Air Bearing 1
Air Bearing 1
Air Bearing 1
1.INTRODUCTION
Air bearing are bearings that use a thin film of pressurized air for providing exceedingly low
friction load bearing interface between surfaces. The two surfaces do not touch. As they are
contact free, they provide tradition bearing problems of wear, friction, particulates and
lubrication handling, and offer a distinct advantage in precision positioning, such as lacking
backlash and static friction, as well as in high speed applications. The fluid film of the bearing is
air that flows through the bearing itself to the bearing surface. The design of the air bearing is
such that, although the air constantly escapes from the bearing gap, the pressure between the
faces of the bearing is enough to support the working loads. Thus, there is a differentiation that
has to be made between hydro-dynamical bearings, which establish the air cushion through their
movement, and hydrostatical bearings, in which the pressure is being externally inserted. Air
bearings are being mainly used in precision machinery tools (measuring and processing
machines) and fast running machines (high speed spindle).
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2. LITERATURE REVIEW
The bearing capacity of a foundation is defined as the critical load per unit area at either the
ground surface or at a certain depth below the ground surface that is necessary to mobilize the
full shear strength of the soil along some continuous failure surface. The critical load depends
not only on the mechanical properties of the soil but on the size and shape of the footing. The
problem of evaluating the critical static load has been treated by number of researchers, for
examples, Terzaghi, 1943; Meyerhof, 1951; Vesic, 1973, but a mathematically rigorous solution
has been attained only under greatly simplified assumptions.
In comparison with the extensive studies on the static bearing capacity of shallow foundations,
only a limited amount of information is available in literature on the dynamic bearing capacity of
soils. Where the latter information is available, the analyses and experimental investigations deal
essentially with vertical vibrations as in machine foundations. Very little is available in literature
describing studies of the bearing capacity of soils under earthquake type loads.
It was reported in literature that many buildings failed during earthquakes by soil bearing
capacity failure. Most of these failures are ascribed to the liquefaction phenomenon of the soil- a
condition where the mean effective stress in a saturated soil, essentially loose saturated cohesion
less soil, is reduced to zero. For example, during the Niigata, Japan, earthquake of June, 1964,
apartment buildings at Kawagishicho were tilted, some by as much as 60, yet there was almost
complete absence of other (structural) damage. This indicates that the bearing capacity of the soil
was reduced to a very low value.
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3. AIR BEARING
Air bearings (also known as aerostatical or aerodynamical bearings) are bearings that use a thin
film of pressurized air to provide an exceedingly low friction load-bearing interface between
surfaces. The two surfaces do not touch. As they are contact-free, air bearings avoid the
traditional bearing-related problems of friction, wear, particulates, and lubricant handling, and
offer distinct advantages in precision positioning, such as lacking backlash and static friction, as
well as in high-speed applications.
The fluid film of the bearing is air that flows through the bearing itself to the bearing surface.
The design of the air bearing is such that, although the air constantly escapes from the bearing
gap, the pressure between the faces of the bearing is enough to support the working loads. Thus,
there is a differentiation that has to be made between Aerodynamical bearings, which establish
the air cushion through their movement, and Aerostatical bearings, in which the pressure is being
externally inserted.
Air bearings are being mainly used in precision machinery tools (measuring and processing
machines) and fast running machines (highspeed spindle).
3.1 TYPES OF AIR BEARINGS
3.1.1. AEROSTATIC:
Externally pressurised: A separate external supply of air is fed under pressure between the two
surfaces being kept apart. It is a continuous flow system where pressurised gas from the source
flows through restrictors into the clearance between the bearing surfaces escaping to the
atmosphere at the outside edges of the bearing. Types: Simple orifice fed, Pocketed orifice, Slot
fed and Porous.
PRINCIPLE
Because aerostatic bearings have a pressurized air source they can maintain an air gap in the
absence of relative motion between the bearing surfaces. Air bearings offer a solution for many
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3.1.2. AERODYNAMIC:
Self-generating: The supporting film is generated by the relative motion of the two surfaces
being kept apart. An aerodynamic bearing can be of several types. The design characteristics
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differ greatly between journal and axial bearings and they can suffer problems of instability.
