Hydrodynamic Lubrication Effects of Multiple Circular Bump Pattern for a Thrust Sliding Bearing of a Scroll Compressor

Abstract

The optimum texturing pattern for a thrust sliding bearing of a scroll compressor was investigated. As the basis of lubrication analysis for multiple circular bumps pattern, fundamental hydrodynamic lubrication effects of the axisymmetric circular geometry expressed by the power law formula were analyzed using elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) analysis. The optimum geometry to improve the load carrying capacity and reduce frictional force for the model geometry was discussed. Frictional properties of the proposed thrust bearings were experimentally evaluated and compared with numerically predicted properties. In order to clarify the robustness against accidental high load, seizure limits of a circular bump pattern were experimentally evaluated. These results show that the initial frictional properties are able to control by the crowning profile, the proposed pattern has a sufficiently low friction coefficient and quite a high seizure limits.

Keywords

• elastohydrodynamic lubrication
• circular bump
• texture
• thrust bearings
• scroll compressor