Thermo-Elasto-Hydrodynamic Lubrication Performances of Oil-Film Bearings in Large-Scale Rolling Mill

Under the loadcase of heavy load and high speed, the elastic deformation and thermal effects heavily influence the oil film properties of bearing system. Considering the variations of oil film viscosity and density with pressure and temperature, 3D thermo-hydrodynamic lubrication model of large-scale mill bearing was built. The coupling algorithm which integrated Finite Difference Method (FEM) and Boundary Element Method (BEM) was developed to simulate the oil film performances, and the influences of elastic deformation on film performances and bearing load capacity are quantitatively analyzed, which could provide valuable references for further improving the lubricating performances of bearing components and help to prolong the service life of oil film bearing. Finally, some results and conclusions are deduced.