Numerical simulation of two-phase air/oil flow characteristic in bearing chamber

The two-phase flow of air/oil mixture in the bearing chamber affects the operation stability of engines directly. Particular study of the two-phase flow in the chamber plays a vital role for improving the engine operation safety. Two-phase flow in bearing chamber is simulated numerically using VOF model. Surface tension between two phases has been added into the momentum equation as the source term. Based on the real condition, the wall adhesion is included in the model. The simulation results are in line with the existing experimental data so the feasibility of the computation method is proved. The interfaces between oil and air in a wide range of engine relevant conditions have been captured and the differences have been analyzed. The investigation also covered how the pressure in chamber and the volume ratios of scavenge oil and air are affected by the operating conditions of the engine.