What are the purposes of these two grooves on the bearing shell?
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Today I saw a set of bearing shells, those used in air separation compressors; they are tilting type bearings, with three lower shells and two upper shells. The two upper shells are larger in size than the three lower ones, and both upper shells have grooves on their front and back sides, while the lower shells do not have such grooves. I’ve never seen this kind of design before; I’m not sure what purpose these two grooves serve And what are the advantages of having larger upper tiles compared to lower tiles?
It’s not for oil intake; the oil intake is through those two nozzles beside it. As for whether oil leakage occurs, it cannot be confirmed. Is it necessary to design it in this way? What are the advantages of this design? Why is it only the upper tile that is designed this way?
It must be impurities caused by friction.
An oil groove or feed groove, designed to allow lubricant to enter the gaps more effectively and evenly in order to form a proper oil film. It blooms in the non-load-bearing area.
Another one is, as mentioned on the 5th floor, the impurity discharge channel. The above views are my personal opinions.
It is a small oil storage tank that ensures lubrication during startup
Those who are not in the field of design only have a general idea; to gain a deeper understanding, it’s best to pick up a \"Mechanical Design Handbook\" to satisfy one’s curiosity. It’s best not to question things in an accusatory tone before understanding anything about them. This is not conducive to learning*. The use of tile-shaped design at the upper end is mainly determined by factors such as the rotor’s load-bearing capacity and rotational speed. There are also tiles with the same design on the top and bottom. This type of tile design is different from those with large areas of contact. Even tiles that are in large-area contact actually have only point contact, which is not as good as the effect achieved by those with free contact. But it is stronger in terms of load-bearing capacity than those with more tiles. Those with high load capacity and low rotation speeds mostly use semi-circular shapes, while those operating at high speeds with light loads usually adopt multi-lobed designs. The microscopic design of the bearing shells includes oil injection holes and oil pockets; these designs are intended to ensure effective distribution of oil across the surface of the shells. Additionally, it is necessary to take into account the flow rate of oil drainage. The three main functions of lubricating oil are to provide effective lubrication, to remove the heat generated by friction, and to eliminate impurities. Sorting things out around these three issues is also reasonable, as it is beneficial for the service life. As for every detail on the tile surface, it is useful – don’t question it; ask why. Oh, there’s another factor worth noting that is helpful for a fundamental understanding, and that is related to the “direction of rotation” of the rotor.
Thank you for clarifying! There’s no intention of blaming or questioning at all; it’s just that I’m inexperienced and have seen this design for the first time, so I want to know what its purpose is.