Abstract:By taking the turbulence effect and pad deformation of large tilting pad journal bearings into consideration,a three-dimensional thermo-elastic hydrodynamic lubrication (TEHD) model was built based on the joint simulation of COMSOL and MATLAB.In the model,the modified Reynolds equation,energy equation and heat conduction equation were calculated by using the physics field module partial differential equation (PDE) of COMSOL.The deformation calculation of pad was realized by the thermal stress physical field module in COMSOL.The coupling of multi physical fields and the control of calculation process were realized by MATLAB.Based on the model,the influence of the pad arc length,nominal clearance,pivot offset and axial width on the performance of tilting pad journal bearing was investigated.The results show that when the arc length or axial width of the pad increase,the oil film thickness increases and the pad surface temperature decreases,however,the total friction power loss increases.When the radial clearance increases,the oil film thickness increases,the pad surface temperature decreases and the friction power consumption decreases slightly.When the pivot offset increases,the change trend of the two lower pads is opposite,and the total bearing capacity and friction power loss increase slightly.This study provides valuable reference for the optimal design of tilting pad journal bearings.