An Approximate THD Theory for Journal Bearings

The aim of this paper is to make available to the industrial designer results of the thermohydrodynamic theory of journal bearings, by providing a simplified, yet accurate model of journal bearing lubrication that can be implemented on a personal computer and be used in an interactive mode. The simplified THD theory we propose consists of two coupled ordinary differential equations for pressure and energy and an algebraic equation for viscosity, which are to be solved iteratively. Bearing load capacity, maximum bearing temperature, maximum pressure, coefficient of friction and lubricant flow rate calculated from this simplified theory compare well with results from a more sophisticated model. We also make comparisons with experimental data on full journal bearings, demonstrating substantial agreement between experiment and simplified theory.