Texture shape effects on hydrodynamic journal bearing performances using mass-conserving numerical approach

It is a known fact that incorporating textures in the contact surfaces can significantly enhance bearing performances. The purpose of this paper is to outline the effects of texture bottom profiles and contour geometries on the performances of hydrodynamic textured journal bearings. The analysis was conducted using computational approach to test eight texture shapes: rectangular, cylindrical, spherical, triangular (TR, T1, T2, T3) and chevron. The steady-state Reynolds equation for modelling the hydrodynamic behaviour of thin viscous film was solved using finite difference technique and mass conservation algorithm (JFO boundary conditions), taking into account the presence of textures on both full film and cavitation regions. The comparison with the benchmark data shows good consistency and an enhancement in bearing performances (load carrying capacity and friction). The results clearly show that the mechanisms of wedge effect and micro-step bearing for the full/partial texturing feature are the main crucial parameters, where the convergent wedge effect present in T2 triangular texture shape can significantly enhance the load-carrying capacity, while the divergent wedge action causes a net load loss. Considering the right arrangement of textures on the contact surface, their surface contours can have a significant impact on the performance of hydrodynamic journal bearings at high eccentricity ratios.