On the Spiral Grooved, Self Acting, Gas Bearing

Abstract

A hydrodynamic bearing with shallow grooves cut in one of its bearing surfaces at an angle to the direction of motion of the surfaces acts as a viscous pump or compressor; that is, it acts to pump fluid along the grooves or to increase the fluid pressure along the grooves or both. This self-pressurizing effect of grooved bearings has been utilized to support thrust loads of considerable magnitude. The analysis of thrust bearings of this type was first accomplished by Whipple (Ref. 1) and more extensive results were provided by Whitley and Williams (Ref. 2).To this writer's knowledge, there has been no prior work on the performance of a grooved bearing operating with a variable film thickness, such as an eccentric, spiral-grooved, journal bearing. Grooved self-acting bearings have two desirable features. One is that, with suitable geometry, such bearings can support both radial and thrust loads without external pressurization. A second important feature is that grooving may inhibit the notorious whirl instability common to many self-acting journal bearings.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1964
Accession Number
AD0433660

Entities

People

  • C. H. Pan
  • J. H. Vohr

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Bearings
  • Cartesian Coordinates
  • Coordinate Systems
  • Differential Equations
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Equations
  • Equations Of Motion
  • Geometry
  • Journal Bearings
  • Lubrication
  • Marine Engineering
  • Military Research
  • New Jersey
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Pressure Distribution

Readers

  • Tribology (the study of the boundary interaction between sliding surfaces, lubrication, wear and friction).