CFD Analysis of Journal Bearing with a Heterogeneous Rough/Smooth Surface

Abstract

In the present study, a computational investigation into acoustic and tribological performances in journal bearings is presented. A heterogeneous pattern, in which a rough surface is engineered in certain regions and is absent in others, is employed to the bearing surface. The roughness is assumed to follow the sand-grain roughness model, while the bearing noise is solved based on broadband noise source theory. Three types of heterogeneous rough/smooth journal bearings exhibiting different placement and number of the rough zone are evaluated at different combinations of eccentricity ratio using the CFD method. Numerical results show that the heterogeneous rough/smooth bearings can supply lower noise and larger load-carrying capacity in comparison with conventional bearings. Moreover, the effect on the friction force is also discussed.