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On the Magnitude of Cavitation Pressure of Steady-State Lubrication

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Abstract

The value of cavitation pressure plays an important role in the implementation of the mass-conservative algorithm. This is particularly crucial in applications that deal with analysis of surface textures. In this paper, published research on cavitation of journal bearing and surface textures are reviewed, and experiments and simulations of textured surface are conducted in order to gain insight into the choice of cavitation pressure for steady-state lubrication. Contrary to the common assertion that cavitation pressure is close to the ambient pressure, both experiments with journal bearings and simulations of surface textures indicate that low cavitation pressure around 30 kPa is possible. Research reveals that the cavitation pressure in steady-state lubrication is affected by the supply of gas dissolved in the oil film. The results of a series of experiments involving the load-carrying capacity of a textured parallel thrust bearing are presented. The comparison between theoretical and experimental results confirms that the value of cavitation pressure could vary depending on the operating conditions.

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana State University, 2508 Patrick Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Cong Shen & M. M. Khonsari

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  1. Cong Shen
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  2. M. M. Khonsari
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Correspondence to M. M. Khonsari.

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Shen, C., Khonsari, M.M. On the Magnitude of Cavitation Pressure of Steady-State Lubrication. Tribol Lett 51, 153–160 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-013-0158-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-013-0158-2

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