Oil film inlet temperature model for directed lubrication tilting pad journal bearing

Abstract

Directed lubrication tilting pad journal bearings are used for high peripheral speed conditions. In the bearing, oil is supplied between pads and it mixes outlet oil from an upstream pad at oil inlet region. But in some cases, especially high speed or low oil supply flowrate, a starve region where clearance between a journal and a pad is not satisfied with lubricant occurs. In this research, a new oil film inlet temperature prediction model is proposed to consider the starve region occurrence. The rotation test for the bearing under a high peripheral speed and low oil supply flow rate condition, which starve region occurs, is performed to verify the model. By comparison with test result, the author confirm that the model can predict the oil inlet temperature and pad temperature distribution precisely.

Keywords

• tribology
• tilting pad jounal bearing
• directed lubrication
• inlet temperature
• thermohydrodynamic lubrication model