Abstract
A method of solution is described in which the governing equation is modified to account for variations in the oil-film thickness in the axial direction owing to journal misalignment. The position of the journal is specified by means of its eccentricity at its mid-length and by two parameters defining the extent and direction of the misalignment.
The pressure distribution is evaluated numerically, and the direct load, friction torque, oil flow, and couple arising from the misalignment of the journal are obtained by numerical integration.
A full range of journal misalignment conditions is examined for two length-diameter ratios. Results are presented in the form of non-dimensionalized graphs, showing the variation of direct load and misalignment couple with the journal misalignment parameters described. The angle between the line of action of the misalignment couple and the load line is evaluated in each instance, and graphs are presented to show the variation of the performance parameters for a particular degree of misalignment with the direction of application of the couple. Results for the particular instances in which the couple is in line with or at right angles to the load line are extracted, and these are compared with published experimental results of other workers. Good agreement is obtained, and moreover it is shown that, in general, these are not the two extremes of misalignment. For these two conditions design charts are presented, whereby, from knowledge of the applied couple and direct load, the degree of misalignment and the resultant peak pressure parameter may be determined. Charts which illustrate the reduction in load capacity for a particular journal misalignment in the plane of the load are also presented.
General validity is claimed for this method of exploring a relatively unexamined subject, and the results are considered by the authors to be a useful improvement on those obtained by previous analytical workers.
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