What is it about?
The lifespan of journal bearings is directly related to the operating conditions they have to face and reducing their maintenance intervals allows one to have a clear idea about their performance when issues occur. The presence of scratches on one of its surfaces degrades the performance of a journal bearing. These effects have already been assessed in experiments; however, numerical studies on this subject are still scarce. This work develops a numerical thermohydrodynamic (THD) program using the finite volume method to simulate the effects of scratches on the performance of journal bearings. To test the validity of the program, the numerical results are compared with the scientific literature and with experimental measurements conducted using the Pprime Institute journal bearing test rig. Some minor discrepancies are observed, but the overall results are in good agreement.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
It is important because accurately modeling and understanding the effects of scratches and operating conditions on journal bearing performance allows for better maintenance scheduling and prevention of bearing failures that could lead to costly downtime or equipment damage.
Perspectives
Accurate modeling of journal bearing performance under different operating conditions like scratches is crucial for optimizing maintenance and preventing failures. While experimental studies have looked at scratch effects, numerical modeling approaches were lacking. Developing a thermohydrodynamic simulation program using finite volume methods allowed us to numerically investigate how scratches impact journal bearing behavior. Validating the model against literature data and our own experiments at the Pprime Institute test rig showed the numerical results were largely accurate, despite some minor discrepancies. This numerical approach provides a valuable tool for parametrically studying scratch effects that would be difficult to fully explore experimentally. With further refinement, it can aid in journal bearing design, maintenance planning, and avoiding premature failures from surface defects. Combining numerical and experimental methods gives deeper insights into maximizing bearing lifespan under real operating conditions.
Anh T. VO
University of Danang
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Numerical Study of a Journal Bearing with Scratches: Validation with Literature and Comparison with Experimental Data, Lubricants, June 2021, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.3390/lubricants9060061.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
