Effect of bearing pad deformation on the performance of finite fixed-pad slider bearings

Abstract

The load support and other performance characteristics of any bearing depend on its film thickness profile which can be significantly affected by elastic deformations. The effect of bearing surface deformation on the static performance of slider bearings is reported. Deformation of bearing pads was calculated by three-dimensional elasticity equations using a finite element method. To generalize the study, a non-dimensional deformation coefficient relating the geometrical parameters of bearing pad, the clearance space, the elasticity coefficient of the pad material, the lubricant viscosity and the velocity of the slider is defined. The static characteristics are calculated and compared for different values of the deformation coefficient. The effect of Poisson's ratio v of the pad material on the performance of a slider bearing for steel (v = 0.3) and brass (v = 0.4) as pad materials is reported.