A Comparative Study of Finite Journal Bearing in Laminar and Turbulent Regimes Using Cfd (computational Fluid Dynamic)

In this paper, an investigation of hydrodynamic performance for journal bearing lubricated by thin film is performed by three-dimensional CFD (computational fluid dynamic). Two regimes, i.e. laminar and turbulent regimes are of main interest. The sliding velocity was varied from 3000, 5000 and 10000. The numerical simulation shows that the velocity magnitude of the journal has a strong effect on the hydrodynamic pressure. In addition, it is found that an appropriate modelling of flow regime affects the predicted lubrication performance. From the overall analysis, both using laminar and turbulent regimes, the distribution of static hydrodynamic pressure shows a similar trend. It is also found that at the beginning of the contact, the static pressure is low, and then, it gradually increases to the highest point, and finally drops significantly.