Experimental Measurement of Oil Film Temperatures of Elliptical Journal Bearing Profile Using Different Grade Oils

Abstract

A significant variation in oil film temperature has been observed in hydrodynamic journal bearings. Here, a journal bearing test rig has been developed to measure the oil film temperature on the three circumferential planes of the journal bearing. Further, an elliptical journal bearing with D_Imin = 65.2 mm, OD = 85 mm and L = 65 mm, C_m = 200 μm and C = 300 μm has been designed and tested to access the temperature rise at oil bush interface with three grade oils namely Oil 1, Oil 2, and Oil 3 at loads = 200 N, 400 N, and 500 N and speeds = 3000, 3500, 4000 rpm at constant oil supply pressure. The results show that with increase in the load at constant speed and pressure, and with increase in speed at constant load and pressure, the oil film temperature increases in the central plane of both the lobes of the bearing for all the grade oils. The nature of the oil film temperature distribution along the circumference of the journal bearing has been observed very close to the oil film temperature distribution reported in the literature.