Conditions of Leakage-Free Operation of Herringbone Grooved Journal Bearings

Abstract

Herringbone grooved journal bearings can have full liquid film lubrication without a continuous external lubricant supply. An attempt has been made to determine the operating conditions at which no leakage occurs. In the many experiments performed with transparent housings the speed was raised until breakdown of the air-to-liquid interface in the bearing gap occurred, and hence leakage commenced. It appears that breakdown of the interface in a completely grooved bearing can be such that it leads to leakage either via the plain surface or via the grooved surface of the bearing. Some speculative theories concerning the breakdown of the interface are considered.