Numerical Calculation Analysis of Structural Parameters of Water-Lubricated Thrust Bearing

Abstract

The affect of the thrust pad inclination and ratio of length to breadth (L/B) on the lubricity of a water-lubricated thrust bearing is studied in numerical method. The research results indicate that when the elastic deformation is considered, the distribution of both water film thickness and pressure presents to be paraboloid. With the increase of thrust pad inclination, both maximum water-film pressure and the friction coefficient increase, and the minimum water-film thickness decreases first and then increases; when the L/B increases in the range of 1~2, both maximum water-film pressure and the friction coefficient increase, but the minimum water-film thickness decreases.

Contact Characteristics Analysis of Water-Lubricated Thrust Bearing under Low-Speed and Heavy-Load Situation

“…The friction coefficient of this polymer in dry friction is f=0.2; the axial thrust when start-up is T=2.5kN; the rotating speed of the thrust ring is n=25 r/min. The calculation method of heat flux density and convective heat transfer coefficient refers to reference [2,4] and convective heat transfer coefficient of thrust pad is 1637W•(m 2 •℃) -1 and that of thrust ring is 2121W•(m2• ℃ ) -1 according to the calculation. The calculation formula of heat flux density is 2 ( ) ( ) 30…”

“…When in the low-speed & heavy-load situation, it is difficult for a thrust bearing to form a more stable lubricant film to separate the thrust pad from the thrust ring, which could cause the bearing in a state of mixed lubrication or boundary lubrication. Especially, when starting up or shutting down, the thrust bearing will be in the state of dry friction, both thrust pad and thrust ring are contacted easily and directly, which will cause abnormal friction and abrasion, and could finally turn to failure [1][2][3].…”