ENGINE BEARING TRIBOLOGY

Overview
The design of journal bearings is important for the development of internal combustion
engines. They experience load that varies both in magnitude and direction, the load being
caused by the pressure forces and inertial forces of the crankslider mechanism. It has been
found that the most common causes of premature failure in internal combustion engine
bearings are fatigue, sliding surface wear, erosion due to cavitation phenomena and all these
effects are directly or indirectly related to the shape of the oil pressure field in shaft-bearing
interface. n accurate estimation of oil pressure distribution characteristics and measurement
of oil film thickness in the shaft-bearing interface would allow better prediction of the bearing
performance and reliability.
The goal of this work is to develop a method for calculating the oil film thickness !"#T$,
oil film pressure !"#%$ in the shaft-bearing interface and its validation by experimental results.
The detailed analysis of the lubrication condition around the position of minimum oil film
thickness conditions is based on finite difference method of integration of the &eynolds
e'uation coupled to the elastic deformations determined by a detailed finite element model.
#our non contact eddy current gap sensors mounted on the main bearing of a single cylinder
engine are used to measure the oil film thickness and the journal orbit for variable speed and
variable loading conditions.

Approach
To arrive at the "#T, the instantaneous eccentricity was used as a starting point along
with the operating and physical parameters. "#% distribution corresponding to these
conditions was calculated by a numerical solution of the &eynolds e'uation. The loading
information thus obtained was applied to a #() model of the bearing shell in *ypermesh
environment coupled to +astran solver, to determine its elastic deformation. This was fed back
to the instantaneous eccentricity and an iterative techni'ue leading to the "#T under
elastohydrodynamic conditions was developed by matching the ,oad -arrying -apacity at
every step. The benefit of this model is that is somewhat accurately predicts "#T and the
corresponding "#% for the real case of an elastic bearing shell.
The journal orbit was plotted using )obility method, and compared with the
experimentally measured orbit. correlation was established between the two, leading to a
validation of the elastohydrodynamic lubrication model developed.
Flowchart Representing Analysis Methodology
Flowchart Representing Operation o Matla! "ode
E#peri$ental Bearing Model
Res%lts
(xperimental .earing )odel "#T Iteration / !,oad 0 1.22 k+$
%ressure 3ariation for the (lastic -ase .earing ,oad 0 24 k+ !%ressure in )%a$
%ressure 5istribution along length of bearing %ressure distribution along width of bearing
%ressure #orce, Inertia #orce and Total #orce 2/67 rpm and 1 +m
%olar %lots of .earing ,oading 2/67 rpm and 1 +m

&esults "il #ilm Thickness vs -5 2/67 rpm and 1 +m
&esults "il #ilm Thickness vs -5 2/67 rpm and 1 +m
&esults - 8ournal "rbit 2/67 rpm and 1 +m
Indicated (lastic 5eformation 0 9 :m
&esults - 5isplacement Indicated by #inite (lement )odel 2/67 rpm and 1 +m
&esults -omparison of 8ournal "rbit determined by )obility )ethod with
(xperimental &esult 2/67 rpm and 1 +m
)obility )ethod (xperimental &esult