Full Text PDF
Impact Factor (2025): 6.9
DOI Prefix: 10.47001/IRJIET
Impact Factor (2025): 6.9
DOI Prefix: 10.47001/IRJIET
Vol 10 No 5 (2026): Volume 10, Issue 5, May 2026 | Pages: 291-296
International Research Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology
OPEN ACCESS | Research Article | Published Date: 15-05-2026
One important aspect in tribology is understanding cavitation phenomena in journal bearings. This study aims to evaluate the effect of cavitation modeling on tribological performance predictions using CFD. Three cavitation models (Zwart-Gerber-Belamri, Schnerr-Sauer, and Singhal et al.) were compared against simulations without cavitation modeling, using ANSYS Fluent with laminar flow at rotational speeds up to 30,000 rpm. The results show that neglecting cavitation overestimates load-carrying capacity by approximately 12–18% and produces unrealistic negative pressure regions. Including cavitation reduces prediction errors significantly: the Singhal et al. model gives the closest match to reference data (average error 2.65%), followed by Schnerr-Sauer (4.44%) and Zwart-Gerber-Belamri (6.84%). Additionally, the maximum static pressure differs by up to 4.6% between models, while wall shear varies by about 1.7%. These findings confirm that proper cavitation modeling is essential for accurate tribological performance assessment of journal bearings.
Cavitation, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), journal bearing, load-carrying capacity, tribological performance.
Mohammad Tauviqirrahman, Faras Sugeng Yulianto, Budi Setiyana, & Muchammad. (2026). A CFD-Based Study on the Impact of Cavitation Modeling Approaches on Journal Bearing Tribology. International Research Journal of Innovations in Engineering and Technology - IRJIET, 10(5), 291-296. Article DOI https://doi.org/10.47001/IRJIET/2026.105039
This work is licensed under Creative common Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 Internation Licence
Chauhan, A., Sehgal, R. and Sharma, R.K., 2010. Thermohydrodynamic analysis of elliptical journal bearing with different grade oils. Tribology International, 43(11), pp.1970-1977. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2010.03.017
Chen, Y., Sun, Y., He, Q. and Feng, J., 2019. Elastohydrodynamicbehavior analysis of journal bearing using fluid–structure interaction considering cavitation. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 44, pp.1305-1320. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-018-3467-9
Feng, H., Jiang, S. and Ji, A., 2019. Investigations of the static and dynamic characteristics of water-lubricated hydrodynamic journal bearing considering turbulent, thermohydrodynamic and misaligned effects. Tribology International, 130, pp.245-260. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2018.09.007
Jang, G.H. and Yoon, J.W., 2002. Nonlinear dynamic analysis of a hydrodynamic journal bearing considering the effect of a rotating or stationary herringbone groove. Journal of Tribology, 124(2), pp.297-304. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1401019
Lin, P.C. and Lin, I., 2018. Interacting multiscale acoustic vortices as coherent excitations in dust acoustic wave turbulence. Physical Review Letters, 120(13). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.135004
Malcom, E. and Leader, P., 2001. Understanding Journal Bearings. Applied Machinery Dynamics Co. Durango: Colorado.
Muchammad, M., Tauviqirrahman, M., Jamari, J. and Schipper, D.J., 2021. Analysis of the effect of the slip-pocket in single and double parallel bearing considering cavitation: A theoretical approach. Lubricants, 9, 3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants9010003
Schnerr, G.H. and Sauer, J., 2001. Physical and numerical modeling of unsteady cavitation dynamics. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Multiphase Flow (ICMF-2001), New Orleans, USA, May 27 – June 1, 2001.
Singhal, A.K., Athavale, M.M., Li, H. and Jiang, Y., 2003. Mathematical basis and validation of the full cavitation model. Proceedings of the ASME Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, 1, pp.379-406. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1115/FEDSM2003-40999
Sun, D., Li, S., Fei, C., Ai, Y. and Liem, R.P., 2019. Investigation of the effect of cavitation and journal whirl on static and dynamic characteristics of journal bearing. Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, 33, pp.77-86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-018-1208-3
Zwart, P.J., Gerber, A.G. and Belamri, T., 2004. A two-phase flow model for predicting cavitation dynamics. In: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Multiphase Flow (ICMF-2004), Yokohama, Japan, May 30 – June 4, 2004. Paper No. 152, pp.1-11.