Influence of geometric parameters and operating conditions on the thermohydrodynamic behaviour of plain journal bearings

Abstract

Hydrodynamic journal bearings are essential components of high-speed machinery. In severe operating conditions, the thermal dissipation is not a negligible phenomenon. Therefore, a three-dimensional thermohydrodynamic (THD) analysis has been developed that includes lubricant rupture and re-formation phenomena by conserving the mass flowrate. Then, the predictions obtained with the proposed numerical model are validated by comparison with the measurements reported in the literature. The effects of various geometric factors (length, diameter and radial clearance) and operating conditions (rotational speed, applied load and lubricant) on the journal bearing behaviour are analysed and discussed in order to inform bearing designers. Thus, it can be predicted that the bearing performance obtained highly depends on operating conditions and geometric configuration.