Groove effects on thrust washer lubrication

A numerical model was developed to investigate the effects of groove geomet ry on the hydrodynamic lubrication mechanism of thrust washers. In order ro achieve the objectives the isothermal, time-dependent, polar-coordinate Re ynolds equation, including the cavitation and centrifugal effects, M as sol ved numerically to determine the pressure distribution for various groove g eometries and operating conditions. The polar coordinate Reynolds equation was discretized using the control volume finite difference approach. The re sults indicate that thrust washers are capable of supporting a significant amount of load with proper groove geometries. Design curves were generated for load support and other operating parameters as a function of each of th e groove geometrical parameters (i.e., depth. width, number of grooves, and shape) as well as the operating conditions so that thrust washers performa nce can be predicted and optimized.