HYDRODYNAMIC INSTABILITY

LOAD
BEARING

JOURNAL

LINE JOING THE

CENTERS
 Whirling in Journal Bearing
• Generally oil film itself flows around the journal to lubricate
and cool the bearing. This develops an average speed
slightly less than 50 percent of the journal surface speed.

• The shaft rides on the crest of an oil pressure gradient,

rising slightly up the side of the bearing somewhat off
vertical at a given, stable attitude angle and eccentricity.

• The amount of rise depends on the rotor speed, rotor

weight and oil pressure. With the shaft operating
eccentrically relative to the bearing center, it draws the oil
into a wedge to produce this pressurized load-carrying film.
 Whirling in Journal Bearing
• If the shaft receives a disturbing force such as a sudden
surge or external shock, it can momentarily increase the
eccentricity from its equilibrium position.
• When this occurs, additional oil is immediately pumped into
the space vacated by the shaft. This results in an increased
pressure of the load-carrying film, creating additional force
between the oil film and shaft.
• In this case, the oil film can actually drive the shaft ahead of
it in a forward circular motion and into a whirling path around
the bearing within the bearing clearance.
 Whirling in Journal Bearing

• If there is sufficient damping within the system,

the shaft can be returned to its normal position and

stability. Otherwise, the shaft will continue in its

whirling motion, which may become violent depending

on several parameters.
Synchronous or Resonant Whirl
BEARING

JOURNAL
 Synchronous or Resonant Whirl

Journal orbits at a frequency equal to the

rotational speed of the shaft about the center
of the bearing.
 JOURNAL BEARING DYNAMICS

Critical Speed

- Stiffness of the rotor

- Stiffness of the bearings that supports

the rotor

(Rotor may be Gear, Wheel, Turbine blade etc.)

 MECHANISM OF
HYDRODYNAMIC INSTABILTY
• Lightly loaded high speed bearings

• Whirling motion takes place

• This motion may be accelerating, decelerating,

stable or may die out depending on the attitude angle

and damping characteristics.

• Whirling speed will be half the shaft speed - Half

frequency of whirl.
 High Speed Unloaded/Lightly
loaded bearings

Half Frequency Whirl

Shaft orbits at a frequency equal to half the
rotational speed of the shaft.

Ability of the bearing to support radial load

falls to zero.

Beyond this a region of instability is reached.

 OIL WHIRL / WHIP

Oil whirl can be induced by several conditions including:

• Light dynamic forces
• Excessive bearing wear or clearance
• A change in oil properties (primarily shear viscosity)
• An increase or decrease in oil pressure or oil temperature;
improper bearing design (sometimes an over design for the
actual shaft loading)
• Fluid leakage in the shroud of blades and shaft seals
• Change in internal damping (hysteretic, or material
damping, or dry (coulomb) friction)