DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

NIE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

50, KOORGALLI VILLAGE, HOOTAGALLI INDUSTRIAL AREA, NEXT TO BEML, MYSURU
570018

“AIR BEARINGS”

TECHNICAL SEMINAR
(18MES84)
Under the Guidance of PRESENTED BY
Mr. Madhu R, B E, M Tech, Assistant professor IWIN M THOMAS (4NN18ME013)
 Air
Bearings
What is an Air Bearing?
An air bearing is a non-contacting system where air
acts as the lubricant that separates the two surfaces in
relative motion.

To compare this with ball bearings, in ball bearings the

balls are in constant contact with and form a solid
bridge between the machine elements.

Air bearings are being mainly used in precision

machinery tools (measuring and processing machines)
and high-speed machines (spindle, small-scale
turbomachinery).
Cutaway of an air bearing PCB drilling spindle
Why use air (instead of oil)?
• Air is clean, contaminant free
• Zero friction - no heat
• Generation at high speeds
• Small bearing gap means
• High accuracy components,
• High accuracy motion
• Air nitrogen or any other
• Gas can be used
When to use air bearings?
• Air bearings are not suitable for all applications but when they are used
effectively, each prescription has some common characteristics.

• Generally, it is advisable to use air bearings when one or more of the following is
an application requirement:
• Nanometric repeatability and/or accuracy
• Frictionless motion
• Zero stiction
• Zero backlash
• Zero wear of the mating surfaces
• High speed and high acceleration
• Low or near-zero particle emission
 When not to use air bearings?
Generally, do not use air bearings when the application:
• does not require near frictionless motion
• does not require high accuracy and repeatability
• involves environments where the air bearing surfaces may be exposed to oils or other sticky
substances
• cannot allow for a pressure source in the case of aerostatic air bearings (externally pressurized)
• requires minimal performance after high overload conditions on the air bearing
• cannot provide for accurate machining of the mating surface in the case of flat or cylindrical
bushing air bearings
• requires high load capacity in a small design envelope
Types of Air Bearing
Gas-lubricated bearings are classified in two groups, depending on the
source of pressurization of the gas film providing the load-carrying
capacity:
• Aerostatic bearings

• Aerodynamic bearings
Aerostatic Bearings
Externally pressurized
• A separate external supply of air is
fed under pressure between the
two surfaces being kept apart.
• It is a continuous flow system where
pressurized 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.
Cross-section through bearing, fitted with orifices Section through orifice line

Source: Westwind
Delivery of Gas to the Gap
• Supplying gas to the interface between moving elements of an
aerostatic bearing can be achieved in a few different methods:
• Porous Surface
• Partial porous surface
• Discrete orifice feeding
• Slot feeding
• Groove feeding
• There is no single best approach to feeding the film.
• All methods have their advantages and disadvantages specific to each
application.
Image Source: Specialty Components
Nozzle-air bearing with
chambers and channels Porous Air Bearing
 Aerodynamic Bearings
Self Generating
• The supporting film is generated by the relative
motion of the two surfaces being kept apart.
• As the speed increases, a velocity induced
pressure gradient is formed across the clearance.
• The increased pressure between the surfaces
creates the load carrying effect.
• Load capacity is dependent on the relative speed
at which the surface moves and therefore at zero
speed, the bearing supports no load. Source: Westwind

• Types: Simple cylinders, Tri-lobe, Grooved (axial / Westwind tri-lobed aerodynamic bearing
herringbone / spiral) and Stepped.
Aerodynamic Bearings - Technology

• Foil bearing
• Bearing surface is flexible, allowing large displacement and providing a good
stability.

• Spiral groove bearing

• Gas film is pressurized by grooves machined on one of the surfaces, achieving
high load capacity and stability.
• The usual groove patterns are herringbone-shaped, spiral or straight (step
bearings)
Applications
• Foil Bearing: Turbomachinery
• Spiral groove bearing :
• Gyroscopes for pro aviation and
astronautics
• Circulation Blowers Foil Bearing Spiral groove bearings with journal and
thrust forms.
• Rotor support of helium
liquefaction expansion turbine
• High speed blowers
• Polygonal mirrors in Laser Scanning
• As magnetic read/write heads in
disk memory storage devices
High Capacity Air Bearings
Source: Lincoln Laser
Applications

Air bearing cutting engine Air bearing Doppler engine

Air bearing 2-axis table with friction drive
Air bearing satellite system for Solar Arrays
 Air Bearings in proposed Hyperloop

Bearing with piston actor

 Advantages and Disadvantages of Air Bearings
Advantages Disadvantages
• lack of oil-based lubricants for • Self-excited vibration
operation • Tight manufacturing tolerances
• no service maintenance • sensitive to the presence of
• no “run-in” period particulates and dust
• simplification over conventional
bearings
• improved damping in dynamic
performance
• improved machine efficiency
• Cost advantage and repeatability.
Thank You