Performance Characteristics of Elliptical Journal Bearings in Turbulent Flow Regime

Abstract

In this paper, the performance characteristics of elliptical journal bearings in turbulent flow regime are studied theoretically and experimentally. Solving the turbulent lubrication equation by the semi-analytical finite element method, the static and dynamic characteristics such as the Sommerfeld number, the locus of shaft center, the friction coefficient and the whirl onset speed are obtained for various mean Reynolds' numbers and ellipticity ratios, and the results are compared with the experimental ones. It is found that the turbulence affects significantly the static and dynamic characteristics of such bearings and the stability limits of the bearings become larger with an increase of ellipticity ratio.