Influence of T-shaped Pressure-equalization Grooves on Static Characteristics of Aerostatic Bearings under Offset Loads

Aerostatic thrust bearings are highly susceptible to tilting under offset loads, which can cause bearing failure. To enhance the load-carrying capacity and tilting moment resistance of bearings under tilted operating conditions, this study proposes a circular aerostatic bearing featuring a central air intake with a pressure-equalization chamber and T-shaped pressure-equalization grooves. The bearing's excellent resistance to offset loads is demonstrated through Fluent simulation and experimental verification. The results indicate that an appropriate film thickness exists at which the tilting moment of the aerostatic thrust bearing reaches a maximum. The introduction of T-shaped pressure-equalization grooves significantly enhances the load capacity, improving the peak tilt moment of the bearing under offset load conditions by ۶۲.۲۴%. When the load is applied along the axis of the T-shaped pressure-equalization grooves, increasing the number of grooves further improves the bearing’s load capability. The distribution of the offset load has minimal influence on the bearing's air consumption. Although increasing the number of grooves elevates air consumption under the same tilt attitude, it does not affect the maximum air consumption. Increasing the supply pressure significantly enhances the tilting moment and load-carrying capacity at a given eccentric distance, however, this enhancement diminishes as the eccentric distance increases.

کلیدواژه ها:

T-shaped pressure-equalization grooves ، Aerostatic thrust bearing ، Eccentricity distance ، Static characteristics ، Fluent simulation