Analysis of a non-constant gap externally pressurized conical bearing with temperature and pressure dependent viscosity

Abstract

The present paper analyses an externally pressurized non-constant gap conical bearing rotating with a uniform angular velocity. The lubricant is assumed to be incompressible and its viscosity varies with both pressure and temperature. Although the inertia effect due to lubricant flow has been neglected, rotational inertia is taken into account. The governing system of coupled momentum and energy equations, in conical coordinates, is solved numerically using the finite difference method, to determine various bearing characteristics. The effect of the viscosity-pressure exponent, <(gamma)over bar>, on various characteristics of the bearing has been studied. It is seen that variation of <(gamma)over bar> does not produce any significant change in the load capacity for convergent and constant gap conical bearings. For the divergent gap also, no significant difference is seen when the gap is slightly divergent. However, for highly divergent gaps, the load capacity increases with an increase in <(gamma)over bar>. It is also seen that variation in <(gamma)over bar> does not produce any significant change in torque of the bearing.