Lubrication Characteristics of hybrid hydrostatic/hydrodynamic tilting-pad journal bearings

Abstract

This paper dealt with a hybrid tilting-pad journal bearing, which can operate as a hydrostatic bearing at low shaft speeds and as a hydrodynamic bearing at high shaft speed. A numerical calculation method for the bearing was proposed and the effects of oil supply pressure and the preload factor on the static and dynamic characteristics of the bearing were examined. The results obtained by using the proposed method demonstrated that the hydrostatic effect of the bearing is dominant when the Sommerfeld number is low, and the hydrodynamic effect is enhanced with the increase of the preload factor.