Analysis of a Porous Gas Foil Bearing

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to analyze the porous cylindrical gas film foil bearing at low pressures and to provide an engineering design method based on the variable parameters of the bearing and the fixed parameters of the application. The theoretical analysis was divided into three parts: an analysis of flow in the porous medium, a study of the flow in the channel between the bearing cylinder and foil, and an analysis of the elastic strain in the foil. An experimental analysis followed, in which a foil was supported on an air bearing at different supply pressures. The edge separation was measured by microscopy techniques and compared to the prediction obtained from the computer analysis. They agreed almost perfectly.