Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
15th International Conference on Computational Heat and Mass Transfer, ICCHMT 2025, Antalya, Türkiye, 19 - 22 Mayıs 2025, ss.133-147, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
Hydrostatic bearings are critical components in vertical-axis hydro turbines, where both radial and axial loads must be supported under high-precision and high-stability requirements. Among the factors influencing system performance, the geometric characteristics of the recess region play a central role in determining lubrication dynamics and force balance. This study investigates the effect of recess depth on the functional performance of a combined radial-axial hydrostatic spindle bearing through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Based on a reference geometry derived from industrial use cases, the analysis focuses on assessing the influence of recess depth variation—under constant operating conditions—on multiple output metrics, including load-carrying capacity, power loss behavior, directional force alignment, and pressure/flow uniformity in critical bearing regions. To further evaluate the internal distribution characteristics, pressure and velocity-based uniformity indices were introduced, while the angular deviation between the resultant force vector and the radial axis was analyzed to assess centering performance. The results reveal that even minor geometric adjustments can lead to non-linear changes in performance parameters. As recess depth increases, notable improvements are observed in load support and pressure uniformity yet flow irregularities and energy dissipation tend to rise beyond a certain threshold. Within this context, an optimum recess depth was identified that offers the best trade-off between mechanical stability, lubrication efficiency, and internal flow consistency. These findings underscore the importance of recess geometry in hydrostatic bearing design and provide validated data that can support performance-oriented optimization strategies in future industrial applications.