Revealing the influence of structural and operational parameters of a wooden hydrostatic bearing on its performance

Abstract

Wooden bearings, lubricated with water and other low-viscosity lubricants, have been used for centuries. In steamship engines, turbines of hydroelectric power plants and propellers of submarines, it is proposed to use wooden hydrostatic bearings, which are guaranteed to provide liquid friction and have high reliability. The object of this study is hydrostatic and thermal processes in sliding supports with wooden hydrostatic bearings. The influence of the design and operational parameters of a wooden hydrostatic bearing on its performance was tackled. Theoretical dependences are given, making it possible to determine the bearing capacity and temperature increase in the hydrostatic bearing. Quantitative values of specific pressures on the working surface of the bearing and an increase in the temperature of the working fluid due to friction and pumping losses were established. It was found that the specific pressures of the liquid do not exceed the tensile strength of the bearing material. The reduction in load capacity due to an increase in the temperature of the working fluid was 10.95 %, owing to the small change in the temperature of the working fluid in hydrostatic bearings. The results of the study make it possible to establish the permissible boundaries for the purpose of the design and operational parameters of the hydrostatic bearing ensuring its operability. For the effective use of hydrostatic wooden bearings at the listed facilities, it is necessary to have a system for supplying lubricant to the bearing under high pressure. The system should include filters to clean the lubricant from impurities. The theoretical dependences built allow designers of hydrostatic bearings to use them in practical calculations