Bearings
Test rigs involving herringbone grooved journal bearings, foil bearings, aerostatic bearings as well as Rayleigh step journal bearings help to validate in-house numerical and theoretical models for the performance prediction of gas-lubricated high-speed rotors, ranging from 8 to 40 mm in diameter, with speeds up to 4500 revolutions per second. The experimental methodologies involve both rotor- and stator-side pressure measurements of the gas film, dynamic excitations and static loading of full-size rotors. Real-gas effects, humid air effects, condensation of lubricant, advanced bearing design and measurement techniques are among the research interests of the laboratory in the field of gas lubrication.
