Lubrication-film height imaging for hydrostatic bearings with fluorescence: With an analytic solution to the plane-parallel, fluorescent radiative transfer equation

The performance of hydrostatic bearings is in part decided by their lubrication-film height shape. Imaging the shape can be done by dissolving fluorescent dyes in the layer. However, current imaging techniques are rooted in heuristics, and as such, their physics, design parameters, and error sources are not quantitively understood. To fully...

Compliant Full Film Lubricated Bearings: Concept Design & Development

Full film lubricated bearings are machine components that excel in their ability to carry high loads with very little friction. Their main archetypes, passive hydrodynamic and active hydrostatic bearings, are used in a wide variety of applications, ranging from hydraulic pumps to high precision machine benches. They are most commonly lubricated...

Whiffletree based supports for self-adjustable hydrostatic bearings

Hydrostatic bearings are superior in terms of their friction and load carrying characteristics when compared to contact based bearings, but non-usable in applications with non-constant curvature counter surfaces. A possible solution to this limitation is the introduction of deformable hydrostatic bearings components that cope with these...

An eco-impact design metric for water lubricated bearings based on anticipatory Life Cycle Assessment

Water lubricated bearings have been named in literature as a sustainable alternative to their oil-based counterparts. In order to clarify when water lubricated bearings are or are not a sustainable alternative, and inform design decisions, an analytical design tool is introduced based on anticipatory Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This model is...

Modelling and Design of a 2D Whiffletree Based Large Deforming Hydrostatic Bearing

Hydrostatic bearings are superior in terms of performance to contact based bearings, but non-usable in applications with non-constant curvature counter surfaces. A solution to this would be the introduction of deformable hydrostatic bearings components to cope with these required deformations. To reduce the required deformation of a bearing pad,...

Magnetic fluid bearings & seals: Methods, design & application

The bearing and the seal are two commonly used tribological components since nearly all moving machinery relies on them for proper operation. Even a small improvement in these components can have a big impact on both the market and the environment. The two main problems of these components are wear and friction. In addition, seals suffer from...

Design of a fluorescent measurementsystem for compliant hydrostaticbearings

A LED induced fluorescent technique based test setup is introduced , which is used to measure the water film thickness of compliant hydrostatic bearings. Fluorescent particles have the characteristic of absorbing light of a certain wavelength and emitting light of a higher wavelength. A LED with a wavelength of 540 nm (green light) is used to...

Experimental results on a hydrostatic bearing lubricated with a magnetorheological fluid

Magnetorheological fluids can be used as a smart lubricant as a result of the fact that its properties can be changed with the use of a magnetic field. Local flow resistance and local pressure can be generated by applying a local magnetic field. This work presents a hydrostatic bearing in which the pressure profile of a conventional...

Increasing the load capacity of planar ferrofluid bearings by the addition of ferromagnetic material

Ferrofluid pocket bearings are a type of bearing that are able to carry a load using an air pocket encapsulated by a ferrofluid seal. Previously designed ferrofluid bearings show the great potential of the stick-slip-free and low viscous friction bearings, however until now the load capacity is limited. In this article a method is presented...

Operational range of a ferrofluid pocket bearing

Ferrofluid pocket bearings are interesting for fast and precise positioning systems thank to the absence of stick-slip, the low viscous friction and their cost-effective nature. However, the characteristics of the bearing change due to over(de)compression since air escapes out of the enclosed pocket. This article presents an experimentally...

Load and stiffness of a planar ferrofluid pocket bearing

A ferrofluid pocket bearings is a type of hydrostatic bearing that uses a ferrofluid seal to encapsulate a pocket of air to carry a load. Their properties, combining a high stiffness with low (viscous) friction and absence of stick-slip, make them interesting for applications that require fast and high precision positioning. Knowledge on the...

Gate Design For Large, High Head Locks: "The development of an innovative lock gate"

This master thesis researches the necessity and possibilities of new/innovative lock gate technologies for future large & high head locks, like the Panama Canal Expansion Project. A historical data analysis has been performed, contemplates over 220 of the worlds largest locks throughout time, analyzing the development and application of...