Effect of Misalignment on the Characteristics of Journal Bearings

Abstract

Due to the renewed interest in the effect of misalignment on the dynamic characteristics of journal bearings, this paper presents a study of the effect of misalignment on the dynamic characteristics of journal bearings. A 2D finite difference program is developed and used for this study. The results show that there are a total of 16 stiffness and 16 damping coefficients considering horizontal and vertical displacements and rotations. The variation of these coefficients with journal tilting (i.e. angular misalignment) is illustrated. It is shown that misalignment can have a significant effect on the bearings’ dynamic characteristics.