Influence of local turbulent flow on the performance of a mixed-lubrication bearing

For some large heavy load bearings, asperity contact may occur in the area near the minimum film thickness. However, in the remaining area, the liquid film may be much thicker, and thus turbulence develops locally. To investigate the influence of local turbulent flow on the performance of a mixed-lubrication bearing, in this paper, the bearing is divided into a mixed-lubrication region and a pure hydrodynamic lubrication region according to the film thickness ratio. The liquid in the mixed-lubrication region is calculated using the average Reynolds equation, and the generalized Reynolds equation considering turbulence is used to describe the pure hydrodynamic lubrication region. The calculation procedure is established and a journal bearing is simulated. The results show that local turbulence influences the bearing performance, and it remarkably influences the friction coefficient.