Thermohydrodynamic lubrication analysis method of step bearings

In recent years, thermohydrodynamic lubrication (THL) analysis technology, which simulates the thermal properties of fluid film bearings, has been necessary to design turbo machinery. However, few studies have ever tried to simulate the THL characteristics of step bearings. It is difficult to obtain the fluid temperature because the discontinuous clearance leads to a discontinuous velocity profile. In this paper, virtual clearance and its derivatives are defined in the discontinuous clearance regions to satisfy the velocity continuity. This method allows THL analysis of the bearings with discontinuous clearance on the sliding surface.