Experimental Study on Transient Behavior of Cavitation Phenomenon in Textured Thrust Bearings

The transient behavior of cavitation phenomenon in textured thrust bearings with oil lubricant was experimentally investigated. During experiments, the cavitation phenomenon in different surface textures was observed directly with a high-speed camera. It is shown that cavitation shape and area change according to texture patterns. The bubbles within cavitation zones increase with running time in the beginning and gradually reach a steady state, meaning that a transient period is needed to achieve equilibrium. In addition, the bubble composition was analyzed under the temperature of 35 degrees C and pressure of 30 kPa. The results show that oil vaporization plays a minor role in the formation of bubbles.