Issue Section:
Technical Briefs
In this paper, we consider the flow in a journal bearing. The Sommerfeld approximate solution is well-known and is discussed in all lubrication texts (1,2,3). Perhaps less well-known is that an exact solution exists in the applied mechanics literature. It is of interest to compare the two solutions and establish quantitatively the parameter region where the Sommerfeld solution is a good approximation of the exact results. Since micro-bearings have lower radius ratios than typical bearings, the Sommerfeld solution is sometimes not appropriate (4).
The geometry of a journal bearing is shown in Fig. 1. The displacement of the shaft center relative to the housing center is known as “eccentricity,” , while the difference in radius is known as “clearance,” . The minimum film thickness around the...
You do not currently have access to this content.