On the Significance of Thermal and Deformation Effects on a Plain Journal Bearing Subjected to Severe Operating Conditions

The present work analyzes the influence of global and local thermal effects and also mechanical and thermal deformations on bearing performance. Local thermal effects are important in the case of a highly loaded bearing because these effects are concentrated within a small zone of the bearing. The thermoelastohydrodynamic study, including deformations due to pressure, leads to a significant decrease in maximum pressure and a slight decrease in maximum temperature. For accurate performance predictions of bearings operating under severe conditions, numerical simulations have to take into account local thermal effects and both mechanical and thermal deformations.