Power Loss of Tilting 5-Pad Journal Bearing Operating With Turbulent Oil Film

Journal bearings of high speed turbocompressors, compressors and heavy duty high speed turbine gearboxes operate at journal peripheral speeds like 150 m/s. The flow of lubricant in such bearings is not laminar but super laminar or turbulent. It results in the increase in power loss and in the decrease of the bearing stability. The ground for the safe operation of high speed journal bearings at proper oil film temperature and with less power loss is the full knowledge of bearing performances at the turbulent oil film.