Measurement of gas pressure distribution in aerostatic thrust bearings using pressure-sensitive film

Pressure distribution in aerostatic thrust bearing clearance has received a lot of attention for its fundamental influence on bearing lubrication characteristics. Study of pressure distribution in the bearing clearance has commonly been conducted by numerical calculation and experimental measurement is very limited. In this paper, a new method is proposed to experimentally measure pressure distribution in the aerostatic thrust bearing clearance. In this method, the Fuji prescale pressure-sensitive film is used to record pressure distribution in the gas film, and calibration is performed before the digital image of the pressure-sensitive film is post-processed and transformed into pressure values. Applications of the proposed measurement method in circular aerostatic thrust bearings with recesses of different shapes demonstrate its feasibility and accuracy.