The miniature turboalternator associated with a reverse-Brayton cryocooler requires geometrically simple, self-acting thrust bearings capable of reliable operation over a large temperature range and insensitive to secondary leakage flows. In order to meet this need, a robust sector thrust bearing has been developed. This thrust bearing is different from a classic stepped sector thrust bearing in that the restoring force at cryogenic temperatures originates primarily from inertial effects while at higher temperatures its restoring force is related primarily to viscous effects. This paper describes the analysis and initial test results for a prototypical robust sector thrust bearing.
Issue Section:
Technical Papers
1.
McCormick, J. A., Nellis, G. F., Swift, W. L., Sixsmith, H., and Reilly, J., 1999, “Design and Test of Low Capacity Reverse Brayton Cryocooler Refrigeration at 35 K and 60 K,” Proc. 10th Inernational Cryocooler Conference, R. G. Ross, ed., Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishing, New York, pp. 421–429.
2.
Nellis
, G. F.
, McCormick
, J.
, Sixsmith
, H.
, and Swift
, W. L.
, 1998
, “Turbo Brayton Coolers for a Range of Loads and Temperatures
,” Proc. of SPIE, Infrared Technology and Applications XXIV
, B. F.
Andresen
et al., eds., SPIE
, The International Society for Optical Engineering Publishing
, Bellingham, WA
, Volume 3435
, No. 2
, pp. 813
–823
.3.
Swift
, W. L.
, Zagarola
, M. V.
, Nellis
, G. F.
, McCormick
, J. A.
, Sixsmith
, H.
, and Gibbon
, J. A.
, 1999
, “Developments in TurboBrayton Technology for Low Temperature Applications
,” Cryogenics
, 39
, 989
–995
.4.
Cheng, H. S., Chow, C. Y., and Murray, S. F., 1965, “Gas Bearing Design Charts Volume 1: The Hydrodynamic Gas Journal Bearing and The Hydrodynamic Gas Thrust Bearing,” Technical Report No. MTI-65TR5-II, Mechanical Technology Incorporated, Latham, NY.
5.
Whipple, R. T. P., 1958, “The Inclined Groove Bearing,” Atomic Energy Research Establishment Technical Report No. 622, Harwell.
6.
Whitley, S., and Williams, L. G., 1959, “The Gas Lubricated Spiral-Groove Thrust Bearing,” U. K. A. E. A., I. G., Technical Report No. 28 RD/CA.
7.
Ausman
, J. S.
, 1961
, “An Approximate Analytical Solution for Self-ActingGas Lubrication of Stepped Sector Thrust Bearings
,” ASLE Trans.
, 4
, pp. 304
–313
.8.
Grassam, N. S., and Powell, J. W., eds., 1964, Gas Lubricated Bearings, Butterworths, London.
9.
Walker
, L.
, and Osterle
, F.
, 1961
, “A Centrifugal Effect Self-Acting Thrust Bearing
,” ASLE Trans.
, 4
, pp. 287
–292
.10.
Razzague
, M. M.
, and Takahisa
, K.
, 1999
, “Effects of Groove Orientation on Hydrodynamic Behavior of Wet Clutch Coolant Films
,” ASME J. Tribol.
, 121
, pp. 56
–61
.11.
Incropera, F. P., and DeWitt, D. P., 1990, Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, 3rd ed., John Wiley & Sons, New York.
12.
Rohsenow, W. M., Hartnett, J. P., and Cho, Y. I., eds., 1998, Handbook of Heat Transfer, 3rd ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.
Copyright © 2001
by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.
