Fluid-structure interactions in hydrodynamic bearings result in load carrying and drag forces which give the bearing its characteristics. While these bearings offer many benefits as machine components, one of their shortcomings is their limited efficient range. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of micron-scale actuators to actively control the thrust and drag forces on a slider bearing. We show that for a set of control parameters, we are able to affect the performance of a bearing by more than 100 percent during operation, increasing the bearing’s range of operation. [S0742-4787(00)01602-7]

Issue Section:
Technical Papers
Keywords:
micromechanical devices, hydrodynamics, interface roughness, machine bearings, drag, sliding friction, deformation, steel
Topics:
Bearings, Drag (Fluid dynamics), Pressure, Thrust, Deformation
1.
Ho
,
C.-M.
, and
Tai
,
Y.-C.
,
1996
, “
Review: MEMS and Its Applications for Flow Control
,”
ASME J. Fluids Eng.
118
, pp.
437
–
446
.
2.
Ho
,
C.-M.
, and
Tai
,
Y.-C.
,
1998
, “
Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) and Fluid Flows
,”
Annu. Rev. Fluid Dynam.
30
, pp.
579
–
612
.
3.
Christensen
,
H.
,
1970
, “
Stochasatic Model for Hydrodynamic Lubrication of Rough Surfaces
,”
Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng.
184
, pp.
1013
1013
.
4.
Hargreaves
,
D.
,
1991
, “
Surface Waviness Effects on the Load-Carrying Capacity of Rectangular Slider Bearings
,”
Wear
145
, pp.
137
–
151
.
5.
Gururajan
,
K.
and
Prakash
,
J.
,
1999
, “
Surface Roughness Effects in Infinitely Long Porous Journal Bearings
,”
ASME J. Tribol.
121
, pp.
139
–
147
.
6.
Koeneman, P. B., 1995, “Conceptual Design of a Micro Power Supply for a MEMS Smart Bearing,” Master’s thesis, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
7.
Koeneman
,
P.
,
Busch-Vishniac
,
I.
, and
Wood
,
K.
,
1997
, “
Feasibility of MEMS Micro Power Supplies
,”
IEEE J. Microelectromech. Syst.
6
, pp.
355
–
362
.
8.
Flagg, S. W., 1995, “Design and Construction of an Apparatus to Test Active Hydrodynamic Bearings,” Master’s thesis, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
9.
Masser, D. I., 1995, “An Experimental Investigation of Hydrodynamic Bearings with Micromachined Surfaces,” Master’s thesis, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
10.
Maddox, W. E., 1994, “Modeling and Design of a Smart Hydrodynamic Bearing with an Actively Deformable Surface,” Master’s thesis, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
11.
Chu
,
C. S.
,
Wood
,
K. L.
, and
Busch-Vishniac
,
I.
,
1998
, “
Nonlinear Dynamic Modeling with Confidence Bounds of Hydrodynamic Bearings
,”
ASME J. Tribol.
120
, pp.
595
–
604
.
12.
Wood
,
K.
, and
Neikirk
,
D.
et al.,
1998
, “
MEMs Hydrodynamic Bearings: Applications and Implications to Machine Failure Prevention
,”
J. Tribotest
,
4
, pp.
275
–
288
.
13.
Box, G., and Draper, N., 1987, Empirical Model-Building and Response Surfaces Wiley, NY.
14.
DeVor, R. E., Chang, T., and Sutherland, J. W., 1992, Statistical Quality Design and Control: Contemporary Concepts and Methods, Macmillan, New York.
15.
Ross, P. J., 1996, Taguchi Techniques for Quality Engineering, McGraw Hill, New York.
16.
Baroud, C. N., 1997, “Induced Dynamical Variations in Hydrodynamic Bearings,” Master’s thesis, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
Copyright © 2000
 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.