BEARING MISALIGNMENT EFFECTS ON THE HYDROSTATIC AND HYDRODYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF GEARS IN FIXED CLEARANCE END-PLATES

Lubrication and sealing mechanisms of fixed clearance end plates in hi gh-pressure pumps have been analysed theoretically and experimentally. Bearing misalignment was found to be the main lubrication mechanism, and it was effective in determining the gear position between two end plates. The minimum film thickness between the gear end and end plate has been found to depend on the magnitude of the relative tilt of the surfaces and the position of the maximum clearance. The theory develop ed can predict the film thickness between the end plate and gear end f ace, and this corresponds very closely to the clearances measured expe rimentally under a variety of operating conditions.