Investigation on the lubrication performance of micro-groove bearings considering journal misalignment and manufacturing errors

Abstract The paper aims to examine the influence of journal misalignment and manufacturing errors on the lubrication performance of micro-groove bearings. Based on the film thickness equation considering the coupling factors of the surface profile and the mass conservation Reynolds equation, a lubrication model of journal bearings is developed. According to the numerical model, the lubrication performance of bearing considering different surface profile factors is systematically investigated, including journal misalignment with different degrees and angles, circumferential waviness with different amplitudes and numbers, axial errors with three radians of concavity, convexity and taper, and surface micro-groove with different distributions and shapes. Meanwhile, an experimental measurement is performed to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the numerical model. The results indicate that journal misalignment and manufacturing errors play a critical role in the bearing performance, and the analysis for micro-groove bearings considering the coupling factors of the surface profile is closer to the actual engineering. Additionally, the parameters of the micro-groove greatly affect friction reduction effect. By comparing surface micro-grooves with different distributions and shapes, it can be found that the straight-groove with suitable parameters can increase the bearing capacity and reduce the friction coefficient. Research results have great guidance significance for the optimum design of the surface micro-texture, especially for the further study of the lubrication performance of micro-groove bearings with the coupling factors of the surface profile.