AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF 3D PRINTED HERRINGBONE GROOVED JOURNAL BEARINGS

Herringbone grooved journal bearings are well known for their reliability and high rotor dynamic stability thresholds. While there is a large body of research surrounding the optimized groove geometry parameters, analysis on the material the groves are placed on has been mainly limited to metals. The ability to use plastic while maintaining desired qualities of reliability and stability is of great interest due to its light weight and low cost possibilities. The goal of the current study is to see if current technology limits on plastic 3D printed parts layer thickness inhibit lubricant flow, or if 3D printed parts can be used as an alternative choice in manufacturing journal bearings. The optimum geometries for square, circular, and beveled step groove profiles were 3D printed with layer thicknesses of 16, 50, 100, and 250 micrometers. Additionally, the effect of herringbone groove parameters such as groove width ratio, groove depth ratio, and groove angle were explored. Finally, a 2-dimentional Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation of a square, circular, and beveled step herringbone groove geometry velocity magnitude profiles are presented.