An analysis of a lubricated conformal contact is carried out to study the effect of surface texture on bearing friction and load carrying capacity using computational fluid dynamics. The work focuses on a journal bearing with several dimples. Two- and three-dimensional bearing geometries are considered. The full Navier—Stokes equations are solved under steady-state conditions with a multi-phase flow cavitation model. The coefficient of friction can be reduced if a texture of suitable geometry is introduced. This can be achieved either in the region of maximum hydrodynamic pressure for a bearing with high eccentricity ratio or just downstream of the maximum film for a bearing with low eccentricity ratio. An additional pressure build-up produced as a result of the surface texture has been shown at low eccentricity ratios.

A flow analysis is carried out for an inclined slider bearing with the aim of showing the governing mechanism at conditions where an optimum in load carrying capacity is achieved. The effects of surface texture on pressure buildup and load carrying capacity are explained for a textured slider bearing geometry. Numerical simulations are performed for laminar, steady, and isothermal flows. The energy transferred to the fluid from the moving wall is converted into pressure in the initial part of the converging contact and into losses in the second part. The convergence ratio can be increased, in order to get the greatest pressure gradient, until the limiting value where flow recirculation begins to occur. The texture appears to achieve its maximum efficiency when its depth is such that the velocity profile is stretched at its maximum extent without incurring incoming recirculating flow. The wall profile shape controlling the velocity profile can be optimized for many hydrodynamic contacts.

A flow analysis is carried out for a parallel textured slider to investigate the role of fluid inertia. Numerical simulations are performed for a laminar, two-dimensional, steady and isothermal flow. Stokes solutions are compared with Navier-Stokes solutions at the same Reynolds number. A range of texture depths is analysed. It is shown that there is an optimum value of texture depth that provides maximum load-carrying capacity. It is also shown that there is a critical depth value. Inertia has a negative effect on the load-carrying capacity for depths higher than the critical value, whereas it has a positive effect for lower depths. For a given texture depth, these effects are amplified as the Reynolds number increases. The global effect of inertia is positive when a realistic configuration of a parallel textured slider with a fore-region is considered.

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