DYNAMIC CHARACTERIZATION AND STABILITY ANALYSIS OF HYDRODYNAMIC JOURNAL BEARING USING THE FEM

Abstract

As wear is considered among one of the main weakness factors of rotating machines, it is becoming compulsory if not mandatory to determine the characteristics of journal bearings required to insure a successful working of the machine. Lubricants, such as fluid films are needed to avoid rotor and stator contact in rotating machines. During the working of the latter, a pressure is generated within the fluid in order to equilibrate the radial loads. The main objective of this paper is to address the dynamic characterization problem of finite circular journal bearings using the Finite Element Method. Hence, the present study is based on the numerical resolution of Reynolds equation which describes the pressure profiles in the fluid film. The comparison of FE results and those of other methods reported in the literature showed a good agreement. A limited parametric study involving the effect of slenderness ratio (L/D) on the dynamic properties, a long with a stability analysis have been carried out.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.mech.17.5.727