LIGHTLY LOADED JOURNAL BEARINGS

As will be shown later, under the following assumptions the journal of a full Journal bearing shown in Fig. 1,
runs concentrically with the bearing.

Fig. 1. Journal Bearing

1. The radial load is almost zero

2. Viscosity of the lubricant is very high
3. Journal speed approaches very large values
Neglecting the film thickness h compared to radius r of the journal, the unwrapped film is shown in Fig. 2.
The length of the film is obviously 2r and the width of the film perpendicular to the plane of the paper is
the width of bearing L itself. Also the film thickness h is equal to the radial clearance C.

Fig. 2. Unwrapped film

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The velocity U of the moving surface is given by U = r 2N , where N is the journal speed, revolutions per
second.
The friction force F, which is resisting the motion is F = A , Where, is shear stress in the fluid film on
surface of the journal, and A = 2r L , area of the journal surface
Assuming that the coefficient of viscosity remains constant throughout the film,
Newton's law of viscous flow gives
U
=
h
Substituting value of U in the above equation
2Nr
=
h
Substituting value of and replacing value of h by C in the equation of frictional force,

4NL 2r 2
F=
C
Further the frictional torque T can be easily obtained by taking moment of the
f
Frictional force about the journal centre,

4NL 2r 3
T = Fr =
f C
This equation is known as Petroff's equation, named alter Petroff, who has derived it, much earlier to a good
understanding of hydrodynamic lubrication. Pelroffs equation is shown later to be true for certain limits of
characteristics of the bearing, namely, load capacity, speed, viscosity of the lubricant, etc.
The coefficient of friction, f, of a bearing is defined as the ratio of frictional force F to the radial load W
carried by the journal
F
f=
W

2r 2
f = 4NL
CW
It is customary to use what is called the unit-bearing load P, defined as radial Ioad per unit projected area of
the journal
W
P=
2rL
Replacing W in the equation of frictional coefficient,

2
 N r
f = 2 2
P C
As the frictional force of a lightly loaded journal bearing increases, with viscosity of the lubricant, radius of
the journal, length of the bearing and speed of the journal, and decreases with an increase in the radial
clearance. Further, this frictional force is independent of the radial load.
Also from equation it shows that the coefficient of friction is inversely proportional to the unit load P, and
directly proportional to viscosity of the lubricant and speed of the journal.

EXAMPLE
The above equations are applied to the following numerical example.
Journal diameter d = 6 cm
Bearing length L = 6 cm
Radial clearance C= 0.005cm
Journal speed N = 30,000 rpm
Radial load W = 500 N
Viscosity of the lubricant = 3 cp
Find the coefficient of friction.

The friction torque equation had been actually derived by Petroff in the year 1883. He assumed that the
lubricant separated the two rubbing surfaces, and considered the viscous friction for determining the
characteristics of a bearing. This work, however, was ignored, since its importance had not been felt in
those days. Perhaps the first understanding of the action of fluid film in the journal bearing had been
reached accidentally, by Bouchamp Tower (1885) in investigations on the friction of bearings used in
railroads. This work had led to important theoretical contributions by Osborne Reynolds (1886) and
Sommerfeld (1904).
Tower, in his experiments on bearings constructed a special testing machine to determine friction forces and
friction coefficients by using different systems of supplying different kinds of lubricants. In the test bearings
several holes were made some of them plugged so that one or two holes could be used to feed the
lubricant. During one such experiment, Tower found that the lubricant is flowing out from a plugged hole.
He repeatedly tried to plug the hole properly, to arrest out ward flow of the lubricant, which he failed. It
appeared to him that the journal was acting like a pump. This time he screwed a pressure gauge into the
hole and found to his astonishment that the pressure gauge read, two to three times unit pressure of the
bearing. From this, he concluded that the journal actually floated on an oil film. This was substantiated by

3
calculating the total upward force action on the bearing due to the pressure in the oil film, which checked
with the actual load applied.

