New Trends in Reducing Friction and Power Loss in Bearings

Dear Colleagues,

Fluid film bearings are the most common choice for land-based turbomachinery, pumps, and other heavy-duty processing machines. The lifting force generated in the film wedge guarantees the correct operation of these bearings, and with proper lubrication, they can have an almost infinite life. However, large shear stress in the oil is also generated, resulting in a significant power loss. Conversely, rolling element bearings are the best choice for small machines operating at low speed. In fact, reducing friction in the bearings significantly increases the process efficiency. For this reason, considerable effort has been devoted to finding ways to reduce power loss in bearings. Several approaches can be pursued to achieve this goal. For example, additives can be incorporated into the lubricant formulation to optimize its chemical and physical properties. Reducing the inlet flowrate can limit the shear force in fluid film bearings. Optimizing the geometry of the bearing components is another approach, and new materials can be adopted to mitigate power loss. This Special Issue aims to provide a collection of the latest research and findings in recent advances in power loss and friction reduction in both fluid film and rolling element bearings. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Fluid film bearings;
• Rolling element bearings;
• Power loss reduction;
• Friction reduction;
• Thermoelastic hydrodynamic lubrication;
• Lubricant additives and friction reducers;
• Fluid film bearings operation optimization;
• New materials;
• Fluid film bearings geometry optimization.

Edoardo Gheller is a second-year PhD student in the Mechanical Engineering department at Politecnico di Milano. His research primarily focuses on the analysis of hydrodynamic bearings, particularly tilting pad journal bearings. He actively participates in testing campaigns for these components and is also engaged in the modeling and testing of squeeze film dampers. His main objective lies in enhancing the prediction of the dynamic behavior of these components and their integration into rotordynamic analysis. Over the past two years, he has provided guidance for several graduate students' theses. Additionally, he has contributed to the review process for various journals and conferences. He will assist prof. Steven Chatterton to manage this Special Issue.

Prof. Steven Chatterton
Guest Editor

PhD student Edoardo Gheller
Guest Editor Assistant

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• fluid film bearings
• rolling element bearings
• power loss reduction
• friction reduction
• thermoelastic hydrodynamic lubrication
• lubricant additives and friction reducers
• fluid film bearings operation optimization
• new materials
• fluid film bearings geometry optimization