Journal bearing performance under starved lubrication

The hydrodynamic performance of a journal bearing under starved lubrication conditions is studied theoretically and experimentally. When lubricant is supplied to a journal bearing from an oil groove at an insufficient oil flow rate, the hydrodynamic oil film cannot cover the full width of the bearing at the inlet of the convergent bearing clearance, and the covered width increases gradually with the decrease in film thickness in the circumferential direction. This phenomenon affects the static and dynamic performance of the journal bearing. The oil film boundary in the bearing clearance is calculated numerically for a constant load and a constant speed under the assumption of laminar, iso-viscous lubrication. Measurements are in good agreement with predictions. Some more calculations of journal centre loci are given.