Liquid–gas support and lubrication based on a ferrofluid seal

Abstract

The use of a lubricated bearing is an effective way to reduce friction. In contrast to traditional hydrostatic and hydrodynamic bearings, a type of liquid–gas mixed supporting construction based on a ferrofluid seal was introduced in this paper. When the undersurface of a magnet ring bonds to a plate, ferrofluids absorbed on the upper surface of the magnet can supply bearing capacity generated by the magnetized fluid and the compressible gas sealed in the ring chamber. The supporting forces of the liquid, gas and liquid–gas mix based on a ferrofluid seal were tested. To further increase the supporting capacity, two simple methods were suggested. The low-friction properties of this supporting structure were also confirmed. The advantage of the construction is that the supporting forces are adjustable and independent of any other external facilities or relative movement. Such a design provides the underlying applications for precision and low-velocity mechanisms.