Abstract
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The effects of controlled elastic deformation at a defined inlet part of finite width hydrodynamic bearings are considered in a thermo elasto hydrodynamic analysis. It involves the coupled solution of the Reynolds equation for pressure, the energy equation for oil film temperature and the elasticity equation for bearing deformation. The simulated results correlate very well with experimental measurements. The controlled deformation is simple to introduce, and it increases the load carrying capacity of parallel thrust bearings, tilting, tapered thrust bearings and journal bearings. To make full use of this deformation, the thrust bearing has to be rigidly held especially at the outlet edge. When this deformation is adapted to a step bearing, it results in an optimum bearing which has load carrying capacity better than that of step bearing.