A Thermohydrodynamic Lubrication Analysis to Design Large Two-Pad Journal Bearing With Cooling Ditches

A newly developed large two-pad journal bearing with cooling ditches and viscous pump for turbines of electric utilities was analyzed theoretically. The turbulent thermohydrodynamic lubrication analysis was done in connection with the flow analysis of oil circulating system through the cooling ditches and the viscous pump. The complicated simultaneous equations concerned with the oil flow in the bearing were solved and used to design a bearing of 535 mm diameter which will make its appearance in a near future. Full size bearing tests were carried out to check the bearing performance and viscous pump performance and to confirm the accuracy of the calculation method. Good agreement was obtained between the theoretical and experimental results.