Analysis of the Performance of Chamfered Finite-Length Journal Bearings under Dynamic Loads

Abstract

Misalignment is one of the most common challenges that the normal operation of journal bearings faces. This type of problem may be the result of a wide range of reasons, such as bearing wear, shaft deformation, and errors related to the manufacturing and installation process. The main undesirable consequences of the misalignment, such as pressure rise and lubricant film reduction, are concentrated on the bearing edges. Therefore, chamfering the bearing edges reduces such misalignment-related drawbacks. This work presents a novel numerical solution to the problem of finite-length journal bearing considering edge chamfering. This solution involves the determination of the levels of lubricant layer thickness and pressure distribution in addition to the journal trajectory under impact load with the related stability limits. The finite difference method is used in this solution, and the equations of motion are also solved numerically using the Runge–Kutta method. The Results of this novel analysis show that chamfering the bearing edges increases the film thickness and reduces pressure spikes associated with the system operation under the case of 3D misalignment. Furthermore, the chamfered bearing shows a wide stability range under impact loads, where the normal bearing is unstable as the critical speed increases by 26.98%, which has positive consequences on the journal’s trajectory.