Study on the Dynamic Characteristics of a Water-lubricated Pump Bearing : 1st Report, Cylindrical Bearing under High Ambient Pressure

Water (working fluid) lubricated bearings are used in various pump designs. This type of bearing has many characteristics different from usual oil lubricated bearings. This paper describes the following characteristics of the water lubricated bearings : (1) Turbulent flow (2) Full film due to high ambient pressure (3) Large additional mass effect Theoretical analysis by numerical calculation and model test using a special test system are performed for a cylindrical bearing. As a result, the characteristics of the water lubricated bearing are recognized and good agreement between theoretical and experimental results is confirmed.