JOURNAL BEARINGS

AND

LUBRICATION

SCOPE
Need
Types of lubrication
Viscosity
Petroffs equation
Stable lubrication
Thick-film lubrication
Hydrodynamic theory
Design considerations
The relations of the variables
Steady-state conditions in self-contained bearings
Clearance
Pressure fed bearings
Load and materials
Bearing types
Boundary lubricated bearings

 The most important are revolute pair and sliding pair

Objective of lubrication is to reduce friction, wear and heating
of machine parts which move relative to each other.
Lubricant is exactly that substance which does the above
when inserted between moving surfaces
Lubrication is needed everywhere, for example, sleeve
bearings, antifriction bearing, cam and follower, gear teeth,
piston in cylinder, crank shaft and connecting rod bearings
In applications requiring low load bearing capacity, nylon
bearings requiring no lubrication, a powder metallurgy
bearing with lubricant built-in, a bronze bearing with ring
oiling, wick feeding, or solid lubricant film or grease
lubrication may be satisfactory
Journal=shaft and sleeve=bushing

Need

Types of lubrication
Hydrodynamic
Thick-film, fluid mechanics, speed is necessary
Hydrostatic
Lubricant is introduced at high pressure, speed could be small
Elasto-hydrodynamic
Occurs in rolling contact, like in gears and rolling element bearings, Hertzian
contact theory and fluid mechanics are required
Boundary
Insufficient surface area, drop in velocity, lessening of lubricant quantity,
increase in bearing load, or increase in lubricant temperature lead to no thick
film; partial metal to metal contact occurs which is mixed hydrodynamicboundary lubrication before gross metal-to-metal contact occurs; fluid
mechanics and viscosity are less important and chemical composition is more
important
Solid-film
Necessary when operation is to be at extremely high temperatures because
ordinary minerals oils degrade; graphite and molybdenum disulphide are often
used; composite bearing materials are being researched because liquid lubricants
also proved to be environmentally non-sustainable

F
U
= =
A
h

Conversion: 1 reyn = 6.89 * kPa-s = 6890 Pa-s.

IPS system: lbf-sec/in2 or psi-sec = 1 reyn

SI System: Pa-s or N-s/m2.

The units of absolute viscosity

Then,

du / dy = U / h

is the absolute viscosity or dynamic

viscosity. If shear rate is constant,

F
du
= =
A
dy

Newtons law of viscosity:

VISCOSITY

 CGS units have been banished but are still in

widespread use
Force - Dyne (dyn), dynamic viscosity - poise (P),
kinematic viscosity stoke (St)
Poise = dyn-sec/cm2 = 10-5*104 N-sec/m2 = 0.1 Pa-s =
(1/68900) reyn
Centi-poise (cP) = Z= 10-2*(10-5*104 N-sec/m2) =
0.001 Pa-s (Pa-s) = 103 Z (cP)
(reyn) = 68900 Poise =6.89*106 Z (cP)

The adorable outcasts!

180

Z k = 0.22t

Kinematic viscosity is measured

Measured is the time in seconds required for 60 ml of
lubricant at a specified temperature to run through a
tube 17.6 mm in a diameter and 12.25 mm long.
This measured time is terms as Saybolt seconds.
Using the Saybolt seconds, the kinematic viscosity of
the lubricant in centiStokes (Stoke is cm2/sec) can be
obtained by the following equation:

Saybolt universal viscosimeter of ASTM

m2/sec.

Density in kg per m3.

180 6

= 0.22t
(10 )
t

Pa-s.

The dynamic or absolute viscosity is density times the kinematic viscosity.

(m / sec ) = 10 Z k (cSt )
180 6

= 0.22t
10
(
)

Since,

Viscosity from Saybolt viscosimeter

Ts =T1=for both bearings, external sump type and selfcontained type

T=Ambient temperature

Tf = Tav= Film temperature which is also the average

temperature; Also the temperature at which to

T2= Outlet temperature

T1= Inlet temperature

Different temperatures of relevance

T
T
f
i
2

Petroffs theory is developed for lightly loaded bearings

Nevertheless, petroffs bearing theory explains the useful (i) dimensionless groups
(ii) gives an equation for coefficient of friction that is good even for eccentric
bearings

He assumed that the shaft is concentric hence his theory is not good for actual
bearing which is eccentric when it is running

Petroff was the first person to explain the phenomenon of bearing friction

Tf

=
+
T
T
f
i
2

PETROFFS EQUATION:

U 2 r N
= =
h
c

2 3

r
2 N r
2
=
f = 2
2

S

c
P c

P c

r N
S =
c P

=shear stress, S= Sommerfeld number; r=radius of the journal; c=radial

clearance between the bearing and journal; r/c=radial clearance ratio; N=speed in
rps; P=pressure in the bearing; W=load on the bearing; T=torque; f=coefficient of
friction; h=film thickness; U=relative velocity of bearing and journal; l=length of
bearing; =coefficient of dynamic viscosity

