Investigation of the effects of surface roughness on friction behavior in hydrodynamic radial plain bearings

Abstract

In hydrodynamic plain bearings, parameters such as friction coefficient, oil film thickness, pressure distribution, oil flow, etc. are very important design criteria in terms of bearing design and optimum energy efficiency. In this study, in order to investigate the effects of surface roughness on bearing performance in hydrodynamic plain bearings, experiments were carried out at different loads and temperatures using two bearing envelopes with the same bearing material and with different surface roughness. As a result of the experiments, it was determined that the surface roughness was more effective especially in the boundary and mixed friction region than in the fluid friction region. It was determined that while the oil film formation ability decreased with increasing surface roughness, wear and power loss in the bearing increased.