Numerical analysis and optimization of continuous texture geometries in thermo-hydrodynamic journal bearings

Abstract Journal bearings play a critical role in many engineering systems, where their performance directly affects operational efficiency and reliability. This study investigates the effect of surface texturing on the thermo-hydrodynamic (THD) behavior of journal bearings with the goal of enhancing load-carrying capacity (LCC). Departing from conventional dimple-based textures, five continuous texture shapes are introduced and systematically analyzed using COMSOL Multiphysics. The thermo-hydrodynamic model is validated against the experimental data of Ferron, J., Frene, J. & Boncompain, R. A study of the thermohydrodynamic performance of a plain journal bearing comparison between theory and experiments. (1983). Optimization of texture parameters including height and distribution in both axial and circumferential directions is performed numerically using the Monte Carlo method. The study also evaluates the impact of texture placement in three distinct regions of the bearing surface. Results show that optimized continuous textures significantly outperform smooth bearings, achieving up to 144% increase in LCC. These findings offer new insights into texture design for high-performance journal bearings under thermal and hydrodynamic constraints.