Self-Alignment Systems for Heavily Loaded, Compliant, Hydrodynamic Air Bearings

Abstract

Internal and external self-alignment system for compliant-foil journal bearings have been developed and tested at 35000 rpm in ambient air. These system have been shown to substantially improve the self-alignment capabilities of the compliant-foil bearings. The standard bearings with center-split bump have a misaligned capacity of 0.07 degrees at 55 kPa and 0.03 degrees at 83 kPa. Bearings with an internal self-alignment system were shown to have 0.15-degree misalignment capability at 55-kPa loading and 0.06 degrees at 90 kPa. A bearing with an external self-alignment system tolerated 0.43 degrees of misalignment at 69 kPa and 0.37 degrees at 110 kPa. Self-alignment capabilities of the bearings were improved at higher speed. Limited testing at 288°C showed that the temperature had no influence on the bearing performance. Presented at the 35th Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, May 5–8, 1980