Effect of textured area on the performances of a hydrodynamic journal bearing

A growing interest is given to the textured hydrodynamic lubricated contacts. The use of textured surfaces with different shapes of microcavities (textures) and at different locations of the texture zone can be an effective approach to improve the performance of bearings. The present study examines the texture location influence on the hydrodynamic journal bearing performance. A numerical modelling is used to analyze the cylindrical texture shape effect on the characteristics of a hydrodynamic journal bearing. The theoretical results show that the most important characteristics can be improved through an appropriate arrangement of the textured area on the contact surface.

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► In the complex case of a journal bearing, with both convergent (hydrodynamic pressure) and divergent (cavitation) zones, partial texturing has a minimal positive effect and full texturing has a negative effect. The presence of a cavity (texture) increases locally the lubricant film thickness and decreases the friction force.
► Partial texturing can generate hydrodynamic lift in bearing, when the texture is located in the declining part of the contact pressure field. The textured surface affects positively the cavitation zone by increasing the fully film fluid region.
► For deep texture and at an eccentricity ratio of about 0.6, the greatest improvement of the journal bearing performance is observed when the second angular part of the bearing (beyond 180°), at the declining part of the pressure field is textured.
► The textured area optimum design depends strongly on the geometrical parameters and the operating conditions of the journal bearing.