Temperature, pressure and film thickness measurements for an offset half bearing

Abstract A fluid film journal bearing test rig with a shaft, 70 mm in diameter, was developed and an offset half journal bearing was tested at five vertical loads and two rotational speeds. The bearing had a length-to-diameter ratio of 1.00, a pre-load factor of 0.51 and an offset factor of 1.0. Loads from 0 to 4450 N and speeds of 2250 and 1650 rev min−1 were tested. On-rotor instrumentation and amplification are used to measure continuous fluid film pressures around the bearing, film thicknesses and journal temperatures. Slip ring telemetry is used to transmit the data to a real time data collection system. External instrumentation is used to measure film pressures and temperatures in discrete locations on the bearing surface, thus, allowing comparison with the on-shaft measurements. The eccentricity ratio and attitude angle are pressure measurements obtained indicate agreement within 5% between the results recorded by the on-shaft and the external pressure transducers. The experimental film thickness, temperature and pressure profiles and journal eccentricity agree with the expected behavior for this bearing type and are presented for Sommerfeld numbers from 0.41 to 2.2.