Performance Characteristics of Large Scale Tilting-pad Journal Bearings

Abstract

Performance characteristics of large scale tilting-pad journal bearings are examined theoretically and experimentally. Applying a turbulent lubrication equation considering pad deformations and geometrical preload of pad to 2-pads journal bearings, the static and dynamic characteristics of bearings such as Sommerfeld numbers, spring and damping coefficients and unbalance responses of rotor and journal vibrations are obtained. The theoretical results of static characteristics are compared with the experimental ones. It is concluded that pad deformations and geometrical preload of pad have significant effects on the bearing performances under turbulent lubrication conditions and the theoretical results agree well with the experimental ones.