Groove Effects on Thrust Washer Lubrication

A numerical model was developed to investigate the effects of groove geometry on the hydrodynamic lubrication mechanism of thrust washers. In order to achieve the objectives the isothermal, time-dependent, polar-coordinate Reynolds equation, including the cavitation and centrifugal effects, was solved numerically to determine the pressure distribution for various groove geometries and operating conditions. The polar coordinate Reynolds equation was discretized using the control volume finite difference approach. The results indicate that thrust washers are capable of supporting a significant amount of load with proper groove geometries. Design curves were generated for load support and other operating parameters as a function of each of the groove geometrical parameters (i.e., depth, width, number of grooves, and shape) as well as the operating conditions so that thrust washers performance can be predicted and optimized.

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