REYNOLDS' EQUATION
A differential equation relating the pressure gradient, viscosity of the lubricant and shape of the oil film was
first derived by Osborne Reynolds, after whom the equation was named. The assumptions made in the
derivation of the equation are as follows:
I. Flow in a direction perpendicular to the motion is neglected. Such a bearing Is known as idealized
bearing. In actual practice, the end leakage, which reduces load-bearing capacity, is taken into
account.
2. Effects of pressure and temperature on viscosity of the lubricant are neglected. That is, the viscosity
is assumed to be constant throughout the oil film.
3. There is perfect adhesion between lubricant and bearing surfaces.
4. Inertia forces due to the motion of the fluid are neglected.
5. The lubricant is a Newtonian fluid, which is incompressible, and the flow is laminar.
6. The radial clearance is so small that the pressure gradient across the clearance is neglected. That
is, the effect of curvature of the film with respect to the film thickness is neglected. It is assumed that
the film is so thin that the pressure is constant across the film thickness.
7. The shaft and bearing are rigid.
8. There is a continuous supply of lubricant.
With the above assumptions, consider the converging oil film shown in Fig. 3 .The inclined surface ST is
stationary and the surface MN moves with a constant velocity U. The x, y, z-axis system is shown in the
figure. The load carried by the moving plate is in the vertical direction y. Further, the width of plates in the
direction of z-axis is assumed to be infinity, so that there is no flow in z-direction, and the pressure in the
fluid film remains constant in this direction. The thickness of fluid film is expressed as h, which is a function
of x.

Fig. 3. Converging oil-film

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First, consider the equilibrium of one infinitesimal element of Fig. 3, shown enlarged in Fig. 4. Since
equilibrium is maintained in the z-direction, forces only x-direction, are considered.

Fig. 4. Infinitesimal element in equilibrium

The shear stresses are and + x dy acting on the top and bottom surfaces, while the normal
x x y

p
stresses are given by p and p + dx acting on the left and right surfaces of the element respectively.
x
Hence

p
p dy dz p + dx dy dz + x dx dz x + x dy dx dz = 0
x y
Simplifying,

p
= x (1)
x y
According to Newtons law of viscous flow,
u u
= , Where u is the velocity in x-direction. Note that is negative since u gradually decreases
x y y
from U to 0 as y increases.
Substituting in the equation 1,
x

p u 2u
= = (2)
x y y y 2
Rearranging equation 2,

5
 2u 1 p
= (3)
y 2 x
Equation 3 is integrated to determine u,
u 1 p
= y + C
y x 1

and
1 p 2
u= y +C y + C (4)
2 x 1 2

Boundary conditions are

u = U at y = 0 and u = 0 at y = h
Constants of integration are evaluated as
1 p U
C = U; C = h ;
2 1 2 x h
Hence equation 4 can be written as

u=
2 x (
1 p 2
)
y hy + U
(h y)
h
(5)

Where, u = ( y 2 hy ) and u = U
1 p (h y)
1 2 x 2 h
It is readily seen that the component u represents the linear velocity distribution, due to the motion of
2
surface MN relative to stationary surface ST. The component u is due to the pressure induced flow which is
1
zero both at y = 0 as well as y = h. Further u is maximum at the middle layer which is,
1

h2 p
u = (6)
1y = h/2 8 x
Next, consider the continuity of flow, between the two surfaces ST and MN, shown in Fig. 5, where in the
distribution of velocity for a section AB is represented. The volume of fluid entering the element shown in
Fig. 4 is
u dy dz + v dx dz (7)
Where, u and v are velocities of fluid in directions of x and y-axes.

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 Fig. 5. Continuity of flow between two surfaces ST and MN

The volume of fluid discharged from the element is given by

u v
u + x dx dydz + v + y dy dxdz (8)

Equating the volume of fluid entering the element and discharged from the element given by equations 7
and 8, the following equation is obtained
v u
= (9)
y x
Substituting for U from equation 5, and rearranging

v =
d 1 p 2

dx 2 x (
y hy + U )
(h y)
h
y (10)

Since v = 0 at y = 0 and y = h
h

v = 0
y =0
(11)

x 2 x ( y )
h
1 p 2 hy + U (h y) dy = 0
Or, (12)
0
h

Since h is a function of x, the following relation is used for integrating equation 12.

h( x) h( x)
d d dh

0
dx
f ( x,y ) dy =
dx f ( x,y ) dy dx f [ x,h(x)]
0
(13)

Here,

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f(x,y) =
1 p 2

2 x ( )
y hy + U
(h y)
h
And f [ x,h(x)] = 0

Equation 12 with the equation 13, is integrated as follows:

( ) ( )
h h
1 p 2 (h y) d 1 dp 2 hy
0

x 2 x
y hy + U
h dy =
dx 0 2 dx
y hy + U
h
dy
(14)

On simplifying,

d p h3 d Uh
=0 (15)
dx x 12 dx 2

Equation 15 can be rearranged as
d 3 p dh
h = 6U (16)
dx x dx
Equation 16 is the Reynolds' equation in two dimensions, expressing the pressure gradient in a converging
oil film as a function of film thickness, viscosity of the lubricant and relative velocity of moving surface.