In designing of engine bearings for automobiles, it is needed to establish the mixed lubrication model considering the asperity contact between the bearing and journal surfaces. This paper describes a theoretical modeling for micro grooved bearings under the mixed lubrication conditions. In this modeling, the sectional shape of the micro grooved bearing is approximated to circular sectional shape. A contact pressure between the bearing and journal surfaces is calculated by the Hertzian contact model, and the effects of elastic deformation of bearing surface due to hydrodynamic and contact pressures are considered. A numerical calculation model is newly developed to predict bearing performance under the mixed lubrication condition in the micro grooved bearings.
