The Optimum Design of Hydrodynamic Lubrication Bearing for Minimization of the Total Life Cost

This paper proposes an optimum design method of journal bearing for minimizing the total life cost which includes not only the initial cost but also the running cost. Journal bearing is one of the typical friction part and physically severe part in machine elements. Therefore, maintenance is required to prevent failure and to keep performance. For this object, the running cost by the maintenance is user’s burden. Thus, the optimum design method of the bearing for minimization of the total life cost is required. In this research, the evaluation functions of the total life cost which contains the initial cost and the running cost of the bearing are discussed and the optimum design is proposed under the physical constrain, that is Thermo Hydrodynamic Lubrication theory (THL theory), and inequality constraints. Then design valuables of the optimum journal bearing are obtained.Copyright © 2007 by ASME