KEYWORDS

Hydrodynamic Lubrication, Hydrodynamic Bearings, Thermal Effects in Hydrodynamics

TRANSIENT PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE FIELD MEASUREMENTS IN A LIGHTLY LOADED CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE JOURNAL BEARING 

Simultaneous measurements of the fluid film pressure and temperature fields have been performed during the start-up regime for a lightly loaded two-land symmetrical circumferential groove journal bearing (specific pressure: 0.25 MPa; diameter: 100 mm; acceleration and nominal speed: 0 to 4000 rpm in 20 s). The measurements grid consists in 4 axial sections for temperature and 5 for pressure, while a 10 deg circumferential step is common for both. Taking into account the supply groove section, the measurements grid totals up to 216 pressure and 180 temperature points, that have been continuously sampled during the journal bearing start-up regime until reaching thermal equilibrium in steady state conditions. The study confirms that the pressure field establishes faster than the temperature field. As opposed to a relatively fast stabilization of the high pressures in the convergent zone, the low pressures stabilization in the cavitated region of the divergent zone takes longer.

AUTHORS

Alex-Florian Cristea, Tecnitas (Bureau Veritas Group), Levallois-Perret, France, Jean Bouyer, Michel Fillon, Institut Pprime, Dept. of GMSC, CNRS -  Université de Poitiers – ISAE-ENSMA, Futuroscope, France and Mircea D. Pascovici, Dept. of Machine Elements and Tribology, University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania