Flow Characterization and Performance of a Powder Lubricated Slider Bearing

This paper presents a systematic development of the theory of powder lubrication with the appropriate formalism based on the fundamentals of fluid mechanics. The theory is capable of predicting flow velocity, fluctuation (pseudo-temperature), powder volume fraction, and slip velocity at the boundaries. An extensive set of parametric simulations covering granular size, surface roughness, volumetric flow, load and speed are performed to gain insight into the performance of a powder lubricated thrust bearing. The results of the simulations are compared to published experimental results. Good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results attests to the capability of the model and its potential for design of powder lubricated bearings.