Experience Relating to the Steady Performance of Aerostatic Porous Thrust Bearings

Abstract

Good agreement between calculated and actual performance of aerostatic porous thrust bearings is possible provided account is taken of several practical influences. Those considered are elastic deflection of the porous pad, sheer distortion of the pad bond, surface finish of the pad and nature of the gas flow through it. The effect of surface finish on effective film thickness is accounted for by a new method based on a knowledge of film-pressure distribution. A criterion for viscous-dominated flow through the pad has been formulated and accurate values of both viscous and inertia permeabilities for the pad are readily derived from a simple flow test.