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The behavior of the hydrodynamic journal bearings is now very well known because of the many experimental and numerical studies that have been carried out on the topic. This interest in two-lobe journal bearings is due to the fact that their simplicity, efficiency, and low cost have led to them being widely used in industry. These mechanical components tend to be subjected to numerous startups and stops. During transient periods, direct contact between the journal and bearing induces high friction in the lubricated contact and hence wear of the lining. The aim of this work is, first, to present experimental data obtained on a journal lobed bearing subjected to numerous starts and stops. Then, a comparison is made between the measured bearing performance and numerical results, these being obtained on the assumption that the regime is a thermohydrodynamic one. The wear after more than 2000 cycles was measured and used to generate numerical simulations. The aim here was to compare experimental data with theoretical results. It was observed that hydrodynamic pressure increases, whereas the temperature at the film/bush interface slightly decreases on both the upper and lower lobes. These trends are confirmed by the numerical simulations, with theoretical results being very close to experimental data. The final value for wear was measured, the maximum being found to be located at an angular coordinate of 180 deg and reaching nearly 9 [micro]m. The present study demonstrates that, for the case studied, while the bearing behavior is clearly affected by wear, the bearing still remains useable and safe. [DOI: 10.1115/1.2401210] Keywords: journal bearing, experimental, wear, temperature, pressure

An experimental study of the influence of oil supply temperature and supply pressure on the performance of a 100 mm plain journal bearing with two axial grooves located at [+ or -] 90 deg to the load line was carried out. The hydrodynamic pressure at the mid-plane of the bearing, temperature profiles at the oil-bush and oil-shaft interfaces, bush torque, oil flow rate, and the position of the shaft were measured for variable operating conditions. Shaft rotational speed ranged from 1000 to 4000 rpm and two different values of applied load were tested (2 and 10 kN). The supply temperature ranged from 35 to 50[degrees]C, whereas the oil supply pressure range was 70 to 210 kPa. Bearing performance is strongly dependent on the supply conditions. It was found that the existence of the downstream groove significantly affects the temperature profile at the oil-bush interface except for the low load, low feeding pressure cases, where the cooling effect of the upstream groove is significant. Feeding temperature has a strong effect on the minimum film thickness. The increase in maximum temperature is significantly lower than the corresponding increase in supply temperature. Increases in supply pressure lead to a significant rise in oil flow rate but have little effect on the maximum temperature and power-loss, except in the case of the lightly loaded bearing. Shaft temperature was found to be close to the bearing maximum temperature for low applied loads, being significantly smaller than this value for high loads. The mean shaft temperature is only significantly higher than the outlet temperature at high shaft speeds. [DOI: 10.1115/1.2401206] Keywords: hydrodynamic lubrication, thermal behavior, experimental results, twin groove journal bearing, supply conditions

The present work analyzes the influence of global and local thermal effects and also mechanical and thermal deformations on bearing performance. Local thermal effects are important in the case of a highly loaded bearing because these effects are concentrated within a small zone of the bearing. The thermoelastohydrodynamic study, including deformations due to pressure, leads to a significant decrease in maximum pressure and a slight decrease in maximum temperature. For accurate performance predictions of bearings operating under severe conditions, numerical simulations have to take into account local thermal effects and both mechanical and thermal deformations.

This numerical study deals with the improvement of the thermohydrodynamic performance of a 100 mm plain journal bearing submitted to a constant misalignment torque under steady-state conditions. The performance of the misaligned journal bearing is improved by adding either a local or a global defect to the bearing geometry. The influence on bearing performance of the local defect, situated in the zone of minimum film thickness, is analyzed by using various widths and lengths of defect. A global defect, which is conical in shape and is located at one end of the bearing, is also studied under varying direction and magnitude of misalignment torque. Our main focus was on hydrodynamic pressure, temperature distributions at the film/bush interface, oil flow rate, power losses and film thickness. The defects significantly improved the performance of the bearing. The minimum film thickness increased by more than 60 percent and the temperature decreased, whilst the axial flow rate was barely affected. Thus, the defects can be an effective solution for misaligned bearings when they are submitted to extreme operating conditions.

The present study deals with the experimental determination of the performance of a 100 mm diameter plain journal bearing submitted to a misalignment torque. Hydrodynamic pressure and temperature fields in the mid-plane of the bearing, temperatures in two axial directions, oil flow rate, and minimum film thickness, were all measured for various operating conditions and misalignment torques. Tests were carried out for rotational speeds ranging from 1500 to 4000 rpm with a maximum static load of 9000 N and a misalignment torque varying from 0 to 70 N.m. The bearing performances were greatly affected by the misalignment. The maximum pressure in the mid-plane decreased by 20 percent for the largest misalignment torque while the minimum film thickness was reduced by 80 percent. The misalignment caused more significant changes in bearing performance when the rotational speed or load was low. The hydrodynamic effects were then relatively small and the bearing offered less resistance to the misalignment.

The present study deals with the experimental determination of temperature distribution in a plain, steadily loaded journal bearing, during transient thermal periods such as start-up or slow changing in velocity. A number of chromel-alumel thermocouples, placed circumferentially in the median section of the bearing, are used in order to carry out the measurements. The temperature at film-shaft interface is also measured by means of a chromel-alumel thermocouple and a mercury transmitter. The effects of journal speed and load on bearing temperature and fluid friction torque are analyzed. The bearing temperature increases considerably with the increase of rotational speed. In addition, for slight bearing loads the bearing temperatures are greater than for higher loads, due to the oil recirculation. The fluid friction torque increases at start-up and afterwards tends to decrease because of the temperature rise which decreases the oil viscosity.

