Study of externally pressurized air thrust bearings with multi-rows supply holes

To improve the load capacity and stability of gas-lubrication thrust bearings, the externally pressurized air thrust bearings with multi-rows supply holes were developed. Based on the modified Reynolds-equation for gas bearings, a finite element formulation of governing equations has been developed using Galerkin method. Using the boundary conditions of governing equations, a forward iteration method was selected to solve the steady Reynolds-equation. The influences of different parameters on the performance of thrust bearings are analyzed. The results of the theoretical analysis and the experimental research indicate that adopting multi-rows supply holes can enhance the stiffness performance of thrust bearings.