DESIGN OF BEARINGS

Bearing is a mechanical element that permits

relative motion between two parts, such as the
shaft and the housing, with minimum friction .

Function 1: Reduce friction and make

rotation more smooth
Friction is bound to occur between the rotating
shaft and the part that supports the rotation.
Bearings are used between these two
components.
The bearings serve to reduce friction and allow
for smoother rotation. This cuts down on the
amount of energy consumption. This is the
single most important function of bearings.
Function 2: Protect the part that supports the
rotation, and maintain the correct position for
the rotating shaft
 The bearing supports the shaft or the axle and
holds it in the correct position also prevent the
motion in the direction of the applied load
 The bearing takes up the forces that act on
the shaft or the axle and transmits them to
the frame or the foundation.
Classification:
 Depending upon the direction of force

Radial bearing
supports the load,
which is
perpendicular to the
axis of the shaft

Thrust bearing
supports the load,
which acts along
the axis of the shaft
Radial thrust bearings carry both radial
and thrust loads
Depending upon the type of
friction:

Sliding contact bearings are also called plain

bearings, journal bearings or sleeve bearings.
In this case, the surface of the shaft slides
over the surface of the bush resulting in
friction and wear.
In order to reduce the friction, these two surfaces
Applications of Sliding contact bearings
 crankshaft bearings in petrol and diesel engines
 centrifugal pumps;
 large size electric motors;
 steam and gas turbines; and
 concrete mixers, rope conveyors and marine
installations.
 Rolling contact bearings are also called
antifriction bearings or simply ball bearings.
 Rolling elements, such as balls or
rollers, are introduced between the
surfaces that are in relative motion.
 In this type of bearing, sliding friction is
replaced by rolling friction.
Applications of Rolling contact bearings
 Machine tool spindles
 Automobile front and rear axles
 Gear boxes
 Small size electric motors
 Rope sheaves, crane hooks and hoisting drums.
Sliding contact Bearings
Lubrication is the science of reducing friction by
application of a suitable substance called lubricant,
between the rubbing surfaces of bodies having
relative motion.

The lubricants are classified in to following three

groups:
(i) Liquid lubricants like mineral or vegetable oils
(ii) Semi-solid lubricants like grease
(iii) Solid lubricants like graphite or molybdenum
disulphide
The objectives of lubrication are as follows:
(i) To reduce friction
(ii) To reduce or prevent wear
(iii) To carry away heat generated due to friction
(iv) To protect the journal and the bearing from
corrosion

The basic modes of lubrication are

Thick film lubrication
Thin film lubrication.
Zero film
Zero film bearing is a bearing which operates without
any lubricant, i.e., without any film of lubricating oil.

Thick film lubrication describes a condition of

lubrication, where two surfaces of the bearing in
relative motion are completely separated by a film of
fluid
 The properties of surface, like surface finish, have
little or no influence on the performance of the
bearing.
 The viscosity of the lubricant affects the performance
of the bearing as resistance to relative motion arises
from the viscous resistance of the fluid.
Thin film lubrication, which is also called
boundary lubrication is defined as a
condition of lubrication where the lubricant
film is relatively thin and there is partial
metal to metal contact.
Door hinges and machine tool slides.
The conditions resulting in boundary
lubrication are excessive load, insufficient
surface area or oil supply low speed and
misalignment.
 Classification of Thick film Lubrication
 Hydrodynamic lubrication also know as self-acting bearing: is
defined as a system of lubrication in which the load-
supporting fluid film is created by the shape and relative
motion of the sliding surfaces.
 Hydrodynamic lubrication implies there is a (comparatively)
thick film of fluid between the moving surfaces, so no contact
occurs between the surfaces.
 It requires that there be sufficient speed differential between the
surfaces, which causes the formation of the "oil wedge“.
 There has to be pressure buildup in the film due to relative
motion of the surfaces.
 Fluid friction is substituted for sliding friction.
 Hydrodynamic lubrication doesn't need an oil pump or
pressurized lubricant source to happen, but will be reached if a
shaft spins fast enough in a bearing supplied with sufficient
lubricant flow.
 Prevalent in journal and thrust bearings.
Hydrostatic lubrication is defined as a system of
lubrication in which the load supporting fluid film,
separating the two surfaces
is created by an external source, like a pump,
supplying sufficient fluid under pressure.
The lubricant is supplied under pressure, this type of
bearing is called Externally pressurized bearing.
Advantages :
High load carrying capacity even at low
speeds
No starting friction
No rubbing action at any operating speed or
load
Stages in Hydrodynamic Lubrication:

