On the Numerical Modeling of High-Speed Hydrodynamic Gas Bearings

Abstract

A numerical study of high-speed hydrodynamic gas bearing performance is presented using both finite element and finite difference methods. Efficient numerical procedures are developed to analyze diffusive-convective thin film gas flows in some simple geometries. A novel direct finite element formulation employing a new class of shape functions is specially devised to solve the Reynolds equation for compressible fluids. The formulation is as computationally efficient as the classical upwind finite element schemes without introducing artificial diffusion into the solution. Bearing load-capacity, static stiffness coefficients and frequency-dependent force coefficients are calculated for gas-lubricated plane and Rayleigh step slider bearings. [S0742-4787(00)01701-X]