Simultaneous pressure measurement and high-speed photography study of cavitation in a dynamically loaded journal bearing

Cavitation of the oil film in a dynamically loaded journal bearing was studied using high-speed photography and pressure measurement simultaneously. Comparison of the visual and pressure data provided considerable insight into the occurrence and nonoccurrence of cavitation. It was found that (1) for the submerged journal bearing, cavitation typically occurred in the form of one bubble with the pressure in the cavitation bubble close to the absolute zero; and (2) for cavitation-producing operating conditions, cavitation did not always occur; with the oil film then supporting a tensile stress.