Journal Bearing Apparatus

The unit consists of a motor driven journal shaft mounted in bearings over which a bearing floats. Oil is supplied to bearing by gravity feed, from oil supply tank. The motor is provided with speed control. In order to avoid clumsiness & height limitation problems with ordinary oil tube manometers, a pressure gauge is provided, which is connected to a tapping over the bearing. The tapping can be rotated to required angular position around the journal axis, so that pressure distribution around the bearing can be noted. A torque arm and weights provided enable to measure the friction torque. Weight set is provided to load the bearing. Thus experiments can be conducted at various loads & speeds. Due to rotating pressure gauge, high pressures can be measured, avoiding overflow and air bubble problems of conventional oil manometer type units. Also, an accurate determination of graph of coefficient of friction Vs. Sommer Feld number is possible, which is useful to decide whether the bearing is operating in boundary lubrication or oil film lubrication.

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Journal dia- 49.8.mm, length 50mm.
2. Bearing dia – 50 mm.
3. Pressure gauge – 10 Kg/cm2.
4. Weight set to load the bearing upto 25 Kg.
5. D.C. motor with variable speed control to drive journal.
6. Torque arm and weights for measurement of friction torque.
7. Oil outlet flow measurement arrangement.
8. Thermometer to measure oil temperature.