Study on tilting characteristic of pads in tilting pad bearing

The geometric relations of pad on tilting-pad bearing were studied in this paper. The relationship between tilting angle and structural parameters were established by oil film force model of the finite length tilting pad bearing and the equilibrium equation, and basic law of tilting angle change was analyzed. The study show that the tilting angle is determined by pad structural parameters, the eccentricity ratio of tilting pad bearing and the clearance ratio, but independent of shaft rotating speed, viscosity of lubrication oil, etc. A case study of a tilting pad bearing with 80 deg pad arc angle, 0.5 offset was performed to illustrate the law of tilting angle varies with eccentricity ratio and clearance ratio. It is revealed that, when the structural parameters of tilting pad bearing are constant, pad tilting angle increase first and then decrease with the original eccentricity ratio increases, and increase linearly with the bearing clearance ratio increase.