Lubricant Flow to Connecting-Rod Bearings Through a Rotating Crankshaft

The flow of oil into a rotating crankshaft has been investigated. Analysis of the physics of the problem together with dimensional analysis indicates, for a given journal geometry, that a relationship exists between Reynolds number, non-dimensionalized pressure drop, and oil flow. Data obtained from an oil flow test rig are used to determine explicit correlations for two oil feed configurations; one journal with and one journal without a lead-in groove.