CFD analysis of lubricant flow inside an oil-lubricated bearing, used to understand oil distribution and pressure build-up and to guide design improvements.
Sector
Industrial machinery
Client
Rotating-equipment manufacturer
Flow type
Thin-film lubricant flow, rotating surfaces
Project Snapshot
Challenge
Bearing performance depends on a thin, pressurized oil film that is almost impossible to measure directly. Poor oil delivery leads to local starvation, higher temperatures and premature wear.
Approach
A 3D model of the oil film and supply passages with rotating journal surfaces and fine mesh resolution across the film thickness. Alternative oil-feed arrangements and operating conditions were compared numerically.
Key Findings
- Load-carrying pressure built up in the converging part of the film, while the diverging region showed pressure drop that can promote oil cavitation.
- The oil-feed location strongly affected how evenly lubricant reached the loaded zone.
- Small changes to the supply path improved oil distribution without changing the bearing envelope.
Deliverables
Pressure and flow maps of the lubricant film, a comparison of design options and recommendations to improve oil delivery, supporting the client’s product development.
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