On the Dynamic Stability of Self-Aligning Journal Gas Bearings

Abstract

The report presents an investigation of the dynamic stability behaviour of self-aligning journal gas bearings when subjected to arbitrary small disturbances from an initial condition of operational equilibrium. The method is based on an approach similar to the nonlinear-ph solution of the author for the quasi-static loading case but the equations of motion of the journal are the linearized forms for small motion in the two degrees (translational) of freedom of the journal center. The stability domains for the infinite journal bearing are presented for the whole of the eccentricity (ε) and rotational speed (Λ) ranges for any given bearing geometry, in the shape of stability boundaries in that domain. It is shown that a given bearing will be stable within a corridor in the (ε, Λ) parametral domain having as its lower bound the so called “half-speed” whirl stability boundary and as its upper bound another whirling instability at a higher characteristic (relative) frequency, the instability occurs generally at the higher eccentricities and lower rotational speeds.