A new rig to test journal fluid film bearings was designed, manufacture and installed at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. This rig can apply total radial loads to 133,000 N (30,000 lbs) and can rotate the shaft to speeds to 13,000 RPM. The test bearing has a diameter of 68 mm and is 38 mm long. Two such bearings are used to support the total load. The shaft is also supported by two fluid film bearings. The rig is well instrumented for measuring oil flow, oil inlet and outlet temperatures, bearing sleeve temperatures along its circumference and the oil temperatures in oil supply pockets. The shaft position is monitored by proximity probes. Vibration levels at four locations are also displayed and recorded. Preliminary tests of wave bearings at 8,000 RPM and loads to 20,000 N (4,500 lbs) show a good correlation between the test and prediction data.

Volume Subject Area:
Hydrodynamic Lubrication and Fluid Film Bearings
Topics:
Bearings, Waves, Stress, Temperature, Fluid films, Flow (Dynamics), NASA, Probes, Vibration
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