A semianalytical approach to nonlinear fluid film forces of a hydrodynamic journal bearing with two axial grooves.

Highlights • A semianalytical approach to nonlinear fluid film forces of a hydrodynamic journal bearing with two axial grooves is proposed. • The fluid film forces calculated by the proposed method agree well with the results obtained by the finite-difference method. • The method facilitates the accurate calculation of the fluid film force of a journal bearing and saves computational costs. • The effects of the bearing parameters on the nonlinear fluid film forces are analyzed. Abstract A semianalytical approach to nonlinear fluid film forces of a hydrodynamic journal bearing with two axial grooves under the cavitation boundary condition is proposed. The pressure distribution of the Reynolds equation of a finitely long journal bearing with axial grooves is expressed as a particular solution and a homogeneous solution. The particular solution and the homogeneous solution are separated, respectively, into an additive form and a multiplicative form by the method of separation of variables. The circumferential separable function of the homogeneous solution can be expanded on the basis of the infinite series of trigonometric functions. The pressure distribution of the particular solution is obtained by the Sommerfeld transformation. The termination positions of the fluid film are determined by the continuity condition. The analytical expressions for the nonlinear fluid film forces of a finitely long journal bearing with two axial grooves are obtained. The fluid film forces calculated by the proposed method agree well with the results obtained by the finite-difference method. The effects of the bearing parameters on the nonlinear fluid film forces are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]