cavitation in journal bearings

The existence of cavitation in the divergent part of a lubricating oil film has long been presumed, but its occurrence has so far been demonstrated only in a very limited way and its consequences are scarcely appreciated. The investigation now described provides on a small scale a more definite indication of certain primary effects of cavitation in a lubricated bearing. It shows also that the pressure conditions in the divergent part of the film as postulated in some recent theoretical analyses are not confirmed by experiment. While possible damage to the bearing surfaces has been under investigation for some time, this may be considered a secondary effect and is not discussed here.