Slider flying characteristics at high bearing numbers. Rarefied gas lubrication theoretical analysis.

Abstract

This paper discusses the finite-width slider flying characteristics at a high bearing number Λ in a rarefied gas regime by solving the Boltzmann equation by a numerical iteration. In the infinite-width case, the load capacity difference between the slip flow solution and the present solution for the linearized Boltzmann equation was known to be very slight over Λ=100, but the present calculations for the finite-width slider show a load capacity difference of 10-20%, even at high bearing numbers, when the dimensionless load W/P0LB is in the range of 0.2-0.5. This happens because the side leakage makes the compressibility influence and the dimensionless pressure small, compared with that in the infinite-width case.