Inertial Considerations in Parallel Circular Squeeze Film Bearings

Abstract

A second order regular perturbation solution for squeeze film flow of a Newtonian fluid between circular parallel surfaces is presented. All the inertial terms are included in the momentum equation. Experimental measurements of pressure in a squeeze film at high squeeze rates are shown to be in good agreement with the solution. The solution is particularly useful in assessing the extent to which fluid inertial effects would cause the classical lubrication theory to be in error for any particular squeeze film. The inertial effects are shown to be functions of two readily determined dimensionless parameters, the squeeze Reynold’s number Res and the squeeze acceleration number A.