Rapeseed Oil-Based Lubricant in Hydrodynamic Journal Bearing: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach

This study investigates the feasibility of utilizing vegetable-based lubricants in journal bearing, with a specific focus on rapeseed oil through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. A comparative analysis between rapeseed oil and conventional engine oil is performed to emphasize the environmental benefits of vegetable oils as lubricants, replacing conventional oils that are more toxic to the environment. The objective of this study is to explore the potential of rapeseed oil-based lubricant in hydrodynamic journal bearings using a computational fluid dynamics approach. In this study, temperature-dependent properties of lubricants, as well as cavitation and conjugate heat transfer effects are taken into consideration, across a rotational speed range of 200 rpm to 1000 rpm and an eccentricity ratio between 0.4 and 0.8. Our findings reveal that rapeseed oil exhibits a consistently lower load-carrying capacity and higher friction coefficient compared to engine oil across all rotational speeds. Notably, rapeseed oil demonstrates a maximum reduction in load-carrying capacity of approximately 43% and a maximum increment in friction coefficient of about 7% at 200 and 400 rpm, respectively, relative to engine oil.