Recent Patent on an Energy Conserved Journal Bearing with the Slippage Sleeve Surface

Background: Energy consumption in mechanical apparatus has become a big problem in modern industry. It is very important to develop energy-conserved rotary machines, which are very promising in the future. Objective: To introduce a patented energy-conserved hydrodynamic journal bearing with low friction where the interfacial slippage is designed on the whole sleeve surface. Methods: The analytical results are presented for the carried load and friction coefficient of the introduced bearing based on the limiting interfacial shear strength model. The performance of the introduced bearing is compared with that of the conventional hydrodynamic journal bearing for the same operating condition. Results: The obtained results show that in the same operating condition, the carried load of the introduced bearing can be 35%~50% times that of the conventional journal bearing, but its friction coefficient on the shaft surface can be 30%~70% times that of the conventional journal bearing, while its friction coefficient on the sleeve surface is considerably lower and can only be 5%~20% times that of the conventional journal bearing. The friction reducing effect of the bearing depends on the eccentricity ratio and the fluid-sleeve surface interfacial shear strength; the lower the latter, the smaller the friction coefficients on both the shaft and sleeve surfaces. Conclusion: The introduced bearing is obviously of low friction and energy-conserved. It has application values especially in the condition of modest eccentricity ratios, where the loss of the loadcarrying capacity of the bearing due to the interfacial slippage is not so large.