Abstract Turbomachines have undergone special development in recent decades with the aim of reducing the components of rotating machines and preserving the environment while improving operating performance. The key components in the turbomachine are the aerodynamic bearings that support the rotating rotors at high speeds, which leads to high dissipated energy. Numerical modeling was developed based on solving the Navier-stocks continuity equations and energy equations using a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code using the finite volume method. To better predict the behavior of aerodynamic bearings working under severe operating conditions, an investigation was conducted on the thermal effect on the tribological behavior of an aerodynamic (i.e. air-lubricated) bearing. Further analysis was performed, in order to predict the effect of bearing surface texturing on the running performance of an aerodynamic plain bearing, and a comparative study was conducted using a non-textured aerodynamic plain bearing. The study is performed on the influence of rotational speed, radial load, and textures on the tribological plain bearing performance. The results indicate that the pressure and heat flux tended to decrease as the rotational speed increased, to the other hand, fluid flow velocity, temperature, and shear stress are proportional to the rotational speed. Radial loading tends to increase the pressure, fluid flow velocity, and shear stress.