Performance of a Hydrodynamic Fixed Geometry Thrust Bearing: Comparison between Experimental Data and Numerical Results

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the performance of a hydrodynamic thrust bearing with eight fixed pads. A comparison between experimental data and numerical results obtained by a thermohydrodynamic model is presented. The influence of the oil supply temperature, the applied load, and the rotational speed on the thrust bearing performance characteristics such as temperature field, minimum film thickness, leakage flow, and power loss is analyzed and discussed. The agreement between the experimental and numerical results is generally satisfactory.