Effect of slip flow in aerostatic porous rectangular thrust bearings

A theoretical analysis of the static characteristics of aerostatic porous rectangular thrust bearings with uniform film thickness is presented. A modified form of the Beavers-Joseph slip velocity boundary condition is applied at the interface of the porous pad and the lubricating film. When the thickness of the pad is small compared with the other two dimensions, the pressure distribution in the porous media is obtained in closed form and the modified Reynolds equation can be solved numerically by the finite difference method. The load capacity, mass flow rate of the gas and static stiffness are expressed in dimensionless form and calculated numerically for different operating parameters. Velocity slip reduces the load capacity and the mass flow rate of the gas and depends on the feed parameter for its effect on stiffness.