Stage2: Slow
Stage 1: At
rotation
rest

Boundary lubrication
Stage 3: At full speed running

hydrodynamic lubrication Stable hydrodynamic lubrication

Journal bearing is a sliding contact bearing
working on hydrodynamic lubrication and
which supports the load in radial direction.
The portion of the shaft inside the bearing is
called journal and hence the name ‘journal’
bearing
Hydro dynamic journal bearing:
Full Journal Bearing Partial Journal Bearing

Angle of contact between

Angle of contact of the
bushing with the the bush and the journal
journal is 360°. is always less than 180°
Can take loads in only
Can take loads in any
one radial direction
radial direction
 Thrust bearings
Bearings which take axial load
Footstep bearing: The footstep bearing or simply
‘step’ bearing is a thrust bearing in which the end of
the shaft is in contact with the bearing surface.
Collar bearing: The collar bearing is a thrust
bearing in which a collar integral with the shaft is in
contact with the bearing surface.
MCKEE’S INVESTIGATION
 In the region BC, there is partial
metal to metal contact and partial
patches of lubricant. This is the
condition of thin film or boundary
lubrication.
 In the region CD, there is relatively
thick film of lubricant and
hydrodynamic lubrication takes place.
 AC is the dividing line between these
two modes of lubrication. The region
to the left of the line AC is the thin
film zone while the region to the right
of the line AC is the thick film zone.
 It is observed that the coefficient of
friction is minimum at C or at the
transition between these two modes.
 The value of the bearing
characteristic number corresponding
to this minimum coefficient is called
the bearing modulus.
 It is denoted by K.
In order to avoid seizure, the operating value of
the bearing characteristic number should be at
least 5 to 6 times that when the coeffi cient of
friction is minimum. (5K to 6K or 5 to 6 times the
bearing modulus)
If the bearing is subjected to fluctuating loads or
impact conditions, the operating value of the
bearing characteristic number should be at least
15 times that when the coefficient of friction is
minimum.
Properties of Sliding Contact Bearing
Materials
Compressive strength:
The bearing material should have high compressive strength to
withstand the maximum pressure so as to prevent
deformation of the bearing.
Fatigue strength:
The bearing material should have sufficient fatigue strength so
that it can withstand repeated loads without developing
surface fatigue cracks.
Comformability.
It is the ability of the bearing material to accommodate shaft
deflections and bearing inaccuracies by plastic deformation without
excessive wear and heating.
Embeddability.
It is the ability of bearing material to accommodate (or embed) small
particles of dust, grit etc., without scoring the material of the journal.

Bondability.
Many high capacity bearings are made by bonding one or more thin layers
of a bearing material to a high strength steel shell. Thus, the strength of the
bond i.e bondability is an important consideration in selecting bearing
material.
Corrosion resistance:
Thermal conductivity:
The bearing material should be of high thermal conductivity so as
to permit the rapid removal of the heat generated by friction
Thermal expansion:
The bearing material should be of low coefficient of thermal
expansion,
Materials used for Sliding Contact Bearings
Babbit:
tin base and lead base babbits are widely used
generally used as a thin layer, 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm thick,
bonded to a steel shell
Tin base babbits
Tin 90% ; Copper 4.5% ; Antimony 5% ; Lead 0.5%.
Lead base babbits
Lead 84% ; Tin 6% ; Anitmony 9.5% ; Copper 0.5%

