The Analysis of the Lubrication of a Flexible Journal Bearing

Abstract

An analysis is made of the effects of flexibility on the lubrication of a loaded journal bearing. Numerical and graphical results are presented for (a) the pressure distributions in the oil film, (b) the thickness variation of the film, (c) the magnitude and direction of the load applied to the bearing, and (d) the frictional forces in the bearing. The oil is first assumed to be isoviscous and the above data are found to depend on the values of the two independent parameters C0 = 6Uη0R2t(1 − ν02)/Ec3 and ε = e/c (see Nomenclature). The analysis is then extended to the case of a pressure-dependent viscosity η = η0 eαp oil, and the data found to depend on the values of the three independent parameters C0 , ε, and β = Eeα/t(1 − ν02).