Petroffs
equation
(1883)

f = 2 2

N r

T = fWr = ( f )(2rlP)(r ) = 2r flP

4 r l N
2 r N
T = ( A)(r ) =
(2 rl )(r ) =
c
c

Contd.

density

Q& gen

& p T = lc rN j C p T
Q& gen = mC

Because the bushing temperature is half-way

between the film temperature and ambient
temperature

T f = T + 16

U 0 A0 c

2 3

N
j lr
3

Q& gen U 0 A0 (T f T ) 2
T =
=
& p
mC
lc rN j C p

2
N j ( 2rl ) c
fr c
r
3
rWN j = 4
rWN j
= 2 TN j = 2 fWrN j = 2
c r
W
r
c

Heat generated due to work

done on the lubricant by the
journal

Combined radiation & convention

universal heat transfer coefficient

Q& loss = U 0 A0 (Tb T ) =

U 0 A0 (T f T )

Average velocity

m& = lc U 2 = lc rN j

Bearing surface area

area

Contd.

Stable Lubrication

N j

0.362 (10

e
=
c

Thick Film Lubrication

Hydrodynamic Theory

dp
2u
= 2
dx
y

integrating

1 dp 2
u=
y + C1 y + C2
2 dx

Substituting,

Integrating once more,

u
=
y

dp

=
+
+

F
p
dx
dydz
dxdz
dy dxdz pdydz = 0
dx

Hydrodynamic lubrication equations:

y = 0; y = h
u = 0; u = U

u 1 dp
=
y + C1
y dx

dp
=
dx y

Q = udy

Uh h3 dp
Q=

2 12 dx

When the pressure is

maximum, dp/dx=0, hence

U
u= y
h

dQ
=0
dx

If the lubricant is incompressible, then the volume flow rate is same for all crosssections. Hence

Volume flow rate:

U
h dp
; C2 = 0
C1 =
h 2 dx
1 dp 2
U
u=
y hy ) y
(
2 dx
h

Sommerfelds conclusion

d h3 dp
dh

= 6U
dx dx
dx

r N
r
f =

c
c P

Normally difficult to solve this partial differential equation analytically. Sommerfeld

gave a solution in 1904, which can be expressed as

h p h p
h

= 6U
x x z z
x

dQ U dh d h 3 dp
= 0
=

dx 2 dx dx 12 dx

Contd.

N = N j + Nb 2 NW

NW = N f

2
Nb
NW
r
( N j + Nb 2 NW )
= S 1 +
2
S=

P
Nj
c

Nj

2
r
Nj
S =

c P

Effective journal speed

1)
2)
3)
4)

The coefficient of friction f

The temperature rise T
The volume flow rate of oil Q
The minimum film thickness ho

In the second group are the dependent variables. The

designer can not control these except indirectly by changing
one or more of the first group. These are:

1) The viscosity,
2) The load per unit of projected bearing area, P
3) The speed N
4) The bearing dimensions r, c,

There are two groups of variables.

The first group of variables are independent variables and
either given or under the control of the designer.

Design Considerations

C p T

= Temperature rise dimensionless variable

P = Position of maximum film pressure

Q
= Flow variable
rcNl
Qs
= Flow ratio
Q
P
= Maximum film pressure ratio
Pmax

r
f = coefficient of friction variable
c
h0
= Minimum film thickness variable
c
= Position of minimum film thickness, degrees

The dimensionless variables and charts of Raymondi & Boyd

First:

Contd.

table 12 - 1 for SAE - 10 to SAE - 60

grades of lubricants.

T in oC
= 0e
b & 0 may be obtained from

1.8T +127

You can use the table 12-1 in

conjunction with the following
equation as an alternative to this
chart.

Viscosity with respect to average

temperature for various SAE
grades of lubricants from 10 to 70.

Absolute viscosity:

0.120Tc
rf c
=
P
1 Qs
Q rcN j l )
(
1

2 Q

The value of P
must be substituted
in MPa

12-11 of Shigley (6ed)

Another example: Iterative Determination of Average Temperature of the Film

Contd.

