Numerical investigation of the combined effects of slip and texture on tribological performance of bearing

Abstract

Slider bearings are used in many applications. An increase in the load support may allow for saving of energy. In this work, in order to enhance the load support and decrease the friction force, a combined textured surface bearing using boundary slip is discussed. A modified Reynolds equation with slip is adopted. With the main goal of evaluating the effects of slip and texture, a parametric analysis is performed. For the given operating conditions, texturing features as well as slip pattern are analysed in detail. The numerical analysis is undertaken under the condition of different gap ratio values and the slip-textured area. The results show that combined techniques of slip and texture have a significant effect on the improvement of the tribological performance of bearing, that is, a high load support but low friction force. The gap ratio of the bearing is shown to have a significant effect on the lubrication behaviour. It is found that even with a smallest gap ratio (parallel gap), a high load support can be produced. However, it is also shown that the gap ratio appears to contribute to the generated friction force and the volume flow rate more than the boundary slip. Further analysis indicates that the optimum slip-text zones for certain gap ratio are highlighted. These findings may provide references for designing hydrodynamic-textured slider bearing considering boundary slip.