Non-Newtonian Temperature and Pressure Effects of a Lubricant Slurry in a Rotating Hydrostatic Step Bearing

The purpose of this research was to investigate the pressure and temperature effects of graphite powder lubricant when added to a Newtonian carrier fluid and applied in a rotating hydrostatic step bearing. Temperature and pressure profiles were determined both analytically and experimentally. The rheological behavior of the non-Newtonian lubricant was modeled using a power law model previously shown to approximate experimental data for this fluid. Ethylene glycol was used as the Newtonian lubricant, providing a check on the test apparatus and a base line for comparison with the non-Newtonian graphite slurry.

Data revealed a temperature increase with bearing rotational speed for both fluids and compared favorably with the mathematical predictions. A significantly higher temperature rise was seen in the non-Newtonian lubricant due to the higher shear rates. The pressure profile was not directly dependent on bearing rotational speed in the mathematical model, but experimental data demonstrated a reduction in pressure at higher rotation speeds. This loss was greater for the non-Newtonian lubricant and attributed to temperature dependence of power law constants. It was concluded that the effects of operating speed and temperature on a non-Newtonian lubricant should be considered as well as their greater load-carrying capacity.