The Molecular Transit Time and Its Correlation With the Stability of Externally Pressurized Gas-Lubricated Bearings

Abstract

This paper advances the hypothesis that the regimes of unstable operation of externally pressurized gas-lubricated bearings may be defined by certain dimensionless parameters in much the same way as the Reynolds’ number predicts the transition of laminar to turbulent flow. A theoretical discussion of the basic principles of gas bearings indicates that unstable operation is related to the capacity of a bearing to change its contained fluid mass. Some general expressions are developed which suggest the nature of some dimensionless parameters and permit experimental evaluation of the theory.