THE DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF A CAPILLARY COMPENSATED HYDROSTATIC JOURNAL BEARING

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of a four-pad hydrostatic journal bearing with capillary compensation and a design procedure for the selection of oil film thickness and pad geometry from considerations of stiffness, oil flow and total power requirement is outlined. The theoretical results are compared with experimental observations on a journal bearing assembly and the main sources of discrepancy are discussed. A design featuring interchangeable bearing bushes has been successfully employed, thus permitting relatively easy selection of a variety of pad geometries and configurations and oil film thicknesses.