Analysis and comparison of steady-state performance characteristics of two-axial groove and multilobe hydrodynamic bearings lubricated with non-Newtonian fluids

Abstract

Rotating machines are one of the most important and widely used machineries in the modern engineering world. They are also the required to run at high rotating speed. The plain journal bearing is mostly replaced by some other bearing, as it does not suit the stability requirement of high-speed machines and precision machine tools. In order to improve the stability of a circular bearing, many researchers tried to change its geometrical configuration. In view of this, an attempt has been made in the present work to study the performance characteristics of four different bearing configurations using non-Newtonian lubricant and comparison of the results has been made with plain journal bearing. To calculate the steady-state performance characteristics, nondimensional form of the Reynolds equation using non-Newtonian lubricant has been written and solved for the steady-state nondimensional pressure distribution in a finite grid using finite difference method with successive over-relaxation technique satisfying appropriate boundary condition. From the study, it can be concluded that three-lobe bearing have maximum load-carrying capacity and minimum friction variable, whereas two-lobe bearing have maximum flow coefficient.