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Abstract: It is shown that a simple parallel pad bearing containing a closed pocket can support
load if it operates in an ambient pressure that is appreciably in excess of the cavitation pressure
of the lubricating fluid. This arises due to fluid flow driven by subambient pressures in the inlet
region of the pad (inlet suction).
Maximum load capacity occurs when the pocket is located near the inlet to the bearing and
under conditions such that cavitation is just provoked.
Keywords: hydrodynamic bearings, texture, pocket, cavitation
INTRODUCTION
ANALYSIS
Uha
h3 dp Uha
h3 p0 pc
a
a
2
12h dx
2
12h
a
(1)
106
Fig. 1
h3p
Uha
h3 p0 pc Uhp
p2 pc
a
2
12h
a
2
12h b X
Uha
h3 p2 p0
a
2
12h
c
(2)
p0 pc
p2 p0
a
c
or
p2 p0
c
(p0 pc )
a
(3)
Fig. 2
(4)
It follows that
(p2 pc )ah3p
6hUa(hp ha ) h3a (p0 pc )
1 dp 2
Uz
(z zh)
U
2h dx
h
(5)
Distributions of (left) pressure and (right) velocity in the non-cavitated region of the
pocket (B0 C). a 2 mm, b 3 mm, c 15 mm, p0 1 bar, ha 1 mm, hp 10 mm,
pc 0, h 0.01 Pa s, U 1 m/s
107
Fig. 3 Pressure and velocity distributions for non-cavitating case. Conditions as for Fig. 2 except
hp 21 mm
2
12h
a
2
12h
b
Uha
h3a p2 p0
2
12h
c
(6)
p dx p0 (a b c)
p0 c b c a b
2
a
c
x0
(7)
DISCUSSION
It is immediately clear that the behaviour of the present bearing is strikingly different from that of a conventional convergent pad bearing, such as originally
described by Reynolds. On the one hand, the load
capacity is very modest (and finite) compared with
the convergent case, with mean pressures of the
order of a few atmospheres. The load capacity does
not vary rapidly with clearance (ha), although for a
fixed geometry, the pressure in the bearing does
decline slowly if the clearance is increased, so the
system does have some stiffness.
On the other hand, the existence of an appreciable
load capacity without any convergence strongly
suggests that useful reductions in friction (at low
load) may be obtained in very low convergence bearings. In addition, the fact that the capacity rises with
ambient pressure (even after the load resulting from
the ambient pressure on the rear of the pad has been
subtracted) means that the behaviour may be
especially important in bearings operating at elevated ambient pressure, such as piston liner contacts
in engines.
This remarkable behaviour is the result of two
factors: the continuity of volume flow through
the bearing and the flow due to suction created
by subambient pressure in the pocket. The latter
mechanism is not normally considered in lubrication and is, of course, negligible in the convergent
case.
Brajdic-Mitidieri et al. [6] recently analysed a low
convergence pocketed pad using computational
fluid dynamics (CFD). The results showed rather
similar pressure and velocity distributions to those
Proc. IMechE Vol. 220 Part J: J. Engineering Tribology
108
CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES
1 Etsion, I. Improving tribological performance of
mechanical components. Tribol. Lett., 2004, 17, 733
737.
2 Ryk, G., Kligerman, Y., and Etsion, I. Experimental
investigation of laser surface texturing for reciprocating
automotive components. Tribol. Trans., 2002, 45,
444 449.
APPENDIX
Notation
a
b
c
ha
hp
p0
p1
p2
pc
u
U
x
X
z
viscosity