Reverse flow as a possible mechanism for cavitation pressure build-up in a submerged journal bearing

An experimentally observed reverse flow phenomenon at the end tip of the cavitation zone of a submerged journal bearing is modeled and theoretically investigated. The shape of the cavity, the nature of the reverse flow and the pressure distribution in the bearing are calculated in an attempt to understand previous experimental observations of pressure build up in the cavitation zone. A comparison with the available experimental results reveals that the cavitation shape, the behavior of the reverse flow and the pressure distribution are fairly well predicted by the present model. The reverse flow mechanism is indeed capable to generate the level of the experimentally measured pressures, particularly towards the end of the cavitation zone.