INFLUENCE OF THERMAL EFFECTS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF HOLE-ENTRY HYBRID JOURNAL BEARINGS

Abstract

Hole-entry hybrid journal bearings are extensively used in number of applications owing to their favorable characteristics over the recessed bearings. A scan of literature related to these class of bearings reveals that in most of the studies thermal effects have not been included in the analysis. However, the inclusion of thermal effects does affects the bearing performance characteristics of hydrodynamic journal bearings. Therefore, it is expected that in hole-entry hybrid journal bearings too, the inclusion of thermal considerations in the analysis would affect the performance characteristics. Thus the objective of the present study is to theoretically study the static and dynamic performance of hole-entry journal bearing by considering thermal effects in the analysis. Finite element method is used to solve flow field equation, restrictor equation, energy equation and heat conduction equation simultaneously. Based on the analysis computer program is developed and the performance characteristics are computed. The computed results are compared with the results obtained by neglecting influence of thermal effects for both symmetric as well as assymmetric hole-entry type hybrid journal bearing system and also based on the results logical discussion is presented.