Analysis of the influence of the changes in the value of dynamic viscosity coefficient in the direction of oil film thickness on the journal bearing load carrying capacity

This article presents the results of numerical calculations of the hydrodynamic pressure distribution, load carrying capacity, friction force and friction coefficient of the slide journal bearing, if the assumed model of hydrodynamic lubrication takes into account the dependence of oil viscosity values on its temperature in all three directions of the adopted coordinate system, in particular, also across the thickness of the lubricant layer. This research considered the slide journal bearing lubricated with the Newtonian oil. The flow of oil was modelled as laminar and stationary. The bearing bushing had a full angle of wrap and its surfaces were smooth. In order to obtain hydrodynamic pressure distributions, the Reynolds type equation was numerically solved by application of the finite difference method (FDM). The numerical procedures for this research were prepared with the Mathcad 15 software. When adopting the classic models and simplifications for the hydrodynamic lubrication and a thin boundary layer, it is assumed, that the hydrodynamic pressure of lubricating oil does not depend on the position measured across the height of the lubrication gap. On the other hand, it is known, that the dynamic viscosity strongly depends on the temperature, which is a function of all three spatial variables. The aim of this work is to include, in the hydrodynamic lubrication model, the changes of viscosity in the direction of oil film thickness, and to investigate how it will affect the hydrodynamic pressure distribution and load carrying capacity of the journal bearing.