Thermo-Elasto-Hydrodynamic-Analysis of Step and Diaphragm Thrust Bearing

In this paper, the beneficial effects of elastic diaphragm deflection within a confined inlet area are demonstrated when it is incorporated in a conventional tilting bearing (diaphragm tilting bearing), step bearing (step and diaphragm bearing), and parallel bearing (diaphragm bearing). Rigid support of the diaphragm pad is required to utilize full potential of this bearing. The step and diaphragm pad provides a physical bearing that has the capacity approaching the optimum bearing which was based on numerical optimization.