Finite element analysis of air-sheet interactions and flutter suppression devices

A computational procedure is developed to analyze the vibration of an axially moving web, controlled through self-acting air bearings. The Galerkin finite element method is employed for the spatial discretization of both the moving web and thin air layers. The predictor-corrector method is also implemented along with the Newton-Raphson iteration for the time integration. It is shown that the pressurized air layers between the moving web and bearing surfaces can significantly reduce the transverse web deflection and provide a means of effective stabilizing. Some comparisons with results obtained using ADINA are presented. The computational algorithm introduced in this paper can be used to optimize both bearing-geometry designs and spatial locations.