A Theory of an Externally Pressurized Circular Thrust Gas Bearing With Consideration of the Effects of Lubricant Inertia

Abstract

A hydrodynamic theory, with consideration of the effects of compressibility and inertia of the lubricant, is applied to externally pressurized gas bearings which consist of circular and parallel surfaces. The ordinary velocity distribution in a bearing clearance with a parabolic shape is changed to a velocity distribution with a shape of elliptic function due to the effect of lubricant inertia. The pressure distribution in this case differs from the ordinary pressure curve calculated without consideration of inertia, but the load capacity seems to be almost the same in both cases. The theoretical results agree in general with the experimental results reported in a previous publication [3].