Technical Paper
3D-CFD Flow Structures in Journal Bearings
2009-11-02
2009-01-2688
Hydrodynamic radial journal bearings under unsteady load, which are common for automotive applications, are exposed to cavitation, e.g. flow, suction, shock and exit cavitation. The fluid mechanic description of the flow in journal bearings takes advantage of the small bearing clearance, which allows the reduction of the Navier-Stokes equations and leads to the Reynolds equation. The Reynolds equation is two-dimensional, the radial pressure gradient and the radial velocity component are neglected. However, the equation includes the surface velocities, oil density and viscosity and describes the relation between hydrodynamic pressure and local clearance. With the introduction of a cavitation index or a mass flow coefficient a powerful method to carry out numerical studies can be created, which allows the calculation of flow properties and the prediction of regions where the lubrication film disintegrates.