Structural design and simulation of herringbone groove bearing lubricated with liquid metal

Abstract

We designed a novel herringbone groove sliding bearing suitable for gallium-based liquid metal lubrication, taking advantage of the excellent fluidity, high thermal conductivity, and strong stability of gallium-based liquid metal at room temperature. We used the finite element method to analyze how eccentricity affected the bearing pressure variation and chose the best structural parameters by comparing how different groove parameters affected the peak pressure and carrying capacity. The results show that the herringbone groove reduces bearing friction resistance and causes the bearing pressure variation to exhibit a herringbone pattern. The herringbone groove structural parameters have a significant impact on the peak pressure and carrying capacity of the bearing. The gallium-based liquid metal bearing works well when the herringbone angle is 50°, the groove depth is between 15 μm and 25 μm, and the groove ratio is between 0.7 and 0.9.