Calculation of Static Characteristics of Spiral-Grooved Thrust Bearings over a Wide Compressibility Range

A numerical method for calculating the characteristics of gas-lubricated spiral-grooved bearings based on integrating the Reynolds equation using the finite element method is proposed. This method is applicable to bearings of various geometries with grooves of various shapes. A thrust bearing is considered as a specific example. Data on the dependence of the carrying capacity on the compressibility number and the number of grooves are presented. A comparison of the results with the asymptotic narrow groove theory is carried out.