An Investigation of the Steady-State Performance of a Wave Aerodynamic Thrust Bearing for High Speed Applications

The steady-state performance of an aerodynamic double thrust wave bearing was investigated. The investigation showed that a double thrust wave bearing with an inner diameter of 15 mm and an outer diameter of 45 mm can support axial loads of 200 N at 100,000 rpm for a minimum film thickness of 3 microns. The influence of the wave bearing parameters on the bearing performance was also analyzed. The theoretical analysis was validated by experimentally testing one side of the thrust bearing. A special test rig was built for this purpose. The experimental data were close to the numerical predictions, validating the computer codes.