Preliminary Studies on Gas Foil Thrust Bearings with Stepped Foils

Studies on non-contact hydrodynamic foil thrust bearings (FTB) with a diameter of 224 mm were fabricated and tested for operating speeds up to 20,000 rpm. Single layer top foils and stepped / multiple foils with steel and copper foil materials were used in the present study that eliminates the complexity of foil design and manufacturing. Thrust loads of the FTB for various foil configurations were determined for two foil thicknesses and foil sector angles (SA) thereby optimizing the best foil stiffness. The paper also enlightens on the life of these bearings tested for about 50 cycles that ensures their application in air cycle machines and food processing industries.