Excellent conformability and embeddability

Bronzes
Cheaper and high pressures and stronger than babbit
Good casting and machinability
Used as single solid unit
Tendency to stick to the surface of journal at high temp
gun metal
(Copper 88% ; Tin 10% ; Zinc 2%) is used for high grade
bearings subjected to high pressures
phosphor bronze
(Copper 80% ; Tin 10% ; Lead 9% ; Phosphorus 1%) is used for
bearings subjected to very high pressures
Cast iron:
The cast iron bearings are usually used with steel journals.
Silver.
The silver and silver lead bearings are mostly used in
aircraft engines where the fatigue strength is the most
important consideration.
Non-metallic bearings:
carbon-graphite: self lubricating and high temp used for
food processing equipment.
rubber: used with water or other low viscosity lubricants,
high degree of embeddability andcomformability,
excellent for absorbing shock loads and vibrations.
Wood: low cost, cleanliness, inattention to
lubrication and anti-seizing are important.
Plastics:
Nylon: Stronger, harder and more resistant to abrasive wear and
Teflon: lower coefficient of friction, higher temperatures up to
about 315°C
Zero film bearings
chemically inert , so used in food processing machines
LUBRICANTS:
To reduce friction
To remove heat
To prevent wear

Liquids-----------mineral oils, synthetic oils

Semi liquids----------grease(high viscous used at low speeds
and high pressures)
Solids-----------graphite
Properties of Lubricants:
Viscosity: Measure of degree of fluidity liquid

sp gravity in g/cc
Oiliness:

Density:
Viscosity index: Degree of variation of viscosity with temperature
For pennsylvania crude oil VI=100 Gulf coast crude oil VI=0
VI= (L-U/L-H)*100 at 100 F
Pour point or freezing point:
It is the temperature at which an oil will cease to flow when cooled
Flash point:
The lowest temperature at which there is enough concentration of
vapors in air to ignite the liquid is called its flash point. However,
vapors cease to burn if the source of ignition is removed.
Fire point:
Slightly higher temperature at which these vapors continue to
propagate and burn after removal of source of ignition
Assumptions in Hydrodynamic Lubricated
Bearings:

1.The lubricant obeys Newton's law of viscous flow.

2.The pressure is assumed to be constant throughout the film
thickness.
3.The lubricant is assumed to be incompressible.
4.The viscosity is assumed to be constant throughout the film.
5.The flow is one dimensional
Terms used in Hydrodynamic Journal Bearing

O -- the centre of the journal

O’-- the centre of the bearing.
D= Diameter of the bearing
d= Diameter of the journal
l= Length of the bearing
Diametral clearance: c=D– d

Radial clearance: C/2

Diametral clearance ratio: c/d= D-d/d

Eccentricity (e):
It is the radial distance between the centre (O) of the bearing and the displaced
centre (O’) of the bearing under load.

Minimum oil film thickness:

It is the minimum distance between the bearing and the journal under complete
lubrication condition. It is denoted by “h” and occurs at the line of centres.
Eccentricity ratio:
Ratio of the eccentricity to the radial clearance

Short and long bearing:

Short : l/d <1
Long : l/d >1
Square bearing l/d=1
REYNOLDS EQUATION:
assumptions:
Lubricant obeys newton’s law of viscosity
Lubricating oil is incompressible
Inertia forces in the film are negligible
Viscosity of the lubricant is constant
Pressure is constant across the film thickness
Shaft and bearing are rigid
Continuous supply of oil
We know
that
Unit width in Z
direction
Using continuity equation
Sommerfield equation:
Applications:
Crank shaft bearings in petrol and diesel engines
Centrifugal pumps
Large capacity electric motors
Steam and gas turbines
Concrete mixtures, rope conveyors etc…….
BEARING DESIGN—SELECTION
OF PARAMETERS
In the preliminary stages of journal bearing
design, it is required to select suitable values for
the following parameters
 Length-to-diameter ratio
 Unit bearing pressure
 Start-up load
 Radial clearance
 Minimum oil film thickness
 Maximum oil film temperature
Length to Diameter Ratio:

As the ratio increases the resulting film

pressure increases
A long bearing has more load carrying
capacity compared with a short bearing.
A short bearing, on the other hand, has
greater side flow, which improves heat
dissipation.
The long bearings are more susceptible
to metal to metal contact at the two edges, Therefore, the design
when the shaft is deflected under load. trend is to use (l/d) ratio
The longer the bearing, the more as 1 or less than 1
difficult it is to get sufficient oil flow In practice, the (l/d) ratio
through the passage between the journal varies from 0.5 to 2.0
and the bearing.
When (l/d) ratio is more than 1, the bearing is called ‘long’ bearing.
When (l/d) ratio is less than 1, the bearing is called ‘short’ bearing.
When (l/d) ratio is equal to 1, the bearing is called ‘square’ bearing.