Heuristic Explanation of Journal Bearing Instability

Abstract

A fluid-filled journal bearing is viewed as a powerful pump circulating fluid around the annular space between the journal and the bearing. A small whirling motion of the journal generates a wave of thickness variation progressing around the channel. The hypothesis that the fluid flow drives the whirl whenever the mean of the pumped fluid velocity is greater than the peripheral speed of the thickness-variation wave is discussed and compared with other simple explanations of journal-bearing instability. It is shown that for non-cavitating long bearings the hypothesis predicts instability onset correctly for unloaded bearings but gradually overpredicts the onset speed as the load is increased.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1982
Accession Number
ADP000363

Entities

People

  • Stephen H. Crandall

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Eccentricity
  • Flow
  • Flow Rate
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Fluid Flow
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Frequency
  • Journal Bearings
  • Lubricants
  • Phase Velocity
  • Pressure Distribution
  • Pressure Gradients
  • Resonant Frequency
  • Steady State
  • Viscous Flow
  • Waves

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.
  • Tribology (the study of the boundary interaction between sliding surfaces, lubrication, wear and friction).

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster