Study on the Performance of Liquid Metal Lubricated V-Groove Bearing Considering Turbulence

Abstract

To study the application of liquid metal (LM) in the field of practical lubrication, the viscosity of gallium based liquid metal (GBLM) was measured initially, and the relationship between viscosity and temperature was fitted to obtain the viscosity under high temperature. Under the simulated high temperature and vacuum working environment of computed tomography tube (CTT) machines, considering the influence of turbulence, the changes, with eccentricity, of bearing capacity, discharge, friction power consumption, temperature rise, stiffness, and critical mass of the GBLM lubricated V-groove bearing (V-g B) were analyzed. Due to the special structure of V-g B, the coordinate transformation was carried out and the turbulent Reynolds equation was solved by using the finite difference method and the local integral method. The bearing film thickness and pressure distribution under the two coordinate systems were analyzed and compared and the pressure distribution of V-g B under small eccentricity and large eccentricity was studied, respectively. The performance of GBLM lubricated V-g B was studied, which provides theoretical guidance and an analytical method for LM bearing of high-performance CT equipment.