GOALI: Analysis, Design, and Testing of Profiled Hydrostatic Thrust Bearings

这个学术界与工业界联系的资助机会（GOALI）奖为提高静压推力轴承的性能提供资金。 众所周知，这些轴承经历小规模和大规模的变形，并且这些变形可以显著降低轴承的承载能力。 鲜为人知的是，某些类型的轴承变形实际上可以增加承载能力！ 在这项研究中，这些有利的变形将使用分析，数值和实验技术进行研究。 这项工作的目标是制定设计指南，可用于确保有益的变形，同时也保证不发生有害的变形。 轴承和推力表面之间的流体膜厚度将根据滑动速度、轴承的结构特性、流体条件和动力源限制进行优化。 进行这些调查的一种方法是研究有意对轴承表面进行仿形以实现最佳轴承性能的影响。 优化的轮廓几何形状，加上预期的被动变形的轴承，将被用来指定的设计要求，先进的轴承design.If成功的，这项研究的工作将被用来显着提高性能的静压推力轴承，广泛用于机械设计应用。 改进的性能将在更高的承载能力和更低的功率要求中得到证明。 第二个影响是通过消除轴承和推力表面之间金属对金属接触的可能性来减少磨损并增加预期寿命。 从这项工作中产生的设计准则可以用来更新这些广泛使用的机器元件存在的经典教科书理论。 通过这样做，改进的机器设计实践将在工程界传播，并显着减少浪费和提高生产力将得以实现。

This Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) award provides funding for improving the performance of a hydrostatic thrust bearing. It is well known that these bearings undergo both small and large scale deformations and that these deformations can significantly reduce the load-carrying capacity of the bearing. What has been less well known is that certain types of bearing deformation can actually increase the load-carrying capacity! In this research, these advantageous deformations will be investigated using analytical, numerical, and experimental techniques. The objectives of this work will be to develop design guidelines that may be used to ensure beneficial deformations while also guaranteeing that harmful deformations do not occur. The fluid-film thickness between the bearing and the thrust surface will be optimized based upon sliding speed, structural properties of the bearing, fluid conditions, and power source limitations. A method for conducting these investigations will be to study the impact of intentionally profiling the bearing surface to achieve optimal bearing performance. The optimized profile geometry, coupled with the expected passive deformation of the bearing, will be used to specify the design requirements for the advanced bearing design.If successful, the work of this research will be used to significantly enhance the performance of hydrostatic thrust bearings that are widely used in mechanical design applications. The improved performance will be demonstrated in higher load-carrying capacities and lower power requirements. A secondary impact will be to reduce wear and increase life expectancies by eliminating the potential for metal-to-metal contact between the bearing and the thrust surface. The design guidelines that are generated from this work may be used to update the classical textbook theory that exists for these widely used machine elements. By doing this, improved machine design practices will be disseminated among the engineering community and a significant reduction in waste and an increase in productivity will be realized.