Study of grease lubricated journal bearing with partial surface texture

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to study the impact of surface texture on grease-lubricated journal bearing, load-carrying capacity, friction and friction coefficient. Design/methodology/approach – The paper opted for a basic application research using the commercial CFD software FLUENT 14.0. Findings – The load-carrying capacity can be enhanced if the surface texture is introduced from a suitable position. The textural shape has a more significant effect on the friction and load-carrying capacity than the friction coefficient. The rheological parameters of grease affect the load-carrying capacity in the same way, i.e. the load increases with the increase in the rheological parameters. With the decrease in the value of cavitation pressure, the cavitation area reduces but the dynamic pressure area gets enlarged. Research limitations/implications – Because of the chosen research method, the research results may lack the analysis of experiments. Practical implications – The research results can be applied to the domain in the high-speed spindle and lubricated multibody system. Originality/value – The investigation on the performances of grease-lubricated journal bearing with surface texture would be significant.