Herringbone grooves machined into aerodynamic bearings are well known to produce improvements in bearing stiffness and stability at high operating speeds. In this investigation the effect of herringbone grooves on the performance of an externally pressurized bearing is examined. A mathematical model based on previous research has been developed and used to optimize the design of an air bearing suitable for use in ultrahigh-speed machining spindles. Experimental results show the spindle to run satisfactory at speeds in excess of 3.0 × 106 DN (bearing diameter in mm x shaft speed in r/min), being limited only by the maximum speed of its drive rotor.
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VohrJ. H.ChowC. Y.Characteristics of herringbone grooved gas-lubricated journal bearingsTrans. ASME, J. Basic Engng, 1965, 87 (3), 568–578.
3.
CunninghamR. E.FlemmingD. P.AndersenW. J.Experimental stability studies of the herringbone-grooved gas-lubricated journal bearingTrans. ASME, J. Lubrication Technol, 1969, 91 (1), 52–59.
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MalanoskiS. B.Experiments of an ultrastable gas journal bearingTarns. ASME, J. Lubrication Technol., 1967, 89 (4), 433–438.
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FlemingD. P.Steady-state and stability analysis of externally pressurised gas lubricated journal bearings with herringbone grooves. NASA TN D-5870, 1970.
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LundJ. W.The hydrostatic gas journal bearing with journal rotation and vibrationTrans. ASME, J. Basic Engng, 1964, 86 (2), 328–336.
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LundJ. W.A theoretical analysis of whirl instability and pneumatic hammer for a rigid rotor in pressurised gas journal bearingTrans. ASME, J. Lubrication Technol., 1967, 89 (2), 154–166.
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ReagerN. F.Design of Gas Bearings.Vol. 1, Design Notes (Ed. ReagerN. F.), 1966, (Mechanical Technology Inc., Latham, NY).
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CunninghamR. E.FlemingD. P.AndersenW. J.Experiments on stability of herringbone grooved gas lubricated journal bearing. NASA TN D-4440, 1968.
10.
PanC. H.T.Spectral analyses of gas bearing systems for stability studiesDynamics and Fluid Mechanics, Vol. 3, Part 2 of Development in Mechanics (Eds. HuangT. C.JohnsonM.W.Jr), 1965 (John Wiley, NY) pp. 431–447.
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StanevP. T.Development of enhanced capacity air bearings. PhD thesis, Cranfield University, SIMS, Cranfield, 2001.
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PattersonE. B.The use of porous materials in air bearings. PhD thesis, The Queen's University of Belfast, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Belfast, 1972.
13.
CavicchiR. H.Critical-speed analyses of flexibly mounted rigid rotors. NASA TN D-4607, 1968.
