This work concerns the steady-state and dynamic analysis of misaligned compliant journal bearings considering the effects of couple stresses arising from the lubricant blended with polymer additives. Based on the Stokes micro-continuum theory, a modifi ed form of the Reynolds equation is derived. The displacement fi eld at the fl uid fi lm-bearing liner interface due to pressure forces is determined using the elastic thin liner model. The effects of the misalignment and the couple stress parameters on static and dynamic performances such as pressure distribution, load-carrying capacity, power loss, side leakage fl ow, misalignment moment, critical mass and whirl frequency are presented and discussed.

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In this work, the combined effects of couple-stresses and piezo-viscosity on the dynamic behavior of a compression ignition engine big-end connecting-rod bearing with elastic layer are investigated using the V. K. Stokes micro-continuum theory. It is assumed that the journal (crankpin) is rigid and the big-end bearing consists of a thin compressible elastic liner fixed in an infinitely stiff housing. The governing Reynolds' equation and the viscous dissipation term appearing on the RHS of energy equation are modified using the V. K. Stokes micro-continuum theory. The non-Newtonian effect is introduced by a new material constant η, which is responsible for couple-stress property, and the piezo-viscosity effect by the pressure–viscosity coefficient α appearing in the well-known Barus' law. In the proposed model, the nonlinear transient modified Reynolds equation is discretized by the finite difference method, and the resulting system of algebraic equations is solved by means of the subrelaxed successive substitutions method to obtain the fluid-film pressure field as well as the film thickness distribution. The crankpin center trajectories for a given load diagram are determined iteratively by solving the nonlinear equilibrium equations of the journal bearing system with the improved and damped Newton–Raphson method for each time step or crankshaft rotation angle. According to the obtained results, the effects of couple-stresses and piezo-viscosity on the nonlinear dynamic behavior of dynamically loaded bearings with either stiff or compliant liners are significant and cannot be overlooked.

The proposed work is concerned with the theoretical and numerical investigation of the lubricant rheology effects on the steady-state behavior of a plain finite compliant journal bearing operating under isothermal conditions. In the present investigation, the couple-stresses due to the presence of improving viscosity index (VI) additives, the viscosity-pressure (piezoviscosity effect) as well as the density-pressure (compressibility effect) variations are considered. The hydrodynamic lubrication theory is based on the V.K. Stokes micro-continuum mechanics which takes into account the size of macro-molecular chains added to the basic oil. The Barus and Dowson-Higginson laws were used to express the viscosity-pressure and density-pressure variations. Using the classical assumptions of lubrication, a modified Reynolds' equation is derived and solved numerically by the finite difference method. The displacement field at the fluid film bearing liner interface due to pressure forces is determined using the elastic thin liner model. The proposed work is concerned with the theoretical and numerical investigation of the lubricant rheology effects on the steady-state behavior of a plain finite compliant (elastic liner) journal bearing operating under isothermal conditions and laminar flow. The obtained results show that the couple-stresses have significant effects on the hydrodynamic performance characteristics such as the pressure field, the carrying capacity, the attitude angle and friction number especially when the viscosity-pressure variation is considered. Moreover, it is also shown that the compressibility of lubricant doesn't affect the hydrodynamic characteristics.