Study On The Lubrication Characteristics Of Water-lubricated Bearing

Water-lubricated bearings have the advantages of clean and green,low cost,simple structure,and have a wide application prospect.Water-lubricated bearings have the characteristics of multiple curved surfaces and multiple grooves.At the same time,the low viscosity of water and impurities in water make cavitation occur more easily.So,the lubrication mechanism of water-lubricated bearings is more complicated.Based on the ANSYS software,a 3D water-lubricated bearing multiphase flow model is established and the lubrication mechanism and characteristics of water-lubricated bearings are analyzed.First,the influence of the bearing operating conditions and the grooves structure on its lubrication characteristics has been studied.It is found that rotational speed and eccentricity are the main factors affecting bearing capacity.And cavitation will occur in the water film at a high speed and large eccentricity condition.Besides,The existence of the grooves structure can promote the ability of the bearing to remove impurities in water,but it will reduce its carrying capacity.Secondly,the influence of cavitation and its effect on the bearing lubrication characteristics in different operating environments are disscussed.It shows that the greater the pressure of water supply,the stronger the suppression of cavitation,and the sand water can promote the cavitation.there may be a combined effect of sand abrasion and cavitation in the sand-water lubricating medium,resulting in the bearing surface being easily damaged.Finally,a bi-directional fluid-structure interaction model of water-lubricated bearings is established,considered the deformation of the bearing structure.The lubrication characteristics of the bearing under different lubrication medium conditions and the influence of the water film on the bearing structure and Mises stress distribution are analyzed.The deformation of the structure will slightly reduce the water film pressure and load capacity.The main influencing factors of bearing lubrication performance and bearing capacity are studied through simulation,and it provide a reference for the design of water-lubricated bearings.