ANALYSIS OF AN ARBITRARY SHAPED GUIDE BEARING SUBJECT TO NORMAL OSCILLATION AND TRANSLATION OF A PLATE

An analytical solution for a two-dimensional arbitrarily shaped guide bearing under finite amplitude transverse vibration and translation of a plate is presented. The solution technique uses the method of avera ged inertia and a perturbation method on the Navier-Stokes equations t o predict the bearing load and phase. Solutions to the-illustrative pr oblem of a plane inclined thrust bearing under transverse vibration an d translation of a plate are used to illustrate properties of the solu tions. Increasing oscillation amplitude causes asymmetry in the bearin g load. For a bearing tilted at small inclination angles a smaller Str ouhal number (higher translation speed) is required to prevent suction from occurring during transverse vibration. Predictions of the occurr ence of suction by lubrication theory can be significantly in error. I nertia-induced phase lead of the bearing load with respect to the lubr ication solution increases with bearing inclination and approaches 90 degrees as the squeeze Reynolds number Re-2 increases.