Experimentally study of dynamic pressure distribution and oil film forces in journal bearing using ElectroMechanical Film sensor array

The acquisition of the oil film pressure and forces on the bearing pads through experimentation is crucial to understanding the characteristics of journal bearing. Lots of efforts had been taken in film pressure measurement, and the pressure was obtained at specified position on the bearing pads. However, due to the space and structure constraint, merely very limited number of the point pressure can be obtained with traditional sensors and acquiring the detail pressure field on whole bearing pad surface is still an open challenge. In this paper, a method based on thin-film sensors technique is proposed and employed to measure the pressure distribution and oil film forces of journal bearings. The measurement is conducted on a cylindrical journal bearing with two axial grooves, and ElectroMechanical Film sensor arrays are designed and laid on the surface of the bearing pads. The oil film pressure is acquired at up to 32 measurement points in total along the bearing pads in both circumference and axial directions. The pressure distribution in a wide rotation speed range is obtained successfully by using fitting algorithm. Furthermore, the oil film forces on horizon and vertical direction are obtained through the integration of the measured pressure filed. The test results prove that it is feasible to measure the oil pressure filed of journal bearings using ElectroMechanical Film piezo-film sensor array.