Recirculation Flow and Pressure Distributions in a Rayleigh Step Bearing

Abstract

Flow characteristics in the Rayleigh step slider bearing with infinite width have been studied using both analytical and numerical methods. The conservation equations of mass and momentum were solved utilizing a finite volume approach and the whole flow field was simulated. More detailed information about the flow patterns and pressure distributions neglected by the Reynolds lubrication equation has been obtained, such as jumping phenomenon around a Rayleigh step, vortex structure, and shear stress distribution. The pressure distribution of the Rayleigh step bearing with optimum geometry has been numerically simulated and the results obtained agreed with the analytical solution of the classical Reynolds lubrication equation. The simulation results show that the maximum pressure of the flow field is at the step tip not on the lower surface and the increment of the strain rate from Navier-Stokes equation is approximately 49 percent greater than that from Reynolds theory at the step tip. It is also shown that the position of the maximum pressure of the lower surface is a little less than the length of the first region. These results neglected by the Reynolds lubrication equation are important for designing a bearing.

Double-Layered Porous Rayleigh Step Slider Bearings Lubricated with Couplestress Fluids

“…The effects of longitudinal surface Roughness on the performance of Rayleigh step bearing was studied by Andharia and Pandya (3) . Distribution of recirculation and pressure in a Rayleigh step bearing was studied by Feng et al (4) . Naduvinamani and Patil (5) analyzed the problem of Magnetohydrodynamics effect on the static and dynamic characteristics of couple stress fluid lubricated Rayleigh step bearings.…”

Static and Dynamic Characteristics of Rough Porous Rayleigh Step Bearing Lubricated with Couple Stress Fluid

“…Naduvinamani et al [9] obtained the optimum bearing parameters for the RSB lubricated with non-Newtonian Robinowitsch fluid. Shen et al [10] investigated the flow characteristics in the Rayleigh step slider bearing with infinite width, both analytically and numerically. Alazwari et al [11] analyzed the entropy optimization of first-grade viscoelastic nanofluid flow over a stretching sheet by using a classical Keller-box scheme.…”