A technological solution, frequently used to suppress lateral vibrations in rotating machines, consists in adding the damping devices between the rotor and its frame.

This is enabled by the traditional squeeze film dampers (SFDs). The main parts of the traditional SFD include two concentric rings with a thin layer of the lubricating film in between. The outer ring is firmly coupled to the damper body while the inner ring is connected to the rotor journal and damper housing by the rolling element bearing and squirrel cage spring, respectively.

A new concept of an integral squeeze film damper (ISFD) is mainly represented by the integrated design that allowed by the electric discharge machining manufacturing process. Unlike the traditional SFD, the ISFD is partitioned into the segments and it does not allow the circumferential flow. The hydrodynamic forces of the ISFD are produced by both the squeezing thin fluid film and the flow resistance at the end seal clearance.

The investigated ISFD consists of the 5-segments, each damper segment is fed by a single inlet orifice and the outflow is controlled by the end seal, and the position of the inner damper ring is eccentric.

The mass, damping and stiffness coefficients of the investigated ISFD are determined by means of three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (3D CFD) analysis. The governing equations for the pressure distribution in the lubricating layer of the ISFD include the Navier-Stokes equation and the continuity equation. In the developed 3D CFD model it is assumed that (i) the fluid film is incompressible, (ii) the flow is laminar, and (iii) the heat transfer does not involve into the flow. The commercial ANSYS CFX software was used for solving the pressure and velocity distribution and the hydrodynamic forces acting in the ISFD.

The development of the complex 3D CFD model, learning more about the effect of the inertial forces in the ISFD, and the knowledge about the behaviour of the flow are the principal contributions of this article.