Effect of Surface Elastic Deformation in Hydrodynamic Inclined Fixed Pad Thrust Bearing with Low Clearance

Abstract

The paper analytically studies the effect of surface elastic deformation in hydrodynamic inclined fixed pad thrust slider bearing with low clearances by the multiscale approach considering the physically adsorbed layer on the bearing surface. The numerical calculation results show that the bearing surface elastic deformation has significant influences on both the hydrodynamic pressure and the surface clearance in the bearing especially for a strong fluid-bearing surface interaction. For given load, sliding speed and bearing geometrical sizes, the surface elastic deformation considerably reduces the minimum bearing clearance, which exists on the exit of the bearing. It also significantly reduces the hydrodynamic film stiffness and the load-carrying capacity of the bearing especially for a strong fluid-bearing surface interaction and low bearing clearances. The increasing proportionality of the carried load of the bearing with the sliding speed is also significantly reduced by the surface elastic deformation particularly for a strong fluid-bearing surface interaction.