Advancements and Challenges in Water-Lubricated Bearings for Marine Applications: A Comprehensive Review

This paper examines the evolution of water-lubricated bearings (WLBs) and explores the use of water as a lubricant, highlighting the technological challenges involved in commercialising WLBs for marine applications. The review covers a wide range of subjects, including the impacts of various structu...

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Main Authors: Praveen Kumar, Jitendra Yadav, Ram Kunwer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Japanese Society of Tribologists 2025-01-01
Series:Tribology Online
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/trol/20/1/20_1/_pdf/-char/en
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author Praveen Kumar
Jitendra Yadav
Ram Kunwer
author_facet Praveen Kumar
Jitendra Yadav
Ram Kunwer
author_sort Praveen Kumar
collection DOAJ
description This paper examines the evolution of water-lubricated bearings (WLBs) and explores the use of water as a lubricant, highlighting the technological challenges involved in commercialising WLBs for marine applications. The review covers a wide range of subjects, including the impacts of various structural and operational parameters on oil film thickness, pressure, bearing capacity, and side leakage flow. It also addresses how to analyse and optimize the performance of these bearings using various numerical models and methods, including the Reynolds equation, finite difference approaches, and computational fluid dynamics. This study emphasizes the necessity of examining parameters such as feed hole intake shape, geometric and operational characteristics, and transition arc structures when improving the hydrodynamic load-carrying capacity (LCC) and tribological performance of water-lubricated journal bearings (WLJBs). It also analyses how misalignment, cavitation, and turbulence affect the performance of these bearings and proposes several design techniques to solve these difficulties. This study aims to present a complete and systematic assessment of the current state of research on water-lubricated journal bearings, focusing on major findings, methodology, and problems in their development. It is meant to be a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and designers working in this sector, allowing them to better understand the complex interactions involved and build more efficient and reliable water-lubricated journal bearings for various applications.
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spelling doaj-art-88e39d63f234458ba065cbd3ef2c6e622025-08-20T02:53:44ZengJapanese Society of TribologistsTribology Online1881-21982025-01-0120112510.2474/trol.20.1trolAdvancements and Challenges in Water-Lubricated Bearings for Marine Applications: A Comprehensive ReviewPraveen Kumar0Jitendra Yadav1Ram Kunwer2Mechanical Engineering Department, SoAE, UPESMechanical Engineering Department, SoAE, UPESMechanical Engineering Department, SoAE, UPESThis paper examines the evolution of water-lubricated bearings (WLBs) and explores the use of water as a lubricant, highlighting the technological challenges involved in commercialising WLBs for marine applications. The review covers a wide range of subjects, including the impacts of various structural and operational parameters on oil film thickness, pressure, bearing capacity, and side leakage flow. It also addresses how to analyse and optimize the performance of these bearings using various numerical models and methods, including the Reynolds equation, finite difference approaches, and computational fluid dynamics. This study emphasizes the necessity of examining parameters such as feed hole intake shape, geometric and operational characteristics, and transition arc structures when improving the hydrodynamic load-carrying capacity (LCC) and tribological performance of water-lubricated journal bearings (WLJBs). It also analyses how misalignment, cavitation, and turbulence affect the performance of these bearings and proposes several design techniques to solve these difficulties. This study aims to present a complete and systematic assessment of the current state of research on water-lubricated journal bearings, focusing on major findings, methodology, and problems in their development. It is meant to be a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and designers working in this sector, allowing them to better understand the complex interactions involved and build more efficient and reliable water-lubricated journal bearings for various applications.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/trol/20/1/20_1/_pdf/-char/enwater lubricated bearings (wlbs)cavitationcoefficient of frictionfluid-solid-thermal (fst)journal bearing
spellingShingle Praveen Kumar
Jitendra Yadav
Ram Kunwer
Advancements and Challenges in Water-Lubricated Bearings for Marine Applications: A Comprehensive Review
Tribology Online
water lubricated bearings (wlbs)
cavitation
coefficient of friction
fluid-solid-thermal (fst)
journal bearing
title Advancements and Challenges in Water-Lubricated Bearings for Marine Applications: A Comprehensive Review
title_full Advancements and Challenges in Water-Lubricated Bearings for Marine Applications: A Comprehensive Review
title_fullStr Advancements and Challenges in Water-Lubricated Bearings for Marine Applications: A Comprehensive Review
title_full_unstemmed Advancements and Challenges in Water-Lubricated Bearings for Marine Applications: A Comprehensive Review
title_short Advancements and Challenges in Water-Lubricated Bearings for Marine Applications: A Comprehensive Review
title_sort advancements and challenges in water lubricated bearings for marine applications a comprehensive review
topic water lubricated bearings (wlbs)
cavitation
coefficient of friction
fluid-solid-thermal (fst)
journal bearing
url https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/trol/20/1/20_1/_pdf/-char/en
work_keys_str_mv AT praveenkumar advancementsandchallengesinwaterlubricatedbearingsformarineapplicationsacomprehensivereview
AT jitendrayadav advancementsandchallengesinwaterlubricatedbearingsformarineapplicationsacomprehensivereview
AT ramkunwer advancementsandchallengesinwaterlubricatedbearingsformarineapplicationsacomprehensivereview