Analysis of mixed-lubrication characteristics and structural optimization of marine composite liner stern bearing with inclined journal
L Fangrui1,2, RAO Zhushi2, WANG Jue1
1.College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hohai University, Changzhou 213022, China;
2.State Key Lab of Mechanical System and Vibration, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Abstract:The marine stern tube bearing supports the propeller shaft stretching outside the ship. Due to the gravity of the propeller, the center line of the journal is no longer parallel to that of the bearing hole, but misaligned in the vertical direction. The journal misalignment makes the bearing film thickness and pressure no longer evenly distributed along the axial direction, significantly reduces the bearing capacity, and makes the bearing in mixed-lubrication regime. It is easy to cause problems such as collision, serious wear and even burnt out, which seriously endangers the service safety of the shafting. In order to improve the lubrication performance of misalignment water-lubricated bearing, especially improve the pressure distribution, a bearing design method using composite liner is proposed in this paper. The polymer material is used as the bearing surface, and a rubber layer is between the polymer layer and the metal shell. The thickness of the rubber layer can be uniform or non-uniform. On this basis, the mixed-lubrication model of composite liner water lubricated bearing is established, and the performances of the bearings with single liner structure, with uniform thickness composite liner structure and with non-uniform thickness composite liner structure are analyzed. The results show that for the water-lubricated bearing in mixed-lubrication regime, the composite liner can improve the pressure distribution, reduce the friction coefficient and the speed when the mixed lubrication regime transitions to the hydrodynamic lubrication regime, and the non-uniform thickness composite liner can significantly improve the lubrication characteristics. The fitting formula of the optimal rubber layer thickness is summarized, and the application range of the formula is given. The form of the formula is simple and convenient for bearing design and calculation.
Key words: Marine stern tube bearing; journal misalignment; mixed-lubrication; structural optimization
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