Effects of differently shaped textures on the tribological properties of static and dynamic pressure thrust bearings and multiobjective optimization

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate three types of textures designed to enhance the tribological performance of static and dynamic pressure thrust bearings.

Design/methodology/approach

To explore the effects of different types of textures on tribological performance, the Reynolds equation is modified using lubrication theory and computational fluid dynamics methods while considering the influence of cavitation and turbulence on the physical field. In addition, the tribological performance is optimized through an improved selection algorithm based on Pareto envelope (PESA).

Findings

The results indicate that textured thrust bearings exhibit superior tribological performance compared to untextured ones. The circular texture outperforms other textures in terms of load-bearing and friction performance, with improvements of approximately 28.8% and 18.9%, respectively. In addition, the triangular texture exhibits the most significant temperature improvement, with a reduction of approximately 1.93%.

Originality/value

The study proposes three types of textures and evaluates the friction performance of thrust bearings by modifying the Reynolds equation. In addition, the optimal texture design is determined using an improved selection algorithm based on PESA.

Citation

Yu, X., Shi, G. and Yang, X. (2024), "Effects of differently shaped textures on the tribological properties of static and dynamic pressure thrust bearings and multiobjective optimization", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 76 No. 6, pp. 769-787. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-03-2024-0104