Load performance of gas lubricated, compliant surface foil thrust bearings has an interlocking relationship with the compliance of the bearing and hydrodynamics of convergent wedge surface. Compliance of the bearing consists of supporting spring elements (elastic foundation) and a smooth elastic top foil. In this paper, a class of gas lubricated foil thrust bearings has been investigated analytically utilizing a novel approach which combines Finite Difference (FD) and Finite Element (FE) methods. Solution of the governing hydrodynamic equations dealing with compressible fluid is coupled with the structural resiliency of the foil bearing surfaces. FD method is utilized for hydrodynamic analysis while FE is used to model structural resiliency. Influence coefficients were generated to address the elasticity effects of combined top foil and elastic foundation on the hydrodynamics of thrust bearing, and were used to expedite the numerical solution. Within 2 to 3 iterations the convergence criterion was reached. The overall program logic proved to be an efficient technique to deal with the complex structural compliance of various foil bearing. Case study has been conducted and sample solutions are provided. Unlike prior analytical investigations, the essential effect of the top foil on the performance of the bearing has been elucidated. [S0742-4787(00)02501-7]

This paper describes the development of a new analysis technique that was used to evaluate the performance of a class of gas-lubricated journal bearings. The surface of these bearings is made up of preformed, leaf-type, compliant foils that are anchored to the bearing housing by spacer keys. Each leaf overlaps an adjacent leaf. Beneath each foil and attached to the inside of the bearing housing is a strip of backing spring. The stiffnesses of various foil bearing structures are modeled and presented as influence coefficients. Unlike conventional approaches, the solution of the governing hydrodynamic equations dealing with compressible fluid is coupled with the structural resiliency of the bearing surfaces. The distribution of the fluid film thickness and pressures, as well as the shear stresses in a finite-width journal bearing, are computed. The solutions include values of bearing stiffness coefficients due to both structural and hydrodynamic stiffnesses. The analysis, which is conducted for multileaf configurations by varying the number of leaves, uncovers the effects that the various structural, geometric, and operational variables have on bearing behavior. Also discussed are design guidelines with regard to the number of leaves, the degree of compliance, and bearing operational parameters.

As part of a program to develop solid/powder-lubricated journal bearings, a comparative evaluation has been performed to aid in determining whether MoS2 and WS2 powder are suitable lubricants for high-speed, extreme-environment multi-pad journal bearings. Plots of traction coefficients, friction, frictional power loss, and bearing pad temperature are presented as a means for comparing various powder lubricants. This paper primarily focuses on experiments carried out on a three-pad journal bearing and a disk-on-disk tribometer. Results showed that MoS2 traction curves resemble that of SAE 10 synthetic oil. Unlike liquid lubricants, powder films have a limiting shear strength property. Once the powder reaches this limiting value, the maximum traction coefficient is limited and the powder essentially shears along sliding walls. Experimental traction data shows evidence of this property in various powders. The thermal performance of the bearing was evaluated at speeds up to 30,000 rpm and loads up to 236 N. Although WS2 displayed constant friction coefficient and low temperature with increasing dimensionless load, MoS2 exhibited frictional behavior resembling that of a hydrodynamic lubricating film. In this paper, an attempt has been made to provide a criterion for the selection of solid lubricants for use in those tribosystems that may be operated in a high speed/load regime (i.e., high strain rates) as an alternative yard stick to conventional comparative approaches.

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Design of a blood pump with a magnetically levitated rotor requires rigorous evaluation of the magnetic bearing and motor requirements and analysis of rotor dynamics and hydraulic performance with attention to hemolysis and thrombosis potential. Given the desired geometric dimensions, the required operating speed, flow in both the main and wash flow regions, and magnetic bearing performance, one of several design approaches was selected for a new prototype. Based on the estimated operating speed and clearance between the rotor and stator, the motor characteristics and dimensions were estimated. The motor stiffness values were calculated and used along with the hydraulic loading due to the fluid motion to determine the best design for the axial and radial magnetic bearings. Radial and axial stability of the left ventricular assist device prototype was verified using finite element rotor dynamic analysis. The analysis indicated that the rotor could be completely levitated and spun to the desired operating speed with low power loss and no mechanical contact. In vitro experiments with a mock loop test setup were performed to evaluate the performance of the new blood pump prototype.