Abstract
This paper proposes the design of a self-sensing compensating restrictor/pad module for hydrostatic bearings. The module consists of a bearing pad and the associated restrictor featuring the characteristics of self-sensing compensation and easy installation. The paper first introduces the configuration of the proposed module. Then, the lumped parameter model was used to derive the equation for the relationship between the pocket pressure and the bearing gap. Furthermore, equations governing the stiffness and loadcarrying capacity of the bearing were also obtained. Influences of the design parameters, such as the land length and pressure ratio, on bearing performance and the feasibility of the new design were studied both analytically and experimentally. Results of the theoretical analysis were compared with that of the experiment. Superior performances on the aspects of stiffness and load-carrying capacity, as well as time delay due to the distance between restrictor and bearing pad to the traditional restrictors such as capillary and orifice were achieved. In addition, the proposed restrictor possesses the advantages of simplicity for both manufacturing and assembly in comparison with the membrane-type restrictors.