Performance Characteristics of an Innovative Journal Bearing With Adjustable Bearing Elements

The development of new machines capable of running at high loads and speeds is an important industrial requirement, which demands that the performance envelope of the support systems for these machines be extended. Conventional full cylindrical fluid film bearings may present instability problems at higher speeds and loads, which has been countered by the use of different bearing bore shapes. In this paper, the performance characteristics of a novel fluid film bearing, comprising of a number of adjustable bearing elements is presented. Experiments have been performed to measure the static characteristics of the novel bearing with different radial and tilt adjustments of the bearing elements. The test bearing has an L/D ratio of 0.53 and was run at 2000, 5000, and 7000 rpm. The load on the bearing was varied from 0 to 600 N. Eccentricity, attitude angle, temperature of oil; power absorbed; and stability are measured. Experimental results are compared with those for a conventional axial groove plain cylindrical bearing having the same L/D ratio and run under similar conditions. Test results indicate that the novel bearing is very stable at zero loads and at 8800 rpm. Typical results obtained are presented. A few of the attributes and features of the novel bearing are also presented.