Lund’s Tilting Pad Journal Bearing Pad Assembly Method

Abstract

This paper summarizes the development during the last 50 years of tilting pad journal bearing analysis and design. The major impetus of this development was a landmark paper published by Jørgen Lund in 1964, “Spring and Damping Coefficients for the Tilting-Pad Journal Bearing.” His paper contained the first widely published dynamic coefficients for tilting pad bearings along with his pad assembly method equations. In the 38 years since Lund’s publication, many other authors have written tilting pad journal bearing codes, the first of which were based on Lund’s assembly method. These assembly method codes were utilized for many years to analyze and design tilting pad bearings for improved rotordynamic performance. During this time, some key design tools were developed utilizing Lund’s method. Other authors have written newer codes which solve the energy and elasticity equations iteratively with the pressure equation, including pad degrees of freedom. With the simple addition of a turbulence correction and heat balance, many designers continue to utilize Lund’s method, shunning the more modern codes.