Geometry and Speed Effects on the Performance of the Herringbone Grooved Gas Lubricated Journal Bearing

The plain gas lubricated journal bearing is dynamically unstable. The addition of grooving on the bearing surface has been found to overcome this instability. In particular, the herringbone groove pattern has been found to provide damping with increase of static stiffness. The effect of the available geometry characteristics on performance is computed from solution of the compressible Reynolds equation. The geometry features examined are groove angle, and the ratios:- groove depth to clearance, groove-to-land width, axial groove length to bearing length and bearing eccentricity. The performance is determined over a range of compressibility numbers.