Experimental Measurement of the Dynamic Pressure Distribution in a Squeeze-Film Bearing Damper Executing Circular-Centered Orbit

A review of previous experimental measurements of squeeze-film damper (SFD) forces is given. Measurements by the authors of SFD pressure fields and force coefficients for circular-centered orbits with ϵ = 0.5 are described and compared with computer predictions. For Reynolds numbers over the range 2–6, the effect of fluid inertia on the pressure fields and forces is found to be significant. Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASME/ASLE Tribology Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, October 20–22, 1986