In conventional compressor technology, high pressure ratios are often achieved by multiple, successive compression stages. This is done to avoid high temperatures due to the adiabatic nature of most compression processes which deteriorates the working of oil lubrication. The aim of this work is to reduce a conventional four-stage system to only two stages as this may improve the size and expenses of the system. This goal combined with a long desired lifetime, makes that a compressor is developed that operates based on gas bearing technology.

The design is focused on two main subjects. Firstly, the load capacity of the gas bearings is significantly lower than oil lubricated bearings due to the reduced viscosity. To avoid mechanical contact and wear of the components this has been thoroughly analysed using finite element methods. The oscillating nature of the loads in the system enhances the squeeze effect from the Reynolds equation. Secondly, the sealing function of gas bearings opposing internal leakage is evaluated carefully to obtain a desired efficiency. Based on these simulations, the mechanical design of the compressor is optimized to improve the manufacturing of the compressor components.