Tribology and Materials | Volume 5 | Issue 3 | 2026 | 150-158
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https://doi.org/10.46793/tribomat.2026.015
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Analysis of the axial force calculation method for turbocharger thrust bearing design
Vladislav Hudyakov
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Elena Zadorozhnaya
South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia
Abstract: Turbochargers play a key role in increasing the performance and efficiency of modern internal combustion engines. However, their increased performance leads to an increase in mechanical loads, both in the radial and axial directions. This article examines modern methods for calculating the axial load on a turbocharger thrust bearing to optimise tribounit design and improve its hydromechanical characteristics. For this purpose, the analytical method of the control volume and numerical modelling in the Ansys Fluent software package, as well as software developed by the authors, were used. Based on the results of the study, an assessment of the applicability of these methods was performed, parametric calculations of the bearing design were carried out and the most effective geometric shape was determined.
Keywords: thrust bearing, axial force, turbocharger, hydromechanical characteristics.
Received: 28-09-2025, Revised: 21-12-2025, Accepted: 10-02-2026
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which allows users to distribute, remix, adapt,
and build upon the material in any medium or format for non-commercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
Abstract: Turbochargers play a key role in increasing the performance and efficiency of modern internal combustion engines. However, their increased performance leads to an increase in mechanical loads, both in the radial and axial directions. This article examines modern methods for calculating the axial load on a turbocharger thrust bearing to optimise tribounit design and improve its hydromechanical characteristics. For this purpose, the analytical method of the control volume and numerical modelling in the Ansys Fluent software package, as well as software developed by the authors, were used. Based on the results of the study, an assessment of the applicability of these methods was performed, parametric calculations of the bearing design were carried out and the most effective geometric shape was determined.
Keywords: thrust bearing, axial force, turbocharger, hydromechanical characteristics.
Received: 28-09-2025, Revised: 21-12-2025, Accepted: 10-02-2026
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which allows users to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for non-commercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.