This study investigates three different approaches for calculating alignment of a shaftline with water lubricated rubber bearings. The baseline model looks at a standard one dimensional (1D) analysis of a shaftline with rigid, knife-edge supports that is commonly used in the marine industry today. This 1D model is then expanded to include a distributed elastic support model for the rubber bearings. Finally, a full three dimensional (3D), hyperelastic model is generated using the commercially available Ansys Mechanical. These three models are compared against one another to determine the pros and cons of each model, focusing on the potential oversights of some of the more basic models. This study aims to educate the industry on the importance of using a proper alignment analysis model with water lubricated rubber bearings.

Keywords:
geologist, reservoir geomechanics, shaft, shaftline, geometry, geology, configuration, builder, node, shaft deflection
Subjects:
Information Management and Systems
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