Compliant gas thrust bearing with profiled and apertured thrust runner

摘要

A compliant gas thrust bearing has a thrust plate on which is mounted an annular, flexible bearing sheet supported by a resilient support member which enables the bearing sheet to deflect under hydrodynamic loads and thermal and misalignment loads. The bearing surface of the thrust runner has formed therein a series of hydrodynamic profiles which facilitate the generation of hydrodynamic supporting gas films during rotation of the thrust runner. A restricted gas inlet port in the thrust runner admits externally pressurized lubricating gas to separate the bearing surfaces of the thrust runner and the bearing sheet during startup and stopping phases of operation and also to enhance the hydrodynamic effect of the thrust runner/compliant bearing surface combination.