Abstract
A theoretical approach to evaluating capacitance, resistance, capacitive reactance, and impedance of the lower and upper lobes of a two-lobe elliptical hydrodynamic journal bearing under various operating conditions is developed. It is established that the change in capacitance and resistance with the change in eccentricity ratios is nonlinear. The capacitance and resistance, thus determined, are correlated with the dynamic coefficients of bearings using an electrical analogy. It is found that the stiffness and damping coefficients are higher for two-lobe bearings as compared to those of cylindrical bearings having identical dimensional parameters and operating under similar conditions. The analysis may have the potential to diagnose the stability regime of a bearing through the bearing’s electrical parameters. The electrical analogy may be a useful alternative to conventional techniques.
