Simultaneous Pressure Measurement and High-Speed Photography Study of Cavitation in a Dynamically Loaded Journal Bearing

Abstract

Cavitation of the oil film in a dynamically loaded journal bearing was studied using high-speed photography and pressure measurement simultaneously. Comparison of the visual and pressure data provided considerable insight into the occurrence and non-occurrence of cavitation. It was found that (1), cavitation typically occurred in the form of one bubble with the pressure in the cavitation bubble close to the absolute zero; and (2), for cavitation-producing operating conditions, cavitation did not always occur; with the oil film then supporting a tensile stress.