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Performance of Externally Pressurized Grooved Thrust Bearings

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Abstract

Externally pressurized grooved gas thrust bearings for shaft systems were studied both numerically and experimentally. Three thrust bearings composed of a symmetric pair of rings facing a shaft collar were tested. The rings, with inner and outer diameters of 52 and 110 mm, respectively, are equipped with a polar array of eight holes, with a 0.35-mm diameter, distributed on a 65-mm-diameter circumference. The influence of a circumferential groove situated in correspondence with the supply holes is discussed. In particular, two thrust bearings have a rectangular cross-sectional groove of 0.7-mm width and 10- and 20-μm depth. A numerical model based on Reynolds' equation is used to study thrust-bearing performance in relation to geometry (diameter of supply holes, clearance, and groove dimensions). A test rig is used to monitor thrust-bearing axial load capacity and stiffness, and evaluate damping and stability at different supply pressure rates. Experimental and numerical results are compared and discussed.

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Abbreviations

b :

Theoretical pressure critical ratio = 0.528

c :

Damping coefficient

c d :

Discharge coefficient

C S :

Conductance of supply port

d S :

Supply port diameter

f d :

Frequency of damped system

f h :

Air hammer frequency

f n :

Natural frequency

F :

Axial force acting on shaft (including shaft weight for vertical position)

G :

Air mass flow rate

h :

Clearance

h 0 :

Clearance in center position

h g :

Groove depth

K :

Stiffness

k T :

Temperature coefficient\( = \sqrt {293/T^{0} } \)

m :

Shaft mass

N :

Number of ports on each bearing ring

P :

Absolute pressure

P a :

Ambient pressure

P C :

Supply port downstream pressure

P S :

Absolute supply pressure

q :

Inlet mass flow rate per unit area

r :

Radial coordinate

R 0 :

Gas constant = 287.6 m2/s2 K

r 0 :

Supply ports circumference radius

r e :

Thrust-bearing outer radius

r i :

Thrust-bearing inner radius

Re :

Reynolds number

r g :

Groove radius

S :

Port cross-section

t :

Time

T 0 :

Absolute temperature in normal condition

w g :

Groove width

z :

Axial coordinate

δ:

Logarithmic decrement

ε:

Eccentricity ratio = z/h 0

μ:

Air viscosity

ρST :

Air density in standard condition

θ:

Angular coordinate

ω:

Rotational frequency

\( \omega_{n} = \sqrt {{\frac{k}{m}}} \) :

Natural angular frequency

\( \omega_{d} = \omega_{n} \sqrt {1 - \zeta^{2} } \) :

Angular frequency of damped system

\( \zeta = {\frac{c}{{2\sqrt {km} }}} \) :

Damping factor

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Acknowledgments

This research work was conducted by LAQ-IBIS with the support of PRIN06 “Study and development of gas bearings for ultra-high-speed electrospindle” and FIRB Project “Enabling technologies for multitasking high-precision machining of microparts.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, C.so Duca degli Abruzzi, 24, 10129, Turin, Italy

    G. Belforte, F. Colombo, T. Raparelli, A. Trivella & V. Viktorov

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  1. G. Belforte
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  2. F. Colombo
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  3. T. Raparelli
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  4. A. Trivella
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  5. V. Viktorov
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Correspondence to F. Colombo.

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Belforte, G., Colombo, F., Raparelli, T. et al. Performance of Externally Pressurized Grooved Thrust Bearings. Tribol Lett 37, 553–562 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-009-9550-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-009-9550-3

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