The Performance of Externally Pressurized Bearings Using Simple Orifice Restrictors

Abstract

The load capacity and vibration characteristics of externally pressurized thrust and journal bearings have been investigated. The bearings used orifices sufficiently recessed back from the bearing surface to ensure that the area of the orifice is the minimum presented to the gas flow. The journal bearings consist of plain cylinders with one or two rows of eight orifices, and the thrust plates of plain discs with six orifices drilled in equispaced circumferential grooves. The load capacity of the thrust plates agrees with that calculated but the vibrations are greater than predicted. The load capacity of journal bearings is about half that calculated assuming axial flow conditions in the bearing, but circumferential flow can account for the difference. Synchronous and half-speed vibrations of a shaft rotating within these bearings have been measured and found to agree with those calculated on the assumption that the gas films behave as linear springs. *Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engine...