Effect of a Circumferential Feeding Groove on the Dynamic Force Response of a Short Squeeze Film Damper

The effect of a circumferential feeding groove on the dynamic force response of a short length, open end squeeze film damper is studied experimentally. Damper configurations with increasing groove depths and journal orbit radii were tested for several conditions of whirl frequency and lubricant viscosity. Significant levels of dynamic pressure were measured at the circumferential groove, and relatively large tangential (damping) forces are produced at the groove which contribute considerably to the damping characteristics of the SFD test articles. Radial forces of substantial magnitude are determined at the groove and at the thin film land where the squeeze film Reynolds number is typically less than 1. The circumferential groove is thought to induce an inertia like effect into the film land. The experimental results correlate well with the predictions from a groove volume-circumferential flow model developed.