Abstract
The pressure generation of parallel-surface bearings has been investigated experimentally using dynamic instrumentation mounted in the moving surface. It was found that when the pads were truly flat and parallel a negative pressure was generated which was approximately proportional to the inverse square of film thickness.
A complete reversal of pressure generation was shown as the film thickness was successively decreased. This is shown to be due to increasing thermal distortion of the pads. It is shown that useful loads are carried on a wedge-shaped film produced by thermal distortion.
Appropriate theory has been developed for the infinitely wide case which includes the density and viscosity wedge effects, variations of film shape, frictional generation and conduction to the bearing solids. Fair agreement was obtained between theory and experiment after suitable treatment for side leakage.
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