The Impact of Axial Bearing Profile on Engine Bearing Performance

As engine bearings are subjected to higher loading, the oil film thickness in the loading carrying region becomes thinner and thinner. Under the regime of elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL), the differences in the elastic deflection of the bearing/journal along axial direction are shown to have significant influence on the bearing performance. The work reported in this paper made use of SABRE-EHL, a predictive tool developed for the study of automotive engine bearings.

The influence of axial profile was firstly investigated by the examination of the operating conditions of both the big-end and main bearings of an modern petrol engine. The investigation was then extended to include a sensitivity study, where different types of axial profile were investigated. The impact of these axial profiles on engine bearing performance was then assessed.