The Steady-State Characteristics of a Hydrostatic Thrust Bearing With a Floating Disk

Abstract

To reduce the frictional power loss of hydrostatic thrust bearings, the hydrostatic thrust bearing with a floating disk shaped in a simplified configuration is proposed. And the load capacity and the frictional torque are experimentally investigated in laminar and superlaminar regimes. Following results can be obtained: (1) The disk floats at a certain stable position for given shaft rotational speed and rotates at nearly half rotational speed of the shaft. (2) The frictional torque of this type of the bearing is less than half of a conventional hydrostatic thrust bearing with the same surface configuration as the floating disk.