improve the energy conservation of your existing equipment or ensure the highest efficiency of your new designs. High speed compressors, turbomachinery, pumps and power generation equipment all benefit from use of the synthetic oils and bearing designs that reduce their energy consumption and improve their reliability. We have demonstrated over 40% reduction in horsepower losses with hybrid bearing designs. These results were predicted on our models and verified on test rigs that we designed and built collaboratively with our customer.
One of our rigs that is used for oil testing and developmental work on hybrid tilting pad journal bearing designs. When studying turbine bearing performance, we are able to achieve:
- Operating speeds of over 16,000 surface feet per minute
- Unit loads of 400 psi at full operating speed
- Data acquisition of oil temperatures in 14 location
- Controlled oil flow supply up to 20 gpm
- Oil cooling and constant oil inlet temperature
Numerous trials have been conducted for the largest power generation equipment companies and the leading oil producers and power utilities. These tests have led to the development of energy savings solutions worth millions of dollars.
A Team Approach to Problem Solving
Our team approach in working with you provides your engineering department specialists in:
- Bearing Design
- Rotor Dynamics
- Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and lubrication supply
- CAD modelling (Solidworks, Inventor, Autodesk)
Together we can design, build and test your new project and bring it in on schedule and on budget.
Contact Us for a Free Quote
Call us at 843.552.1251 to receive a quote for bearing and component design. We provide accurate service and quick turnaround. Our experience as leaders in industrial bearing and manufacturing since 1919 offers consistent results every time.
Link to NT DIN Liner Test Paper
Link to Rotor Dynamics