Document Type : Research Article
Abstract
The main purpose of the journal bearing is to support the rotating parts by providing a sufficient layer of lubricant to separate the surfaces of the moving parts and to minimize the friction due to rotation. The misalignment is one of the common problems in the industrial applications of this type of bearing which has consequences on the general performance of the bearing system. The consequences include the reduction in the bearing load carrying capacity and the effect on the levels of the pressure distribution in additional to the asymmetrical pressure distribution along the bearing width. This study considers extreme cases of misalignment using a 3D model of the shaft deviation for the case of a finite length bearing. Numerical solution for Reynolds equation is considered in this work using the finite difference method where the static and dynamic characteristics of finite length journal bearing are investigated. The results reveal that the film thickness reduces significantly particularly at the edges of the additional to the presence of pressure spikes at these locations. Furthermore, the results of the dynamic coefficients have shown that the 3D misalignment affects these coefficients significantly which may have further consequences on the stability of the system.