The effect of recess number and conical shape on hydrostatic bearing power losses

Axial loads on machinery are commonly carried by hydrostatic thrust bearings. To ensure sustained performance, designers need to balance the requirement for efficient pumping power with the high load-carrying capacity. This requirement is a common challenge. For the purpose of studying the pumping power losses of hydrostatic thrust bearings, this research presents a numerical analysis of the recess shape design effect. The ANSYS workbench software has been used to implement the numerical simulation. Rectangular and circular pockets with two and four recesses are analyzed for power losses and film thicknesses using FVM and the Navier-Stokes equations. Study results indicated that the number and shape of recesses had a significant effect on power losses.