Efeito da texturização e abaulamento no desempenho de mancais de deslizamento radial lubrificados: uma abordagem computacional

Abstract

The improvement of mechanical systems efficiency has garnered significant attention from the scientific community. In this sense, several works demonstrate that reductions in friction energy dissipations increase the efficiency of mechanical systems. Among the explored alternatives, topographical changes have demonstrated substantial potential for bearings efficiency improvement due to friction and wear reduction. Accordingly, this work aims to investigate the effect of topography control on the tribological performance of misaligned hydrodynamic journal bearings, operating under high loads and low rotational speeds. In this case, the present work simulates a specific purpose: the transmission system of wind turbines. An element-based finite volume method (EbFVM) was used to resolve the lubrication simulation of textured surfaces considering the occurrence of cavitation phenomenon in contact interfaces. This study focused on the influence of axis crowning shape and complex geometry surface textures on the efficiency of lubricated contacts. Additionally, the system parameters gear helix angle and input torque were investigated. The simulation results revealed the efficacy of axis crowning in reducing total power loss. Additionally, the presence of specific texture geometry partially applied on the bearing surface enhanced both the energy efficiency and durability of the system. In fact, texture geometry and depth presented minimal influence under the simulated conditions. However, the textured area positioning on the bearing surface proved to be the main factor in improving systems performance.