Dynamic Force Coefficients of Hydrostatic Gas Films for Recessed Flat Plates: Experimental Identification and Numerical Predictions

The following paper focuses on an experimental and analytical study aimed at identifying the dynamic force coefficients of hydrostatic gas films for recessed flat plates. The motivation for the effort was brought upon by the necessity of generating more accurate models for hydrostatic gas films found in hybrid gas bearings. Pressurized air at room temperature up to 120 psi was used to test different recess geometries on a flat plate test rig, capable of characterizing the stiffness and damping force coefficients for varying supply pressures, gas film thickness values, excitation frequencies, and vibration amplitudes. The test rig design and operation is described. Experimental results include frequency-dependent stiffness and damping coefficients, and leakage. The test results show that using external pressurization can generate large stiffness values while exhibiting small leakage. However, the results also show that the majority of the test configurations portray high negative damping values. An analytical model is presented and numerical predictions are compared to experimental results. Example damping trends as a function of frequency, pressure, and film thickness are presented in addition to force coefficient plots as functions of pressure ratio.