• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.324-329
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• 2009

In this study a complex design fitness analysis of journal bearings is carried out for the LPLi rotary-vane fuel pump application, as an external and horizontal installation, in LPG vehicles. Bearings considered in the analyses are plain and 3-axial groove journal bearings. Upon reflecting the fact that the primary failure mode of bearings in the application is a premature friction and wear failure of bearing metal due to a very low viscosity of liquid fuel LPG as a bearing lubricant, the performance factors of bearings used in an evaluation process of design fitness are a load carrying capacity and vibration suppression ability relative to a rated speed. At this time the design variables of bearings are a radial clearance and length. Results show that, in terms of both of the load carrying capacity and vibration suppression ability, the plain journal bearings are superior to the 3-axial groove journal bearings and among the plain bearings the smaller the bearing clearance (5>10>$15\;{\mu}m$) is and the longer the bearing length (6<8<10<12<14 mm) is, the better the bearing performance is.