Design of a Journal Bearing

Aim:

1. Describe the range of bearing technology

2. Identification of type of bearings required for a given application
3. Design of journal bearing

Learning Outcome:

1. Selection of bearing type for a given application

2. Conditions when to use a boundary lubricated bearings and selection of appropriate bearing
material
3. Determine the geometry of journal bearing

Bearing: The purpose of a bearing is to support a load while allowing relative motion between two
elements of a machine. It is the connection between stator and the rotor. Figure 1 illustrate a journal
bearing and a deep groove ball bearing. Another representation of the two bearings are given in
Figure 2. Classification of bearings is given in Figure 3.

Figure 1: A journal bearing and a ball bearing

Figure 2: Representation of a journal and a ball bearing

Figure 3: Classification of Bearings
Table 1 gives an indication of the performance of the various bearing types for criteria other than load.
The portion of the shaft at the bearing is called the journal, and the stationary part is called bearing, hence
journal bearing (Figure 4.4).

There are three regimes of journal bearing lubrication:

1. Boundary lubrication
2. Mixed film lubrication
3. Full film lubrication

Boundary Lubrication is characterised by low relative velocity and actual surface contact. Mixed film
lubrication occurs when the relatively high sufficiently high but still, surface contact occurs. Full film
lubrication occurs at higher relative velocities. Here the motion of the surface generates high pressures
in the lubricant, which separate the two components and the journal can ‘ride’ on a wedge of fluid. A
bearing parameter involving a group of variables is used to separate the three regions, given by

Here, , is the viscosity (Ps.s), N is the speed in rpm, P is the load capacity in (N/m2), given by,

Here, W is the load in N, L is the bearing length in m, D is the journal diameter in m. The bearing
parameter (N/p) groups several bearing design variables into one number. Variation of coefficient of
friction is shown in Figure 4.5. Lubrication can be solid, liquid or gaseous. However, mostly liquid or
greases are used.
Figure 4.5: Variation of bearing performance with lubrication (I) Boundary, (II) Mixed film, (III)
hydrodynamic.
Viscosity of liquid lubricant depends highly on temperature, as shown in Figure 4.6. Here, lower the
umber, lower the viscosity (i.e., SAE 10 , SAE20…).
Design of Boundary Lubricated Bearing: Low speed applications such as, Lawnmower wheels, garden
hand tools, door hinges.
Design of hydrodynamic bearing: The specifications of a journal bearing is (1) Journal radius, (2) Radial
clearance, c (3) axial length of bearing surface, L (4) type of lubricant and its viscosity,  (5) The journal
speed N and (6) load w. Out of these, speed load and journal radius are fixed by machine functional
requirement (stress calculation for shaft diameter). Journal bearing design consists of determining of
radial clearance, bearing length and lubricant viscosity. The design process is generally iterative. Trial
values of clearance, length, and viscosity are chosen, various parameters are calculated and the design
process is repeated until optimised design is achieved. Criteria for optimization may be minimizing of
the frictional loss, minimizing the lubricant temperature rise, minimizing the lubricant supply,
maximizing the load capability, and minimizing production costs.
An overall guideline is for the radial clearance, c, to be in the range,

Here, r is the bearing nominal radius.

Figure 4.6: Variation of absolute viscosity with temperature for various lubricants.
The motion of the journal inside the bearing creates the necessary pressure to support the load, Figure
4.9.
Figure 4.10 shows values for the recommended diametral clearance (2c).
For a given combination of r, c, L, , N and W, the performance of a journal bearing can be calculated.
This requires determining the pressure distribution in the bearing, the minimum film thickness
h0, the location of the minimum film thickness θpmax, the coefficient of friction f, the lubricant flow Q,
the maximum film pressure Pmax and the temperature rise T of the lubricant.