Numerical Analysis of the Transient Wear and Lubrication Behaviors of Misaligned Journal Bearings Caused by Linear Shaft Misalignment

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of the misalignment journal, caused by linear shaft misalignment, on the transient wear and mixed lubrication performances using a numerical model. In the numerical model, the transient geometry lubrication clearance considering the journal misalignment, the transient elastic deformation, and the transient wear depth of the bearing are incorporated to evaluate the transient film thickness during the wear process. The evolutions, under different external loads, of the wear depth of the bearing, wear-rate, elastic deformation of the bearing, film thickness, fluid pressure, and contact pressure are calculated by the numerical model. Furthermore, the calculated results of the misaligned journal bearing are compared with those of the aligned journal bearing. The results show that the distributions of the wear depth of the bearing, film pressure, and elastic deformation of the bearing are asymmetric along the axial direction and the peak values of them shift toward the back end when the journal misalignment is considered. The maximum wear depth, maximum fluid pressure, maximum contact pressure, and maximum bearing’s elastic deformation of the misaligned journal condition are significantly larger than those of the aligned journal condition.