EME 150B

Mechanical Design
Journal bearings

Barbara Linke
University of California Davis

EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke

 Contents
■ Differences between journal and
rolling-contact bearings
■ Bearing design and nomenclature
■ Hydrodynamic theory
■ Viscosity
■ Film thickness
■ Power loss
■ Bearing types
■ Reading material: Shigley’s Chapter 12

Slide22 EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke

 Bearings (review)
■ Bearings transfer loads between rotating and stationary
machine elements (e.g. shaft and frame).
■ Bearing types:
■ Contact bearings (sliding and rolling contact)
■ Non-contact bearings (journal bearings, magnetic bearings)

■ Friction coefficients
■ Solid friction 0.1 – 1
■ Mixed friction 0.01 – 0.1 (start-up of journal bearings)
■ Fluid friction 0.001 – 0.01 (journal bearings)
■ Rolling friction with grease lubrication
0.001 – 0.005
■ Gas friction 0.0001 (air bearings)

Slide33 EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke

 Journal bearings
■ Journal bearings are also called plain bearings or sliding
bearings.
■ Journal bearings consist of a shaft, called journal, rotating
in a slightly bigger sleeve, called bushing.
■ The basic principle is that fluid pressure builds a film
supporting the shaft.
Clearance

Shaft / journal

Sleeve

Lubricant (solid, fluid)

Slide44 EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke

 Journal bearings - Examples

www.baldor.com, www.waukbearing.com, www.getdomainvids.com, de.wikipedia.org, www.gleitlager.ch

Slide55 EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke

 Journal bearings
■ Differences between journal bearings and rolling-contact
bearings:
■ Journal bearings work with a sliding motion, rolling-contact
bearings with rolling motion.
■ Lower costs
■ Axial space might be higher, but radial space is smaller
■ Can be used at high speeds and have less inertia
■ Power loss due to friction might be higher
■ Easier to assemble (axial positioning is easier) and disassemble
■ Can be used at high speeds with less inertia, but are not as good
for changing load cases as rolling-contact bearings.

Slide66 EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke

 Viscosity
■ Absolute viscosity (also called dynamic viscosity) μ (also
denoted with η) is a measure of the internal friction
resistance of a fluid.

μoil > μwater > μair

www.synlube.com

Slide77 EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke

 Viscosity
■ Consider two plates with relative motion and film in-
between
■ du/dy: velocity gradient or change of velocity depending
on the distance y
velocity

Plate Fig. 12–1

Plate surface area A

Film
Film thickness

An element at the distance y from

the bottom has the speed u

Slide88 EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke

 Viscosity
■ Shear stress in a fluid is proportional to the rate of change
of velocity with respect to y

velocity

Plate Fig. 12–1

Plate surface area A

Film
Film thickness

An element at the distance y from

the bottom has the speed u

Slide99 EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke

 Viscosity
■ Most fluids have a constant rate of shear and

■ These fluids are called Newtonian fluids.

■ Non-Newtonian fluids are e.g. shear-thinning fluids

(ketchup, paint) or shear-thickening (cornstarch and
water, quicksand).

arstechnica.com, giphy.com

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Units of Viscosity
■ Viscosity is given in

■ Pa·s = N·s/m2 (SI units)

■ lbf·s/in2 = reyn (imperial units)
■ Poise or dyn·s/cm2 (cm-g-second system = cgs)

■ cgs units are discouraged, but common historically in

lubrication

■ 6890 reyn = 1 Pa s

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Comparison of Absolute Viscosities of Various Fluids

Fig. 12–2

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Petroff’s Law (1883)
■ Petroff’s Lightly Loaded Journal Bearing

Fig. 12–3

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Petroff’s Law (1883)
■ Assume a concentric journal in a sleeve with a gap filled
with oil (thick-film lubrication)

𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑈𝑈 with h = c = clearance,

■ Shear stress 𝜏𝜏 = 𝜇𝜇 = 𝜇𝜇 U = 2π r N,
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 ℎ
2𝜋𝜋 𝑟𝑟 𝑁𝑁 N = speed in rpm
 𝜏𝜏 = 𝜇𝜇
𝑐𝑐

Journal Velocity U W
W
Sleeve Radius r

Oil
Clearance c
W W

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Petroff’s Law (1883)
2 𝜇𝜇 𝑁𝑁 𝑟𝑟
■ Petroff’s equation: 𝑓𝑓 = 2𝜋𝜋 (Eq. 12-6)
𝑃𝑃 𝑐𝑐
■ with
■ f = friction coefficient,
■ r/c = clearance ratio,
■ P = projected pressure

