Theoretical analysis of stability characteristics of hydrodynamic journal bearings lubricated with micropolar fluids

The aim of the present paper is to study theoretically, using finite difference techniques, the stability characteristics of hydrodynamic journal bearings lubricated with micropolar fluids. The theoretical study has been presented using both the linear analysis based on the perturbation method and non-linear analysis using the Runge-Kutta method. Parametric studies have been conducted and stability characteristics have been obtained and a comparison of the results of linear and non-linear analyses for different parameters have been compared and presented. A modified Reynolds equation has been obtained using micropolar lubrication theory and the solution of pressure obtained from this equation is used in the governing differential equations of motion to arrive at a stability threshold. The results show that the micropolar fluid exhibits better stability in comparison with the Newtonian fluid.