In this paper, a theoretical nonlinear analysis of a tilting-pad journal bearing is presented when both a dynamic load and a static load are applied. This analysis is performed under TEHD regime which takes into account both thermal behavior and elastic deformations of the bearing. A comparison between numerical maximum journal amplitudes and experimental data in the case of synchronous dynamic loading is carried out in order to justify the TEHD analysis. The influence of the dynamic loading frequency, which can occur because of vibrations in a turbomachinery, will be studied at a constant rotational speed (15,000 rpm) and for a low (200 N) and a high (2652 N) rotating load and for a periodic dynamic load. It will be shown that, for a critical frequency, the amplitude of the shaft orbit is maximum and this changes the behavior of the tilting-pad journal bearing. It is apparent that the application of the dynamic load generates a thermal transient regime. The increase in the maximum bearing temperature is larger for high dynamic loading response. Consequently, the behavior of the bearing is mainly modified during the first few seconds when the loading frequency is near the critical frequency.

Nowadays, tilting-pad journal bearings are used under more and more severely demanding operating conditions. Three limits of safe operation were defined (Leopard, 1976): the hydrodynamic limit, the mechanical limit and the thermal limit. The purpose of this study is to determine the hydrodynamic limit of safe operation during start-up for a tilting-pad journal bearing. During start-up, the rapid increase of the temperature in the bearing solids leads to the thermal expansion of both the pads and the shaft. The operating bearing clearance decreases and, when it tends toward zero, seizure occurs. The evolution of the main characteristics (temperature, pressure, film thickness and displacements) versus time is analyzed in the case when a seizure occurs.

Nowadays, tilting-pad journal bearings are submitted to more and more severe operating conditions. The aim of this work is to study the thermal and mechanical behavior of the bearing during the transient period from an initial steady state to a final steady state (periodic). In order to study the behavior of this kind of bearing under dynamic loading ([F.sub.dyn]) due to a blade loss, a nonlinear analysis, including local thermal effects, realistic boundary conditions, and bearing solid deformations (TEHD analysis) is realized. After a comparison between theoretical results obtained with four models (ISO, ADI, THD, and TEHD) and experimental data under steady-state operating conditions (static load [W.sub.s]), the evolution of the main characteristics for three different cases of the dynamic load ([F.sub.dyn]/[W.sub.s] < 1, [F.sub.dyn]/[W.sub.s] = 1 and [F.sub.dyn]/[W.sub.s] > 1) is discussed. The influence of the transient period on the minimum film thickness, the maximum pressure, the maximum temperature, and the shaft orbit is presented. The final steady state is obtained a long time after the appearance of a dynamic load.

The aim of this paper is to study the increase in temperature of an unloaded tilting-pad journal bearing during rapid start-up. First, an analysis is carried out to choose an appropriate time step and grid refinement to minimize numerical errors. Then, the transient THD and TEHD theoretical models are developed to show the influence of solid bearing deformations. Experimental tests are realized on a four-shoe tilting-pad journal bearing. The temperatures at the shaft and pad surfaces, at the half thickness and the back of the pads are compared for both theoretical and experimental investigations. Good agreement is found between the theoretical results and the experimental data, especially when the variation of the operating bearing clearance is taken into account.

In this work, a test machine, experimental results and the comparison between theoretical TEHD results and experimental data are presented. The tested bearings are located in two speed increasing and reduction gearboxes (back-to-back test bed). The shaft is driven by a 1 MW motor. The bearing diameter and the bearing length are equal to 160 mm. The rotational speed varies from 2700 rpm (22 m/s) to 11,880 rpm (100 m/s). The applied load is up to 88,000 N. Temperatures in the bearing (film/pad interface, oil, pad and housing), power losses and oil flow are measured. The influence of the bearing design and of the pivot position on the pad is analyzed.

The results of extensive amount of thermohydrodynamic simulations are presented in the form of design charts for journal bearings. These charts enable one to evaluate the maximum temperature and an effective bearing temperature. Numerous examples are presented that show the applicability of these charts in predicting bearing performance parameters.

A theoretical nonlinear analysis of tilting-pad journal bearings is presented for small and large unbalance loads under isothermal conditions. The radial displacements of internal pad surface due to pressure field are determined by a two-dimensional finite element method in order to define the actual film thickness. The influence of pad deformations on the journal orbit, on the minimum film thickness and on the maximum pressure is studied. The effects of pad displacements are to decrease the minimum film thickness and to increase the maximum pressure. The orbit amplitude is also increased by 20 percent for the large unbalance load compared to the one obtained for rigid pad.

This paper aims to present the results of parametric experiments carried out in order to study the influence of groove location and supply pressure on the performance of a steadily loaded journal bearing with a single-axial groove. Hydrodynamic pressure and temperature distributions on the bush surface, shaft temperature, flow rate and bush torque were measured at variable supply pressure, using bushes with a single groove located at three different positions. A series of tests were carried out for variable applied load and rotational speed. The experimental evidence shows that some bearing characteristics are significantly sensitive to changes in groove location and supply pressure. One groove located at 30 degrees in relation to the load line, in the direction of shaft rotation, can conduct to reductions in maximum temperature, maximum hydrodynamic pressure and bush torque, with a moderate increase in oil flow rate.