Hydrodynamic journal bearing - especially for the use in steam turbine and other rotary equipment

A hydrodynamic journal bearing, especially suitable for the use in steam turbines and other rotary equipment, contains four pads as in a tilting pad journal bearing. The bearing is comprised of four immovable sliding surfaces (1,2,3,4) of different geometries which ensure creation of four bearing clearances identical, in shape, to those of a corresponding tilting pad bearing under the same operating conditions. The bearing of the present invention offers a significant advantage of having substantially better dynamic properties than lemon bore bearings, sliding bush bearings, multi-lobe bearings etc. which have been used up to now. The bearing of the present invention has identical anti-vibration properties to those of corresponding tilting pad bearings while being free of the faults of large multi-pad bearings such as fretting damage of pad supports, and thermal and elastic pad deformations resulting in the actual bearing characteristics being different from the anticipated ones. Additional advantage is provided by the fact that the bearing is of a compact design and occupies markedly less space than comparable tilting pad bearings. The bearing offers particular advantages for the use in large rotary equipment where journal diameters exceed 150 mm.