W Velocity U W
Radius r

Clearance c
W W

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Petroff’s Law (1883)
𝑊𝑊
■ Projected pressure 𝑃𝑃 = with l = length of sleeve
2 𝑟𝑟 𝑙𝑙
( frictional torque is T = 𝑓𝑓 𝑊𝑊𝑊𝑊 = 𝑓𝑓 2 𝑟𝑟 𝑙𝑙 𝑃𝑃 𝑟𝑟 )
■ P is also called bearing unit load. It is an equivalent pressure
due to the load W over the projected area of the journal
bearing.
■ Note: P is not a circumferential area!
Sleeve length l

W Velocity U W
Radius r

Clearance c
W W

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Sommerfeld number S
■ From Petroff’s equation, the Sommerfeld number S or bearing
characteristic number S can be derived.
𝑟𝑟 2 𝜇𝜇 𝑁𝑁
■ Sommerfeld number 𝑆𝑆 = (Eq. 12-7)
𝑐𝑐 𝑃𝑃

■ This Sommerfeld number is used in bearing design.

■ The designer can influence different factors:

1. Viscosity
■ This might be predetermined by factory constraints
2. Load per unit of projected bearing area P
3. Speed of shaft N
4. Bearing dimensions:
■ r/c – clearance ratio
■ l – bearing width
■ β – bearing angle of partial bearings

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Full and partial bearings
■ Full bearings enclose the
journal completely. They
are also known as
clearance bearings (sleeve
radius > shaft radius);
Most journal bearings are β – bearing angle of partial bearings
of this type.
■ Partial bearings cover less
than 360o of the journal.
A sub-type is the fitted
bearing (sleeve radius =
journal radius), example
application: railroad cars
Source: Full and partial bearing (from Introduction to Machine Design, V B Bhandari, Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 2001); www.atrrm.org

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Stable Lubrication
Unstable
■ The designer must ensure a conditions

stable lubrication film. Metal-to- Self-correcting conditions

Experimentally it has been metal
contact Metals are separated
found that keeping

ensure thick-film lubrication.

■ Fig. 12-4 shows
simplification of Stribeck-
Curve
■ Common design constraint
for point B,
Fig. 12–4

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Stribeck Curve (1901) ■ 3 distinct friction
regimes:
■ Regime I – boundary
or solid friction

I II III
■ Regime II – mixed or
thin-film friction

Or just velocity
■ Regime III – thick-
film or fluid friction

tribology.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org, http://www.stle.org/files/What_is_tribology/Tribology_Lubrication.aspx

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Hydrodynamic Theory
■ Present theory originated with experimentation of B.
Tower in early 1880s on railroad bearing lubrication

Fig. 12–7

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Journal bearing theory
■ Navier-Stokes describes
motion of viscous fluid
substances
■ Reynolds Equation is a
derivation to describe the
pressure distribution of thin
viscous fluid films in journal
bearings
■ As partial differential
equation, the Reynolds
Equation can be solved
numerically Fig. 12–15

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Journal bearing theory
■ Albert Raymondi and John Boyd used an iteration
technique to solve Reynolds’ equation.
■ Published 45 charts and 6 tables
■ This text includes charts from Part III of Raymondi and
Boyd
■ Assumes infinitely long bearings, thus no side leakage
■ Assumes full bearing
■ Assumes oil film is ruptured when film pressure becomes zero

■ Bearing performance factors are

■ Coefficient of friction f
■ Temperature rise ΔT
■ Volume flow rate of oil Q
■ Minimum film thickness h0

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Nomenclature of a Journal Bearing
■ Center of journal at O
■ Center of bearing at O'
■ Eccentricity e

■ Eccentricity ratio ϵ

■ Minimum film thickness

h0 occurs at line of
centers
■ Film thickness
anywhere is h Fig. 12–6

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Viscosity Charts
■ Viscosity is clearly a function of temperature
■ Viscosity charts of common lubricants are given in Figs.
12–12 through 12–14
■ Raymondi and Boyd assumed constant viscosity through
the loading zone
■ Not completely true since temperature rises as work is
done on the lubricant passing through the loading zone
■ Use average temperature to find a viscosity

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Viscosity-Temperature Chart in U.S. Customary Units

Fig. 12–12

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Viscosity-Temperature Chart in Metric Units

Fig. 12–13

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Minimum Film Thickness and Eccentricity Ratio
Fig. 12–16

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 Coefficient of Friction Variable

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Slide EMEFig.
150B12–18
Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Flow Variable

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Slide Fig.
EME 150B 12–19 Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
Mechanical
 Example 12–1
■ Determine h0 and e using the following given parameters:
μ =4 μreyn, N = 30 rev/s, W = 500 lbf (bearing load), r =
0.75 in, c = 0.0015 in, and l = 1.5 in.

