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CFD ANALYSIS OF HYDRODYNAMICALLY LUBRICATED JOURNAL BEARING

(A Case Study: The Potential Use of Water Lubricant)


<Prayudha N. Wijaya*, Bayu S. Wibowo, Brain. C. Ichsan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Diponegoro University, Indonesia
*prayudhanaufal13@gmail.com>

Motivation
Environmental problems have became a concern in the world of engineering, including the design of mechanical
component such as bearing. Most of bearings use oil as lubricant because of high viscosity, however the use of oil
lubricant has many disadvantages including waste, pollution, explosion risk, high production costs and limited resources
as the petroleum becomes scarce. To solve the problems, the water could be a new alternative to replace conventional
lubricant. When water is used as a lubricant, it gains advantages of eco-friendly, safe, and energy saving. But the water
has lower viscosity compared to oil, so that the film ability to accept the load is lower than the oil-lubricated bearings.
Research focuses on optimizing the water-hydrodynamic lubrication, the minimum thickness of the water layer, and
guidelines for the design of a water-lubricated journal bearing. In previous works [1-6], the determination of design
guidelines for water-lubricated journal bearing was only concentrated on improving the maximum load capacity of
bearing by not considering the friction forces. In the present study, the journal bearing lubrication performances (LS and
f) lubricated by water lubricant will be investigated using CFD.

Methodology
In the present study, the performance of oil lubricant will be compared to water lubricant. This research aims to obtain
optimum design guidelines with minimum friction, but at the other hand it can bear maximum load. Research begins
with modelling the journal bearing system (see fig. 1) based on the Naiver-Stokes and Reynold equation using CFD. In
the present study, the comparison between oil lubricant and water lubricant will be conducted. The aim of the study is to
investigate the design of the journal bearing, the pressure distribution as well the friction of the bearing will be
investigated with three-dimensional CFD simulation. The output of the research is a new design (initial diameter (D),
the ratio of eccentricity and a thick layer of water (h)) of the journal bearing lubricated by water which gives the same
lubrication performances of the oil lubricated journal bearing.

Results
Based on the simulation , it is found that the water has a potency to be used as a lubricant in replacing the oil lubricant.
Even though, the water has a lower viscosity than the oil lubricant by modifying some parameters of journal bearing
such as the eccentricity ratio, it is proven that the water lubricant is able to achieve the high lubrication performance as
well as the oil lubricant (high load support but low friction). For the long term, the water lubricant can becomes an ecofriendly lubricant and leads to safe and energy saving. One of the simulation result is the pressure distribution contour
of water lubricant (see fig. 2). Based on this figure it is conclude that water lubricant produces the high pressure in the
centre of the journal; the same trend of the oil lubricant.

References
[1] D.L. Cabrera, N.H. Woolley, D.R. Allanson, Y.D. Tridimas.Film pressure distribution in water-lubricated rubber
journal bearings. Proc. Institution Mech. Eng. Part J: J. Eng. Tribol, no. 219 (2005): 125132
[2] Gengyuan G, Zhongwei Y, Dan J, Xiuli Z. Numerical analysis of plain journal bearing under hydrodynamic
lubrication by water. Tribol Int, no. 75 (2014): 31-38
[3] Montazeri H. Numerical analysis of hydrodynamic journal bearing lubricated with ferrofluid. Proc Inst Mech
Eng, Part J: J Eng Tribol , no.41 (2008): 51-60
[4] R. Pai, D.J. Hargreaves. Water lubricated bearings. In Green Tribology. Springer. Berlin Heidelberg, (2012)
[5] Wojciech L. Experimental research on water lubricated three layer sliding bearing with lubrication grooves in
upper part of bush and its comparison with a rubber bearing. Tribol Int, no 82 (2015): 153-161
[6] Xiuli Z, Zhongwei Y, Dan Jiang and Gengyuan G. (2014) The design of hydrodynamic water-lubricated step thrust
bearing. Mechanics & Industry, no.15 .(2003): 197-206

Fig. 01 : Journal Bearing and axle

Fig. 02 : Pressure Distribution Contour of Water Lubricant

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