Structural Design and Optimization of Herringbone Grooved Journal Bearings Considering Turbulent

Abstract

In order to improve the performance of the traditional constant-width herringbone grooved journal bearing in a computed tomography tube under a high-temperature environment, the present study designed a convergent herringbone grooved journal bearing (HGJB) structure lubricated by liquid metal. The bearing oil film thickness and the Reynolds equation considering the influence of turbulence are established and solved by using the finite difference method in the oblique coordinate system. The performance of the two bearings was compared, and the static and dynamic performance change trends of the two bearing structures under different eccentricities were systematically studied. The results show that the convergent herringbone grooved journal bearings are superior to the constant-width herringbone grooved journal bearings in terms of bearing capacity and stiffness coefficient. At the same time, the influence of structural parameters, such as the number of grooves, helix angle, groove to ridge ratio, groove depth on the performance of the constant-width herringbone grooved journal bearings, and the convergent herringbone grooved journal bearings was studied. Finally, we conclude that the performance of the convergent herringbone grooved journal bearings is optimal when the number of grooves is 15–20, the helix angle is 30°–45°, the ratio of the groove to ridge is 1, and the groove depth is 0.02 mm –0.024 mm. This research has provided the thinking and reference basis for the design of liquid metal bearings for high-performance CT equipment.