Investigation of Vibrational Response of Bio-Lubricants and SAE40 for Journal Bearing Application

Amidst the burgeoning landscape of contemporary industrial growth, journal bearings have become integral components extensively employed across diverse rotating machinery. The intricate dynamics of journal bearings, particularly the robust nonlinear characteristics manifesting in the oil film pressure, constitute a focal point in this study. The research endeavours involve designing a journal bearing test rig (JBTR) to unravel the dynamic properties of journal bearings through a series of experimental trials. The operational speed for the analysis is set to 900 rpm and 1200 rpm to simulate low and high speed operations. The test sample includes conventional lubricants, SAE40 and bio-lubricants, palm olein, soybean and rapeseed oil. The bio-lubricants are compared to SAE40 to validate its vibrational response. The static characteristics (viscosity, eccentricity ratio, attitude angle) which represent the operational factors are also presented. A thorough analysis of the influences of bearing load, eccentric mass and rotational speed on dynamic characteristics yields nuanced insights and specific findings. Journal bearings, essential machine components facilitating relative movement among working parts, bear the dual role of load distribution and preservation of positional stability. Vibrational diagnostics, tantamount to the meticulous scrutiny of vibrational parameters, emerges as a pivotal technique for the comprehensive diagnostics of critical machinery in industrial plants. Earlier studies underscore the significance of bearing issues, attributing approximately 40% of machine failures to such concerns. Consequently, researchers actively discern the causative factors of bearing damage and pioneering innovative techniques for detecting destructive bearing issues. The experimental result from JBTR showcase the capabilities of bio-lubricants during operations yielding results such that, at 900 rpm the velocity reactions is at 14% average difference compared to SAE 40, displacement value at 1% and 46% average percentage diffenrence at 25%. While at 1200 rpm, the velocity value also shows at 14% differences compared to SAE40,displacement percentage at 25% and acceleration percentage difference of 44%. The initial hypothesis may suggest a probable applications of bio-lubricants within rolling bearings system.