12-11 of Shigley (6ed)

12-21 (Shigley, 6ed)

12-21 (Shigley, 6ed)

Contd.

clratio=r/c

%clearance ratio

r=jdia/2

c=(bmin-dmax)/2

%radial clearance

%seeking the minimum sleeve diameter

bmin=min(bdia, bdia+btol)

%seeking maximum shaft

dmax=max(jdia, jdia+jtol)

% In minimum clearance design, we look for maximum shaft (journal) and minimum hole (sleeve)
% The radial clearance c is then equal to the cmin, the minimum clearance of the fit

pause off
%Iterative programme for the determination of the film temperature in journal bearning
%from Raymondi and Boyd charts
% This is for SAE30; for other grades the viscosity temperature relation must be appropriately substituted
% The design is for minimum radial clearance scenario
% this computer program is valid only for l/d=1, 1/2 or 1/4
W=3000 %load on the bearing, in Newtons
N=8 % journal speed in rps
Ts=60 % sump temperature in degree centrigrade
lbyd=1 % the l/d ratio
jdia=80 % nominal diameter of the journal in mm
jtol=-0.01 % unilateral tolerance (deviation) on journal diameter, mm; must be a signed quantity
bdia=80.08 % nominal diameter of the sleeve, in mm
btol=0.03 % unilateral tolerance (deviation) on bearing diameter, mm; must be a signed quantity

Matlab code for the preceding example:

mu0=0.0971 % base viscosity, mPa-s

bval=1360 % degree centrigrade
mu=mu0*exp(bval/(1.8*Tav+127)) %absolute or dynamic viscosity in milli-Pacal-second, mPa-s.

iteration=iteration+1
% From Table 12-1 for SAE30, for the current trial of Tav

while (abs(dis)>0.2)

iteration=0

dis=Tav-Ts % or you may assign any value greater than 1

Tav=Ts+deltaT/2 % This is the trial # 1 for average temperature

deltaT=42 % 2*(145 - Ts)

%iteration loop begins

% maximum possible value in the Fig 12-11 is 145 degree centrigrade

% For finding the average temperature of the film, Tav or Tf, a trial and error procedure is needed

P=W/(jdia*l)

% load per unit projected area of the journal, MPa

l=lbyd*jdia

%length of the bearing

Contd.

T1=Tav-deltaT/2 %inlet temperature, same as sump temperature Ts

T2=Tav+deltaT/2 % outlet temperature
iteration

%hence the T1 and T2 can be estimated as well

% Now discrepancy being less than one, we can consider the latest trail of Tav as the valid

end

pause

deltaT=dT2

Tav=Tav-dis/2

% Now the next trial for Tav can be made as Tav-dis/2; sign willbe automatically taken care of

dis=deltaT-dT2

%discrepancy in the estimation of temperature increase

dT2=(P/0.12)*(0.349+6.009*S+0.0475*(S^2))

%From Fig. 12-21, for SAE oils, the second estimate of temperature increase, for l/d=1, dT2 is

S=((clratio)^2)*(mu*0.001*N)/(P*10^6)

%sommerfeld number

deltaT=2*(Tav-Ts)

%temperature rise in the bearing deltaT

Contd.

y=

(l d )

l
l
l
l
l
1
1
8 1 d 1 2 d 1 4 d y + 3 1 2 d 1 4 d y1

l
l
l
l
1
1 1 4 y1 2 + 1 1 2 y1 4

d
d
d
d
4
24

With l/d ratio falling in between the marked

values, it is possible to use an equation to
determine at the intermediate value of l/d:

Problems with l/d ratio other than 1, , or infinity

The value of alpha is usually

taken as 1 otherwise, for
better accuracy, Table 12-2
can be referred.

T f Tb = (Tb T )

&
Qloss = UA (Tb T )

Steady-state conditions in self-contained bearings (also called as pillow

block bearings and pedestal bearings)

Tb =

Q& loss
1+

U 0 A0
=
T f T )
(
1+
T f + T

Solving the preceding equation for Tb and substituting in the heat loss rate
gives the following equation in proper variables

Contd.

 A full journal bearing has a shaft journal with a

diameter of 30 mm and a unilateral tolerance of
-0.035 mm. The busing bore is 50 mm in length.
The bearing load is 2.75 kN and the journal
rotates at 1120 rpm. Analyze the minimum
clearance assembly and find the minimum film
thickness, the coefficient of friction, and the total
oil flow if the average viscosity is 60 mPa-s.

Another example:

Solution:

Contd.

Contd.

 A journal bearing ha a shaft diameter of 75 mm

with a unilateral tolerance of -0.02 mm. The
bushing bore has a diameter of 75.10 mm with a
unilateral tolerance of 0.06 mm. The bushing is 36
mm and supports a load of 2 kN. The journal speed
is 720 rpm. For the minimum clearance assembly
find the minimum film thickness, the heat loss
rate, and the maximum lubricant pressure for
SAE20 and SAE40 lubricant operating at a an
average film temperature of 60oC.

example

Contd.

Contd.

Fig. 12.26

Fig. 12.27

Fig. 12.32

Fig. 12.33

Fig. 12.34

Fig. 12.35

Fig. 12.37

Fig. 12.38

Fig. 12.39