Analysis on lubrication characteristics of slipper bearing considering un-uniform gap

The inclination caused by overturning moments and the worn profile formed in the running-in process influences un-uniform gap between the slipper and the swash plate. In this paper, the inclination was described by central film thickness, tilting angle and directional angle. The worn profile of sealing belt was gained by surface topography measurement, and a model was established to describe film thickness in the un-uniform gap. The pressure field was gotten by solving the pressure governing equation and flow equilibrium equation, finally, the characteristics of film pressure, bearing capability, and leakage were analyzed. The results show that the worn profile has significant effect on the load-carrying capacity and may improve the stability of the tribological pair; the inclination of slipper greatly affects lubrication characteristics, which should be considered in analysis.