Evaluating the Performance of Journal Bearings Lubricated with Palm Olein Under Difference Clearing Gap

Journal bearings utilize tribological principles in machinery, but issues with lubricant type and clearance gaps pose challenges. In this research, palm olein was used as a lubricant for journal bearings with clearance gaps of 100 μm and 500 μm. A journal bearing test rig facilitated experimental analysis to assess the pressure distribution within the bearing. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of palm olein as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional mineral oils, particularly focusing on its performance across varying clearance gaps. As the clearance gap was reduced from 500 μm to 100 μm, the pressure distribution increased by 110% for mineral oil and 85% for super olein oil. Super olein oil demonstrated a significantly lower coefficient of friction compared to mineral oil, with a 50% reduction at a 500 μm clearance gap and an 87% reduction at a 100 μm gap. This indicates that super olein oil may offer improved lubrication efficiency, particularly under tighter clearance conditions. Additionally, as the clearance gap decreases, both the attitude angle and eccentricity ratio tend to increase, while the load-bearing capacity decreases. This trend suggests that tighter clearances may enhance stability but at the cost of reduced load support. Specifically, at a 500 μm clearance gap, the pressure rose by 85% to 110%, and at 100 μm, the pressure increment reached 0.1024, reinforcing that super olein oil maintains a lower coefficient of friction than mineral oil under varying conditions.