Demonstration of a Microfabricated High-Speed Turbine Supported on Gas Bearings

Abstract

A single-crystal silicon air turbine supported on gas lubricated bearings has been operated in a controlled and sustained manner at rotational speeds greater then 1 million rpm and power levels approaching 5 W. The device is a second-generation version of the microbearing rig first reported by Lin et al. [l], and is the first micromachine to operate at circumferential tip speeds of hundreds of meters per second, comparable to conventional scale turbomachinery.