Analysis on the lubrication performances of journal bearing system using computational fluid dynamics and fluid–structure interaction considering thermal influence and cavitation

Since it's difficult to study the fluid/structure interactions in a rotor-bearing system using the conventional method, a new transient analysis method combining computational fluid dynamics and fluid–structure interaction was applied based on actual physical model. Both thermal influence and cavitation were studied. A comparison with the published experimental results was presented and discussed, and theoretical predictions agreed well with the experimental results. Four rotor-bearing systems with different grooves were studied. This developed method can be a very useful tool for the study on the bearing lubrication problem, and can effectively and accurately predict the transient lubrication process. ► A computational approach combining CFD and FSI techniques is developed. ► Eccentricity and temperature rise increase with exerted external load. ► Temperature rise and cavitation volume fraction decrease with groove number. ► High-speed rotor-bearing system should use bearings with multiple grooves.