Abstract
The analysis of externally pressurized, plane, oil-film pads has been mainly restricted, in the current literature, to simple pad shapes without tilt or relative sliding action or squeeze effects.
As tilt can arise owing to manufacturing tolerances, or by dynamic inertial forces causing elastic deformation, it is important to assess the combined effects of tilt and sliding action in order to predict such factors as the stability of the system or the onset of cavitation.
This paper presents general numerical solutions from the Atlas digital computer of the Reynolds equation applied mainly to circular pressurized pads. Results for a square pad and for an infinitely wide pad are also given.
The load and location of the centre of pressure, the impedance of the pad and thus the flow rate are calculated in dimensionless form for any combination of tilt, sliding velocity, and squeeze rate. It is argued that these calculated terms are required before any dynamical problem, involving loaded hydrostatic bearings, can be attempted and before refinements of film lubrication theory can be incorporated. This paper illustrates the application of the results to dynamical problems.
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