Numerical Investigation of Slider Bearings With Limited Corrugation and Power-Law Lubricant

Abstract

Performance of slider bearings of infinite width but having corrugation of limited extent is investigated numerically, using a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software package. Lubricant is assumed to be a fluid of power-law type. Over a range of the power-law index, effects of the corrugated section’s location on pressure distribution in the bearing’s fluid film and its load supporting capacity is considered. Load-supporting capacity increases with power-law index n, but saturates when n reaches about 1.7. Ratio of load-supporting capacities between corrugated bearing and smooth-surface bearing varies significantly with respect to n when n < [about 0.8], but stays nearly constant at higher n value. Larger corrugation-wave amplitude enhances the difference in load-supporting capacity between corrugated bearings and the smooth-surface one.