The Effects of Bearing Geometry on Rotor Stability

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Abstract
The stability and unsteady behavior of journal bearings is much influenced by bearing geometry, and various designs have been used by engineers to promote stable bearing performance. The complexity of many of the bearing shapes used precludes anything other than purely numerical modelling if detailed quantitative results are sought for particular bearings. Much qualitative information on the general effect of bearing design is, however, obtainable from simple mathematical models in which the dominant physical effects of the geometry are retained. We describe such a model, in which the effects on design features on the dynamics of the bearing can be exposed and understood in analytic terms. In particular, we display the effects on whirl instability of bearing shapes which influence cavitation of the lubricant, and propose that it is though the control of cavitation that bearing geometry exerts crucial effects.

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