Design Data for the Steadily Loaded Full Central Circumferential Grooved Plain Journal Bearing

Abstract

Dynamically loaded journal bearings, such as those used in the internal combustion engine, frequently have lubricant supplied through a full or partial central circumferential groove. The use of circumferential grooves for oil supply with steadily loaded bearings is less common. It is, however, necessary to use such a feed arrangement if a plain bearing is required to operate for a range of steady state conditions, or slowly varying conditions, with the load vector in any direction. An example of such a situation would be a gearbox bearing. There has been uncertainty in relation to the design of central circumferential grooved journal bearings because of the influence of the feed pressure upon operating characteristics, particularly lubricant flowrate. The results of the analysis which are presented have been obtained with a consideration of film reformation to ensure satisfactory lubricant flow continuity. It is shown that the prediction of lubrication flowrate may be effected by a simple formula for the wide range of influential variables considered. The data which have been generated will be useful as the basis for a thermal analysis procedure.