Analysis of an Externally Pressurized Thrust Collar Gas-Bearing with Multiple Supply Holes

Abstract

An externally pressurized thrust gas-bearing with multiple supply holes, which has no recess, is investigated by use of the complex potential theory. Using a series of complex pontential functions, which satisfies the boundary conditions, the load capacity of this bearing can be calculated theoretically, and the volume rate of flow as well. Experimental pressure distributions coincide very well with theoretical ones especially for the case with low supply pressure and small bearing clearance. Experiments are also made to investigate theoretically the load capacity, yielding good agreement between experiments and theory, with consideration of secondary effects due to the compressibility of the fluid and pressure loss for the acceleration of the fluid at supply holes and for the change of the flow velocity profiles, whose effects are estimated by assuming a flow pattern.