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Energy Considerations

Fig. 12–23

■ End or side leakage removes heat

■ Analysis assumes lubricant carries away all enthalpy
increase

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Flow Ratio of Side Flow to Total Flow
Fig. 12–20

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Simplified power loss calculations
■ Friction torque T = f W r

■ Power loss Hloss = T ω = 2 π T N

■ For journal bearings it is assumed that the friction energy

is converted into heat energy Hloss

■ 𝐻𝐻𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 = 𝑄𝑄 � 𝜌𝜌 � 𝑐𝑐 � ∆𝑇𝑇
with Q: volume flow rate (e.g. from Fig. 12-19)
𝜌𝜌 : lubricant density
c : spec. heat capacity of lubricant
∆T: temperature change of lubricant

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Clearance

■ Clearance (or radial clearance) is the difference between

bearing and journal radius.
■ A too tight clearance can lead to high temperatures, too
thin lubrication films, maybe fatigue failure of the bearing
■ A too large clearance can lead to shaft movements, noisy
bearings, a decreased minimum film thickness

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Temperature Limits

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Example 12–2
■ Using the parameters in Example 12-1, determine the
coefficient of friction, the torque to overcome friction,
and the power loss to friction
Example 12–3
■ Using the parameters in Example 12-1, determine the
total volumetric flow Q and the side flow Qs.

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Types of journal bearings
■ Bearings with lubricant
sumps have extra lubricant
Fig. 12–31
that might be cooled.
■ A special type are self-
contained bearings where
the lubricant is cooled
inside the housing. The
housing needs to dissipate
the generated heat.

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Types of journal bearings
■ Boundary lubricated or dry journal bearings
■ operate in the thin-film lubrication mode.
■ Boundary lubrication occurs when the lubricant film gets thin,
e.g. by insufficient lubricant supply, load increase, viscosity
change due to temperature.
■ The sleeves are commonly made of polymers, blended with
solids such as nylon, molybdenum, graphite, PTFE (Teflon), or
bronze. These bearings are limited to low-load and low-surface
speed applications.
■ Self-lubricating bearings are porous bearings, e.g. made
with powder-metallurgy, with graphite inclusions, MoS2,
PTFE as built-in lubrication (solid-film lubrication).

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Limits on Some Materials for Boundary-Lubricated
Bearings

Table 12–7
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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Bearing Types

Fig. 12–32

Fig. 12–33

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Typical Groove Patterns

Fig. 12–34

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Types of journal bearings
■ Hydrostatic bearings (also called pressure-fed bearings)
work with external pumps to increase the lubricant flow
(air, water, fluid) through the bearing and reduce
temperatures.
■ They have higher costs and
need additional pumps, but
have superior performance
and reliability. Hydrostatic
lubrication also works at
very small velocities or with
high loads (vs.
hydrodynamic journal
bearings as discussed
before)
www.911metallurgist.com

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Types of journal bearings
■ Flanged journal bearings can carry some thrust load.

Fig. 12–37

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 More bearing types – thrust and linear bearings
■ Plain, sliding bearings
Dovetail rail guide
Mitchell thrust bearing

Bearing pad

www.directindustry.com

Wikipedia.org

www.machinerylubrication.com grainger.com

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Linear motion bearings
■ Many CNC machines include linear motion bearings.
These are not plain, sliding bearings, but include rolling
elements!

Source: http://www.razorgage.com/

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke
 Example problem 12-9
■ A full journal bearing is 28 mm long. The shaft journal has
a diameter of 56 mm with a unilateral tolerance of
-0.012 mm. The bushing bore has a diameter of 56.05 mm
with a unilateral tolerance of 0.012 mm. The load is 2.4 kN
and the journal speed is 900 rev/min. For the minimum
clearance assembly find the minimum oil-film thickness,
the power loss, and the side flow if the operating
temperature is 65o and SAE 40 lubricating oil is used.

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Slide EME 150B Mechanical Design, Prof. Barbara Linke