Numerical and Experimental Studies on Performance Enhancement of Journal Bearings Using Nanoparticles Based Lubricants

The emergence of nanotechnology and existence of computational techniques for measuring the thermophysical properties of nanolubricants has culminated in a substantial number of experimental studies over past two decades. Development of nanoparticles is a field that has more proximity to innovations taking place in the domain of physics and chemistry but their application aspects have attracted the researchers towards the performance analysis of equipments with nanolubricants in diverse engineering fields. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of various numerical and experimental studies conducted for enhancing the tribological performance of journal bearings with different lubricants. A comprehensive review of previously published studies has been provided as a valuable guide for researchers to choose the correct lubricant(s), nanoparticle(s), and selection of numerical and analytical methods for further exploration in the field of nanolubricants for performance enhancement of journal bearings. Several practical and technical issues with their potential solutions have also been explored in the field of nanolubricants. Despite their exemplary tribological performance, there is a dire need to formulate computational methods for the evaluation of journal bearing performance by taking the effects of nanolubricants into consideration.