Making rotating machines safer and more efficient
Faglige nøgleord: Rotating machines, Vibrations, Fluid power,Hydraulics
Oplæg tilgængeligt på: Engelsk og spansk
I will introduce students to the hidden world inside machines that produce energy. My research is about heavy rotating machines — such as turbines and compressors — that spin up to 10,000 rpm. These machines are used in power plants, renewable energy systems, and large industrial processes. These machines support metal rotating shafts by fluid film bearings operated with a very thin layer of oil. This oil acts like a cushion and prevents metal-to-metal contact. However, at very high speeds, the shaft can start to vibrate strongly and become unstable. If that happens, the machine can lose efficiency, waste energy, or even break down. In my PhD project at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), I am developing “smart bearings”. These bearings can inject oil in a controlled way using sensors and actuators, which helps to reduce vibrations and improve stability. The goal is to make high-speed machines safer and more efficient. I will also briefly share my personal journey from Chile to Denmark. When I was in high school, I was curious about how machines work and enjoyed mathematics and physics. After finishing high school, I studied mechanical engineering. Afterwards, I became interested in combining mechanics, fluid flow, and control systems. This led me to pursue a PhD at DTU, where I now work on improving industrial machines through research and experiments.