Oil whip-induced wear in journal bearings

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of oil whirl and oil whip in fluid film radial bearings due to possible metallic contact. The degree of metallic contact and thereby wear and tear between rotating shafts and bearing bushes is assessed by measuring electric currents through the oil film. The current as well as the voltage varied in accordance with the contact ratio between the shaft and bush in the fluid film radial bearing. The gauge signal thus indicates the degree of metallic contact based on the thickness of the oil film in the load zone. Some experimental results are provided to illustrate that at low normalised loads involving oil whirl and oil whip, no electric current is detected, while high levels of electric current are registered at high load levels when no oil whirl or oil whip occurred. It is therefore concluded that at low loads, oil whirl and oil whip have little influence on wear and tear in a journal bearing.