Nonlinear friction dynamics of water-lubricated bearings under transient shocks considering cavitation and turbulence effects

Abstract This study proposes a transient elastohydrodynamic mixed lubrication (EHML) model for water-lubricated bearings (WLBs) that incorporates cavitation and turbulence effects to evaluate the nonlinear friction dynamic performance under transient shock loads. The generalized average Reynolds equation is discretized using the control volume technique (CVM), and the constrained system is solved using the Fischer-Burmeister-Newton-Schur (FBNS) method. The validity of the model is verified by a comparison of experimental data from published literature. On this basis, the effects of cavitation, turbulence, shock load amplitude, direction, time, and rotational speed on WLB nonlinear friction dynamics characteristics are investigated. The results show that cavitation induces hydrodynamic loss under transient shock conditions, significantly increases contact time and load, and exacerbates the hydrodynamic instability phenomenon. In contrast, the turbulence effect effectively reduces frictional contact. The stability of WLBs under transient shock conditions is closely related to the load offset angle. Reducing the load offset angle improves the anti-shock stability of the bearings. Nevertheless, an increase in the amplitude and duration of the shock load may result in a deterioration of the frictional contact behavior. Increasing the rotational speed appropriately favors accelerating the lubrication regime transition and improving WLB’s anti-shock stability. This study provides a reference for enhancing WLB anti-shock performance and optimizing structural design.