Experimental research on water lubricated three layer sliding bearing with lubrication grooves in the upper part of the bush and its comparison with a rubber bearing

Properties comparison of rubber and three layer PTFE-NBR-bronze water lubricated bearings with lubricating grooves along entire bush circumference based on experimental tests

“…Their measured friction torque was higher than in case of three-layer and polymer bearings tested in the past (Litwin [10,12]). This was probably the result of working under mixed lubrication regime.…”

“…[9][10][11][12]. Moreover, there is also evidence of significant fault in bush shape (non-cylindrical form).The difference in the value of average diameter clearance on both sides of the bush may amount to over 30%.…”

“…Various types of water lubricated sliding bearings have been experimentally tested in recent years at the Gdańsk University of Technology -including both stiff composite bearings, as well as elastic, plastic ones (Litwin [10][11][12]15,26]). The research unequivocally established that a correctly designed water lubricated journal bearing may work in fluid film friction range under conditions of loads and speeds typically encountered in practical applications.…”

“…Rubber bush bearings offer numerous benefits and are currently widely used in shipbuilding, power industry and other sectors (Orndorff [1][2][3], Wang [17,18], Xijin [19], and Dong [20]). The same applies to polymer (Litwin [10][11][12], and Ginzburg [21]) and composite (Ford [6]) bush bearings. There are also multilayered materials.…”

“…However, conducted theoretical analysis proved that use of elastic bushes limits bearing's hydrodynamic capacity (Litwin [11]). Experiment based research carried out for various bush types, established that their hydrodynamic capacity may be as high as 0.8 MPa (Litwin [12]). There is no certainty, however, whether local contact does not take place between the journal and its bush, especially at the bush's edge.…”