An Experimental Comparison Of Two Steadily Loaded Plain Journal Bearings

An Experimental Comparison Of Two Steadily Loaded Plain Journal Bearings

Swanson, E.E., Kirk, R.G., 1994
Tribology Transactions, 37, pp. 843-849.

Abstract

A potentially powerful effect on the characteristics of plain journal bearings is local thermal deformation of the bearing surface.  Although there are a few analyses that consider the effect, it is ignored by most journal bearing codes used by industry.  There is also almost no experimental data in the literature that focuses on this effect.  To generate such data, two “”identical,”” 101 mm dia., 57 mm long bearings – one fabricated from steel and one from bronze – have been tested in a precision journal bearing test rig.  Comparisons between shaft displacement data for steady loading of the two bearings show that the deformations are important to consider.