To meet the requirements of new commercial equipment, performances of air thrust bearings always have to be improved. This work is concerned with the research of the converging profile that will give high load capacities. When compressibility effects increase (when the compressibility number Λ is over 50), a one-dimensional study shows that the best bearing is a composite bearing, i.e., one in which the leading portion has a constant slope followed by a surface parallel to the runner. For each compressibility number, entrance film thickness H1 and the transition angle θ1 define the best profile. In a two-dimensional study, for compressibility numbers from 10 to 1000, comparison in term of load capacity is made between tapered and composite profiles. It outlines the better load capacity of the composite bearings and confirms the good results obtained by Heshmat (1983) and Gray (1981) with such profiles.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Topics:
Compressibility, Stress, Thrust bearings, Bearings, Composite materials, Film thickness
1.
Chow, C. Y., Cheng, H. S., and Wilcock, D. F. 1970, “Optimum Surface Profile for the Enclosed Pocket Hydrodynamic Gas Thrust Bearing,” ASME JOURNAL OF LUBRICATION TECHNOLOGY, Apr. pp. 318–324.
2.
Constantinescu, V. N., 1969, Gas Lubrication, ASME, NY, Chapter 5.
3.
Etsion, I., 1976, “Analysis of the Gas-Lubricated Flat-Sector-Pad Thrust Bearing,” NASA Technical Note D-8220.
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Etsion, I., 1976, “Analysis and Design of a Cantilever-Mounted Resilient-Pad Gas-Lubricated Thrust Bearing,” NASA Technical Note D-8221.
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Gray, S., Heshmat, H., and Bhushan, B., 1981, “Technology Progress on Compliant Foil Air Bearing Systems for Commercial Applications,” 8e Gas Bearing Symposium, 8–10 Apr.
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9.
Heshmat
H.
,
Walowit
J. A.
,
Pinkus
O.
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1983
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Analysis of Gas-Lubricated Compliant Thrust Bearings
,”
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105
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4
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