The Effects of Viscosity and Clearance on the Performance of Hydrodynamic Journal Bearings

Abstract

In the present work, the effects of viscosity and clearance ratios have been analyzed on the reliable performance and design of a steady-loaded, pressure-fed, hydrodynamic cylindrical bearing. The technique for bearing performance evaluation has been developed based on the maximum oil temperature in the region of load carrying oil film, and variation of oil viscosity with temperature. In this paper viscosity coefficients have been determined using iterative procedures for different oils. And also, a viscosity integral has been evaluated by method of splines as a function of inlet oil temperature to the load carrying oil film and exit oil temperature from the oil film. The viscosity integral has also been evaluated for a bearing operating under different conditions. Thus, by comparison of the viscosity integrals, exit oil temperature from the load carrying oil film and safe load carrying capacity of a bearing with different clearance ratio and using different oils have been examined. Nomographs have also been plotted for easy assessment of bearing performance. The developed technique gives a more realistic approach for design and performance evaluation of a bearing as compared to conventional procedures. This may have potential as an effective tool to assess performance of a hydrodynamic journal bearing.