Thermodynamic analysis of wide thrust bearings operating in laminar inertial flow regimes

Abstract Wide thrust bearings operating in laminar inertial flow regimes are studied. Isothermal and thermohydrodynamic performances of the bearing are analysed. Integro-differential equations of motion, continuity and energy equations are solved to yield pressure, mass-mean velocity and temperature distributions. The effects of contraction ratio and film Reynolds number on the pressure field, load bearing capacity, flow rate and frictional resistance force of the bearing are examined. The effect of film temperature variation on the performance of the bearing is studied and the result is compared with the isothermal case. Viscous heating is seen to reduce significantly the load bearing capacity. The effects of including the inertial terms are also considered. The results for inertial and non-inertial cases are plotted and compared. The results show that, with the inclusion of the inertial terms, the load bearing capacity does increase. Comparisons with some experimental data are made and reasonable agreement is observed.