On the measurement of pressure in textured dimples

Abstract

A mass-conservative algorithm necessitates a predefined cavitation pressure; however, arbitrarily assigning this pressure fails to predict the behavior of the texture accurately. This study determines the cavitation pressure through direct pressure measurements within textured dimples. A series of measurements are conducted across varying rotational speeds, film thicknesses, and dimple sizes. The results indicate that, under the conditions tested, the cavitation pressure is approximately 60 kPa (absolute), and mass-conservative calculations incorporating these values align closely with the experimental pressure measurements. The findings provide clear evidence of lubrication suction into the inlet section of the bearing, known as the inlet suction phenomenon, and confirm that the Elrod algorithm effectively predicts the pressure profile in this region. This work facilitates the estimation of the behavior and volume of the entrained oil, offering valuable insight for optimizing texture design in lubrication systems.