Numerical predictions of a flow field in a hydrodynamic journal bearing with herringbone microgrooves

This study presents numerical predictions of the loading and flow characteristics of the two-phase lubricant flow of a Hydrodynamic Journal (HJ) bearing with herringbone microgrooves on the sleeve. This study employs a computational fluid dynamics technique to solve three-dimensional laminar Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with a full cavitation model and obtain characteristics of a two-phase lubricant flow in a microchannel between the shaft and the sleeve. The effect of herringbone groove depth on the lubricant pressure distribution is also examined. Numerical results show the lubricant flow with different eccentricity ratio (e) values and with different herringbone geometries at different rotational speeds (omega).