Types: Simple cylinders, Tri-lobe, Grooved (axial / herringbone / spiral) and Stepped
PRINCIPLE
Aerodynamic bearings depend on relative motion between the bearing surfaces and usually some
type of spiral grooves to draw the air between the bearing lands. This bearing action is very
similar to hydroplaning in our automobile on a puddle of water at high speed. At a lower speed
our tire would cut through the water to the road. In just this way, aerodynamic bearings require
relative motion between the surfaces, when there is no motion or when the motion is not fast
enough to generate the air film the bearing surfaces will come into contact. Aerodynamic
bearings are often referred to as foil bearings or self-acting bearings. Examples of this type of
bearing include the read-write head flying over a spinning disk, crankshaft journals, camshaft
journals, and thrust bearings for electrical generator turbines.
3.2. USE OF AIR BEARINGS IN ULTRA-PRECISION SPINDLE
Aerostatic bearings have been adapted to develop spindles called ultra-precision aerostatic
spindles. Since most of the ultra-precision machines require precision class spindle with higher
running accuracy, stiffness and good thermal stability. Aerostatic bearings are in greater demand.
Aerostatic bearing gives high rotational accuracy, thermal stability, stiffness and high operating
speeds, compared to other types of bearings. Ultra- precision machines require spindles with
nanometre accuracy in rotation, moderate axial and radial stiffness, and moderate load carrying
capacity.
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Later various concepts like active air bearings and passive air bearings and others were
developed. Accompanying this, further high precision is demanded for spindles and spindle
supporting bearings that are elements of machine tools. In the present work an attempt has been
made to develop an aerostatic spindle for ultra-precision machine tool which overcomes the
drawbacks present in anti-friction bearing spindle which were used in precision machine tools.
As problems like wear, thermal errors, lubrication problems, bearing failure etc, were
encountered in anti-friction bearings there was a serious research in the field of precision
engineering. Different types of aerostatic bearings are analysed and the best one is selected for
design and further development. Detailed design of axial grooved journal bearings is done and
groove parameters are studied and optimized. Then the concept of using aerostatic bearings was
developed and it received a huge response from all organizations and research centres.
Ultra-precision machines require spindles with nanometre accuracy in rotation, moderate axial,
radial stiffness, and moderate load carrying capacity. Aerostatic bearings have been adapted to
develop this type of spindles called ultra-precision aerostatic spindles. Since most of the ultraprecision machines require precision class spindle with higher running accuracy, stiffness and
good thermal stability, aerostatic bearings are in greater demand. Aerostatic bearing gives high
rotational accuracy, thermal stability, stiffness and high operating speeds, compared to other
types of bearings.
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bearing. The cooling water is then fed back along the spindle where it passes through a reservoir
surrounding the rear journal bearing before exiting through a port on the spindles rear face.
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GRAPH 3.3. Load Versus Air Gap Plot For Different Point
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GRAPH 3.4. Stiffness Versus Air Gap Plot For Different Point
As the supply pressure increases, the maximum load capacity increases. The peak value of
stiffness also increases with the supply pressure.
3.11. EFFECT OF BEARING DIAMETER
The bearing diameter was varied from 30 to 80mm. The other parameters were kept constant.
Graph 3.5 and 3.6 show the plot for load and stiffness for different values of the bearing
diameter, respectively.
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stiffness. As the orifice diameter decreases, the stiffness increases. Stiffness can be also
increased by increasing the supply pressure and the bearing diameter. This shows that smaller
orifice diameter can result into higher stiffness at smaller air-gap.
3.12. DESIGN METHODOLOGY
The basic understanding of air bearing performance was utilised to develop a simple
methodology to help the design and selection process. Design is an iterative process, but the
number of iterations can be minimised by adopting a careful strategy. Based on the load and
stiffness requirements, the bearing dimensions, orifice size, and supply pressure can be suitably
selected using this approach. Optimum air-gap and correspondingly the required pre-loading can
be also obtained.
