Experiment and Simulations on Lubrication Performance of EMP Journal Bearing

In recent years, much attention has been devoted to the design and operation of bearings made of elastic metal plastic (EMP). The surface of the bearing bush is covered by a layer of polymer PTFE(polytetrafluoroethylene). The physical performances of the polymer are quite different from that of metal. It can reduce friction because of its lower surface energy, and it is more difficult for the fluid to be adhered. Consequently, the slip will exist at the oil-bush interface. The journal bearings made of this material are researched in this article. Through test, the existence of slip is proven and the equation of the slip velocity for the EMP journal bearing is established when shear stress up to a certain value. Thus, the classical Reynolds equation is modified. The lubrication mechanism is analyzed by some simulation results.