Steady State Performance Characteristics of a Tilting Pad Thrust Bearing

Abstract

The paper reports results of the experimental investigation into the steady state performance characteristics of a tilting pad thrust bearing typical of design in general use. Simultaneous measurements are taken of the pad and collar temperatures, the pressure distributions, oil film thickness, and power loss as a function of shaft speed, bearing load, and supplied oil temperature. The effect of operating conditions on bearing performance is discussed. A small radial temperature variation is observed in the collar. A reduction in minimum oil film thickness with load is approximately proportional to p−0.6, where p is an average bearing pressure. It has also been found that the oil film pressure profiles change not only due to the average bearing load but also with an increase in shaft speed and temperature of the supplied oil.