The pressure Distribution of the Elastic Journal Bearing

The objective of this paper is to present the effects of the elastic deformation of a bearing sleeve on the performance of a journal bearing. A simplified model of a connecting rod big end bearing, consisting of a uniform thin shell over 270° circumference and a remaining rigid shell over 90° circumference, is investigated experimentally under static and dynamic loading, where the eccentricity exceeds unity. Under static loading the pressure distribution, the elastic deformation and the strain on the surface of the bearing sleeve are obtained experimentally and agreed well with theoretical results. Under dynamic loading, maximum eccentricity occurred when the jeurnal centre was located near the centre of the flexible shell, hence the direction of the journal eccentricity is on the opposite side of a rigid shell. Two types of pressure peaks appeared during a load cycle, one when the journal centre was located near the rigid shell, and the other when it was located near the centre of the flexible shell.