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Based on the load and stiffness requirements, the bearing dimensions, orifice size, and supply
pressure can be suitably selected using this approach. Optimum air-gap and correspondingly
the required pre-loading can be also obtained.
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FIGURE.4.1 Pressure Distribution On The Bearing Surface For Orifices (A, B) And Porous
Bearings (C)
Porous air bearings enable the supply of air equally across the whole surface of bearing, so that
the air flow can be restricted and damped at the same time. This can be achieved by diffusing the
air through a porous bearing material, so that a uniform pressure in the air gap is generated (also
see Figure 4.1). Compared with orifice bearings, porous bearings have the highest load capacity
and stiffness including high vibration stability. One of the first porous air bearing materials was
carbon graphite [2, 3]. Subsequently, bearings produced design.
Designing with ceramics is more difficult compared with steel, because steel is much more
tolerant to local stress peaks and material flaws. These disadvantages of monolithic ceramic
materials could be overcome by the development of ceramic composites. Such materials are
synthesised from the assembly of two or more components in order to obtain specific material
properties.
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One of these ceramic composites is CVI-SiC/SiC, which is composed of a silicon carbide (SiC)
fibre reinforcement imbedded in a SiC matrix during the chemical vapour infiltration (CVI). The
three dimensional SiC fibre architecture and the SiC matrix leads to a structure with an open
porosity of 10 % to 15%, which makes it fluid-permeable. The porosity can be modified by
variation of structure geometry and the controlled filling of this structure with SiC. The
geometrical form of the pores is dependent on fibre direction, and lies between 100 m and 300
m for the test pieces. Semi-finished products like tubes and plate of different thicknesses were
manufactured in a pilot plant.
Figure 4.3 shows the pressure profile of planar thrust bearing. The measurement was executed
with an air gap of 10 m and a supply pressure of 0.6 MPa. There is a difference between the
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expected profile of pressure and the measured one. Compared to the curve for an ideal porous
bearing material, real materials have no constant pressure field over the bearing surface.
However, the experimental data showed a curve with a similar trend. An approximate value for
the gap pressure can be specified with 0.55 MPa for parameters stated above. The following
criteria were necessary to achieve this. There must be a high flatness of bearing and guide
surface, a high mounting accuracy of the ceramic plate and the bearing housing, and an optimal
adjusting method for the measurement.
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Graph 4.2 shows the stiffness of bearing for the supply pressure of 0.2 MPa to 0.6 MPa for an air
gap up to 60 m. With a supply pressure of 0.6 MPa and an air gap of 5 m, the maximum
stiffness lies approximately at 14 N/m. With increasing supply pressure, the maximum value
displaced in direction of smaller air gaps.
GRAPH 4.2. Stiffness In Relation Of Bearing Gap And Several Supply Pressures
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Low shear forces within the air bearing allow extremely high rotational speeds with
minimal loss of power and very low heat generation. Speeds can exceed 300,000 rpm.
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6. DISADVANTAGES
Air bearings only have a few disadvantages. The main challenging issues are the high
geometrical accuracies which are required during manufacture.
Another issue is the supplied pressurized air which has to be clean and dry.
Fundamentally air bearings require some form of power consumption during operation to
supply the high pressure air, unlike mechanical systems which may operate without any
power input (except mechanical forces)
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7. APPLICATIONS
Air Bearings are used in a variety of applications including: Coordinate Measuring M a c h i n e s ,
Precision
Machine
Tools,
Semiconductor
Wafer
Processing,
Medical
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8. FUTURE SCOPE
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9. CONCLUSION
By stating the above points we can say that air bearing is the perfect alternative for carrying and
transporting.
The forward and inverse kinematics between the rotor displacement and the individual air gaps at
positions round the stator are developed in closed-forms, which are essential for design, dynamic
simulation and control purposes. Along with the pressure-flow relationship as a function of the
rotor position, the paper presents a detailed dynamic model of the air bearing system. The
dynamic performance of the air bearing system has been evaluated analytically by simulation.
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