What are the advantages of the self-lubricating design of tilting pad journal bearings?

Tilting pad journal bearings are a common type of bearing that can be installed in various types of machines. These types of bearings come with various features, including self-acting bearings, self-aligning spherical seat, and Self-lubricating design.

Self-lubricating tilting pad journal bearers are a type of bearing that has self-aligning spherical seats and directed lubrication. They are used in steam turbines and compressors. They can be self-lubricated or lubricated with oil.

The principle of tilting pad journal bearings is to provide robust and safe operation. This is achieved by implementing restrictive seals on the lateral bearing ends. Another design, however, involves direct lubrication via leading edge grooves. The leading edge grooves (LEGs), in contrast to conventional bearing designs, produce fully filled gaps at the convergent lubricant film entrance. LEGs also allow for different axial sealing baffles to influence thermal equilibrium within the entire bearing.

Tilting pad journal bearings have a high load carrying capacity. This is due to their inherent resistance to oil whirl vibration. Another advantage of this design is that they are ideal for high-speed gear reductions.