Performance of a noncircular 2‐lobe multirecess hydrostatic journal bearing with wear

Abstract

PurposeNoncircular journal bearings are used in industry because of their simplicity, efficiency and low cost. During the life time of a machine, these are required to be operated over a number of years and are submitted to several stops and starts. As a result, the bush becomes progressively worn out and the bearing performance changes. The purpose of this paper is to study theoretically the influence of wear on the performance of a non‐circular 2‐lobe four‐pocket multirecess hybrid journal bearing system.Design/methodology/approachThe Reynolds equation governing the flow of lubricant in the clearance space of a non‐circular 2‐lobe multirecess worn hybrid journal bearing system has been solved using FEM along with appropriate boundary conditions. The defects caused by wear are centered on the load line and range from 10 per cent to 50 per cent of the bearing radial clearance.FindingsThe numerically simulated results based on a Newtonian lubricant and the steady state flow field system have been presented in terms of maximum fluid film pressure, minimum fluid film thickness, lubricant flow rate, direct fluid film stiffness and damping coefficients and stability threshold speed margin. The paper demonstrates that, for the bearing configurations studied, the bearing behavior is clearly affected by wear. The numerically simulated results indicate that for an offset factor of δ=1.2, the value of h¯min reduces by 21.21 per cent at δ¯w=0.5.Originality/valueThe presented results have valuable data in case of 2‐lobe four pocket hybrid journal bearing compensated with constant flow valve restrictor. The paper outcomes are sure to be of interest for researchers and useful for bearing designers.