Aerostatic thrust bearing performances analysis considering the fluid-structure coupling effect

This article presents a novel calculation method for the bearing performance of the aerostatic thrust bearing. This method is provided while taking the fluid-structure coupling effect into account. High pressure air film leads to the structure deformation, thus the bearing clearance after deformation is utilized to estimate the real bearing performance. Furthermore, the influencing factors on the bearing performance, the thrust plate's thickness, and the orifices' location, are investigated on the basis of the fluid-structure coupling effect. The calculation method of the best gas film thickness is deduced and presented. Experimental results for validation highlight the reliability of this method.